Music Production Course

6-Module Curriculum for Young Musicians

Intro to Practical Music Production

A Crash Course for Young Musicians

Students will engage in six modules that broadly span the basics of music production as well as careers involved in this industry area.

Total Hours

19 Hours

Modules

6 Total

Longest Module

4 Hours

Difficulty

Beginner

Course Modules

Module 1

Introduction to Music

Genre Exposure & Engineering Styles

• Wide variety of music genres

• Engineering across musical styles

• Genre-specific production techniques

Module 2

Music Studio Introduction

Studio Setup, Equipment, Careers & Etiquette

• Studio building design & rooms

• Equipment overview & purposes

• Career paths in audio/production

• Studio etiquette standards

Module 3

Critical Listening for Audio Engineers

DAW, Signal Processing, Sonic Environment

• Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)

• Signal processing & sound clarity

• Sonic environment optimization

• Music vs. Film audio engineering

Module 4

Recording

Multi-perspective Recording Sessions & Techniques

• Client goal-setting sessions

• Band & instrument recording

• Equipment setup & signal flow

• Vocal recording techniques

Module 5

Mixing Techniques

Track Adjustment, Arrangement, Production

• Track organization & editing

• Pitch & time adjustments

• Arrangement & music flow

• Automation & production

Module 6

Mastering

Final Mix Processing & Distribution Ready

• Mix polishing & finalization

• Sequencing & spacing

• Volume & fade optimization

• Distribution-ready output

Complete Curriculum

Module 1

Introduction to Music

3 hours

Students will be exposed to a wide variety of genres of music in order to deepen their understanding of what engineering for different musical styles entails.

Module 2

Music Studio Introduction

3 hours

Building Design: Components of the studio, purpose of each room (control room, live room, vocal room), acoustic design details
Equipment: Overview of equipment for each room. Students will learn the names of and purpose of each piece of equipment.
Studio Careers: Audio/recording engineer, video editor, mixing engineer, producer, studio manager, Assistant Engineer, grip, etc.
Presentations: Video or live presentation of equipment in use/studio session
Etiquette: Professional studio conduct standards

Module 3

Critical Listening for Audio Engineers

3 hours

Sound Recording Equipment: Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), Recording Signals, Sound Clarity
Signal Processing: How is sound recorded?
Sonic Environment: Identifying quality and maximizing equipment to account for headnoise
Context: Music vs. Film audio engineering distinctions

Module 4

Recording

4 hours

Student will experience actual recording sessions from multiple perspectives:

Client Sessions: Goal-setting and requirements planning
Band Recording: Equipment identification, setup/breakdown, signal flow, recording techniques
Individual Instruments: Equipment handling, signal flow, instrument-specific techniques
Vocals: Microphone selection, setup, signal processing, vocal techniques

Module 5

Mixing Techniques

4 hours

Students will take recordings from previous sessions and learn how to mix it down:

Overall Tracking: File saving, organization, editing, pitch/time adjustments, fades, track levels, automation
Arrangement: Music flow and composition choices
Production: Animation and dynamic elements

Module 6

Mastering

2 hours

Students will learn how to process the mix into its final form, ready for distribution:

• Polishing final mixes
• Sequencing tracks
• Volume optimization
• Spacing and fade finalization

Full Grant Copy

Intro to Practical Music Production: A Crash Course for Young Musicians

Course Description:
Students will engage in six modules that broadly span the basics of music production as well as careers involved in this industry area.

Module 1: Introduction to Music (3 hours)
Students will be exposed to a wide variety of genres of music in order to deepen their understanding of what engineering for different musical styles entails.

Module 2: Music Studio Introduction (3 hours)
Students will be introduced to:
• Building Design - Components of the studio, purpose of each room (control room, live room, vocal room), acoustic design details
• Equipment - Overview of equipment for each room. Students will learn the names of and purpose of each piece of equipment.
• Studio careers - audio/recording engineer, video editor, mixing engineer, producer, studio manager, Assistant Engineer, grip, etc.
• Video or live presentation of equipment in use/studio session
• Studio Etiquette

Module 3: Critical Listening for Audio Engineers (3 hours)
Students will learn the different components of what audio engineering entails:
• Sound Recording Equipment - Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)
  - Recording Signals - Sound Clarity
• Signal Processing - How is sound recorded?
• Sonic Environment - How to identify the quality of the environment and maximize the equipment to account for headnoise
• Music vs. Film

Module 4: Recording (4 hours)
Student will experience actual recording sessions from multiple perspectives:
• Client goal-setting session
• Bands
  - Equipment - Identification and Set up/Break down
  - Signal Flow
  - Recording Techniques
• Individual Instruments
  - Equipment - Identification and Set up/Break down
  - Signal Flow
  - Recording Techniques
• Vocals
  - Equipment - Microphone Selection and Set up/Break down
  - Signal Processing
  - Recording Techniques

Module 5: Mixing Techniques (4 hours)
Students will take recordings from previous session and learn how to mix it down to adjust and combine individual tracks:
• Overall Tracking - file saving and organization, editing, adjusting pitch and time, manipulating fades, tweaking track levels, and applying automation
• Arrangement (Music Flow)
• Production (Animation)

Module 6: Mastering (2 hours)
Students will learn how to process the mix into its final form, ready for distribution:
• Polishing
• Sequencing
• Volume
• Spacing and fades