<p>First, I'm new to the site so I apologize if there is already a thread on this topic. I'm interested in music and truly have a passion for it. However, I've never been formally or classically trained because my family could never really afford music lessons or I never had the time. I play guitar and piano and I am all self taught. I do have some knowledge and experience with recording music and videos, both the technical and performing aspects, through studio sessions with friends and some professionals I know. Basically, I am interested in audio engineering, music, and music business related fields. Am I qualified to go to school for these fields? What are some colleges that might fit my profile? What can I do to ready myself? I'm also looking at engineering and business but frankly they seem safe and don't interest me as much. Since I am fairly undecided, I am curious about the field. </p>
<p>A little background: I am a junior with a 3.5 GPA taking all Honors and AP throughout Highschool at literally a brand new school. I will also be apart of the very first graduating class. It is a magnet science, technical, engineering, and math school and overall a challenging and difficult school far harder than my base school. </p>
<p>Middle Tennessee State has a Recording Industry major in the Mass Communications School that you should look into. They have students with varying levels of formal music training.</p>
<p>A question: you say you are self taught…have you also taught yourself any theory or can you read music? My son is also largely self-taught, so I know a bit of what you will have to “endure”, so to speak. If you haven’t already, I would scour the internet for theory and sight-reading sites. I can help there if you need – pm me if you do.
Let me know where you fall in the theory/reading area and I’ll post some good school ideas.</p>
<p>There are several music technology/recording programs that do not require an audition or instrumental study. They do, however, require portfolio submission and are very competitive. However, given your experience with recording, you may be able to fill the portfolio requirements. Check out Performing Arts Technology at the University of Michigan, Recording Arts at Indiana University, and Music Technology and the Clive Davis program at NYU.</p>
I am currently majoring in Audio Engineering here at the University of Rochester. THe website for the AME major has been updated significantly. If you have an inherent desire to be an Electrical engineer but love music so much, Audio Engineering combines the two fields together. You will learn about the physics of music, learn to program in musical applications such as Pure Data, learn about microphone theory and how to record, and later down the road you can take an elective called “Loudspeaker Design.” This major is very engineering (EE) based, but each class will be focused on music, thus students won’t be burdened with very technical engineering classes found in ME, EE, CE or OE (Optical).
As the AME website says, “The curriculum is built on a foundation of basic math and science and integrates elements of music, audio content production, acoustics, fundamental engineering science, signal processing hardware and software, electronics, and software engineering.”
If you come here and find out that another area of study interests you more than AME, it is very easy to transfer out of AME and minor in it instead.