Sound recording/ Music Industry colleges

<p>Hi, I am looking for more information on colleges that offer Music industry/ sound recording, engineering majors. My son has decided this is the path he wishes to take. We know about NYU's Tisch program as my older son is finishing at the Tisch Playwrights Horizon conservatory. I know Ithaca, Drexel, and city university also have programs. Some programs seem to be "music" based and require the applicant to take a music major, and then also offer the sound courses. Others take a more business route. I realize this is a pretty specialized majorm, but I would appreciate and information, help or advice. Most schools require a demo cd that showcases talent. If anyone has had to submit one I'd love to hear about it and get an idea on what is wanted. Thanks! Cam</p>

<p>Berklee in Boston is a good school. The members of my favorite music group, Dream Theater, went there.</p>

<p>Northeastern and UMass-Lowell have great Music Industry programs.</p>

<p>Someone I know who wants to major in Music Industry also applied to Emerson.. not sure if they offer Music Industry as a specific major or not, though..</p>

<p>Belmont and Middle TN State are top music industry programs, thanks to their proximity to Nashville.</p>

<p>I have to put in a word for Ohio University's Telecommunications School - ranked very well with excellent facilities and excellent internship opportunities. They have a major sequence in Audio Production, and a student can specialize in one of three concentrations:
* Music Production,
* Media Production, or
* Audio Post-Production,
each with it's own specialized courses. Check it out at:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.tcomschool.ohiou.edu/ug/seq_audio.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.tcomschool.ohiou.edu/ug/seq_audio.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>I'm looking for the best schools on the west coast that would have a 4 hear degree program for sound recording/engineering. I'm in Portland OR. Does anyone know anything about the Oregon State Schools?
thx</p>

<p>Drexel in Philadelphia.</p>

<p>Thank you to everyone who responded: It looks like my s's short list is coming down to Drexel, University of Mass lowell, Ithaca, Cuny Sonic, NYU, Emerson, Purchase, He wants to stay in the metro ny area or at least the North East. Once again Thanks!!! Cam</p>

<p>Just outside of San Francisco in Emeryville, CA (the digital city) there is Ex'pression College. It is just over ten years old, however it is held in high regards in the digital world. This school has a sound recording program where you can get a bachelors degree in just over two and a half years. It is one that I'm applying to and, while the Oregon schools don't have much to offer a student wanting to pursue a recording/mixing/producing career, this school does. I'm from Salem, OR and while there are many other great schools out there on the west coast or even in London, I'm not wanting to travel that far. This is a place that I've become very fond of. However, if your son is looking for a career geared more toward radio perhaps a broadcasting engineering degree would be great. I've found that searching colleges by degree and location desire on fastweb.com was a great way to get started. :-) However, I found Ex'pression through my mom's co-worker that has a brother attending the video game design course at Ex'pression (which is an apple certified school, which is the leader in music composition and mixing programs.)</p>

<p>One of my son's trumpet friends is studying sound engineering at UC Monterey (the new campus). He just recorded S's youth orchestra and had only two thirds of a quarter under his belt. He arrived with fellow students and some incredible equipment. Apparently the professors at UCM helped with the planning and execution. They are supposedly incredibly supportive. If you are interested in staying in California, I'd check it out!!</p>

<p>SUNY Fredonia is in NY but offers a BS in sound technology; one of the best curriculums I’ve seen, with courses in music theory, physics, and aural skills…</p>

<p>Greetings. Not exactly northeast but thought I’d let you know: My son attends the University of Michigan School of Music in what’s called the Performing Arts Technology program which offers four curricular streams, one of which is in tandem with the college of Engineering and one which offers an emphasis in engineering. However, it is not a straight “recording arts” type of program – is a little more focused on composition, music synthesis, multimedia arts and a music foundation whether you elect the BMUS, the Bsc or the BFA versions (eg. everyone will learn film editing software as well; everyone takes music theory, ear training and musicology; everyone takes computer programming, sound synthesis, three film production courses, etc.) That said, there is a good deal of sound reinforcement as well, so I would not consider it deficient in RA, just not exclusively focused on RA. Eg. they have a beautiful 5.1 surround studio, etc. An tonnes of talented peers to record, as there are 1,000 in the SOM.</p>

<p>The program is fairly competitive in that only apx. 16 - 20 students are placed each year in total across the four streams (am guessing it’s about 1 in 4 but could be all wet on this).</p>

<p>You asked about portfolios. Here’s what son submitted - if marked with an asterisk, it was in response to a specific request by the department – each curriculum requires a slightly different set of submissions. This portfolio was for curriculum B, BFA music concentration (more emphasis on electronic composing/synthesis and multimedia):</p>

<ol>
<li>* Any Bach fugue arranged for electronic music (he did contrapunctus 1 and called it ContraFunktus as he put a decidedly jazzish instrumentation to it)</li>
<li>An original electronic composition </li>
<li>An original acoustic compositon plus score plus performance, bonus if multi-tracked and well produced; must be student’s production and notated</li>
<li>An acoustic instrument audition</li>
<li><p>A set of sound samples/synthesis/soundscape and program documentation</p></li>
<li><p>Resume/Repetoire, Summary of technical exposure/software exposure, recommendations, etc. and full technical notes/documentation for each element submitted</p></li>
</ol>

<p>In son’s case, he also submitted a demo reel of his film work fully edited with sound, sample photography, lyrics and raw to final production of additional songs/compositions from different genres, and samples of his creative writing. It would likely benefit students with programming experience to submit examples of their work as well.</p>

<p>For the Engineering curriculum, I do know that a fully mixed/produced multi-track recording is essential for consideration in addition to the other elements, and that an absolute minimum of ACT 28 is required in math to be accepted. (The higher the better, as the UMich COE is not for the faint of heart when it comes to calculus…)</p>

<p>Hope this assists.</p>

<p>Also, FYI, Indiana U. Jacobs SOM offers a Recording Arts science degree that is very hands on and features many of the characteristics my son was looking for. Portfolio requirements are similar but without the “create an electronic instrumentation for Bach” aspect of specificity, and with interest in any multimedia background. Being at Jacobs, again a LOT of available practice for sound reinforcement of very talented musicians. </p>

<p>– Also, re Oregon question – not Oregon but we’ve had several folks tell us the Sound Engineering degree at Colorado is top notch.</p>

<p>There is also an Audio Engineering track (sorry for the pun) at Cleveland Institute of Music.</p>

<p>This thread was recently resurrected, but since it’s on page one, here’s a link to a great thread on the topic with <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/787110-music-industry-program-major-minor-help.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/787110-music-industry-program-major-minor-help.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>My daughter is interested in that major too. Look into SUNY Oneonta, Ramapo College in NJ and U. of New Haven in CT.
Other small colleges that have this: Lyndon State College in VT
Lebanon Valley in PA
Good luck</p>

<p>USC, William Paterson and Umiami have excellent industry and recording programs…also consider calarts if youre really into technology</p>