Professional Sound & Business (Studio Production Major) Advanced Diploma

This course will provide students with a broad introduction to the entertainment industry and the interrelationships between art, technology, and business. During the course, students will be introduced to the music, broadcast, motion picture, game, and live event industries and their various subsidiaries.

This course will provide students with an understanding of the practical applications and creative principles used in sound for motion picture and television. During the course, students will be introduced to various post-production principles and techniques in a practical hands-on environment. Students will explore and develop the recording and editing techniques used for sound design, dialogue, sound effects, foley and music for film, television, games, and mobile applications.

This course will provide students with an introduction to the theoretical and creative principles used in sound for motion picture, television, and other visual entertainment media. During this course, students will gain insight into the history of motion picture sound, terminology, technology, and post-production concepts. This course will also introduce students to the techniques and practices of the sound designer, sound editor, dialogue editor, sound effects editor, music editor, and re-recording mixer in the film and television industries.

This course will provide the student with the necessary written and oral communication skills relevant to most businesses. Students will be introduced to the techniques of effective business writing, incorporating letters, reports, electronic communications, and oral presentations. This course will also present students with a fundamental overview of business ethics. Students will gain an understanding of basic moral and ethical theories and learn how to apply those theories to business and corporate concerns. Students will examine several case studies to better understand key ethical principles and learn the various ways in which business owners address these ethical issues.

This course will provide students with a broad and thorough insight into the history of music and art and their impact on and from culture. During this course, students will be introduced to the evolution of music and the interrelationships between various musical styles and genres through historical study.

This course will provide students with the comprehensive practical skills needed to work with digital audio recording technologies and is designed to cover the practical application of the theoretical principles learned in the Digital Technologies course. During this course, students will develop advanced practical skills using hardware and software-based digital technologies, as well as the principles and techniques of advanced recording and editing of music on a DAW through a comprehensive study of Pro Tools.

This course will provide students with a broad introduction to the theoretical, technical, creative, and artistic principles of sound and recording in the digital domain. During this course, students will be introduced to digital audio basics, hardware, software and interfaces through theory, application, and operating principles.

This course will provide students with the knowledge and skills to properly represent themselves as working professionals in the entertainment industry. During this course, students will be introduced to resume writing, communication skills, business ethics, and goal recognition, as well as practical information and practical exercises that will enhance career development plans and improve job search skills. Students will also examine the various jobs and career paths within the entertainment industry.

This course will provide students with an overview of fundamental financial management and accounting practices. Students will be provided with an overview of basic economic theories and practices, as well as important personal financial management practices. Students will then explore fundamental accounting principles and practices, including forms of business organization and business transactions, balance sheets, journals, financial statements, and the accounting cycle. Students will also discuss taxation, analyze financial statements, and explore cost behaviour and break-even analyses. This course will also explore the elements involved in creating and managing a small business. Students will discuss the financial management of events, the creation of event budgets, and the costs and risks associated with creating an event planning business.

This course will provide students with a broad understanding of intellectual property and copyright. Students will be introduced to the concepts of patents, trademarks and trade secret laws, moral rights, licensing, ownership, duration, infringements, and current laws regarding industrial designs. Students will explore the nature of contracts and contract law and examine basic contractual elements, verbal and written contracts, and discuss several basic types of contracts and clauses related to employment. This course will also provide students with an understanding of entertainment industry agreements and contracts, including those utilized by the film, publishing, and sports industries. Students will examine the numerous types of contracts utilized in the music business, including recording contracts, producer agreements, and live performance agreements.

This course will provide students with a practical and creative introduction to synthesizer technology, synthesis, sampling, and the MIDI Protocol. During this course, students will be introduced to synthesizers and the creative practical application of keyboards, hardware, and software as they apply to musical composition and production

This course will provide students with a broad introduction to the fundamental principles of marketing, promotion, and publicity. Students will learn methods of analyzing, segmenting, and targeting customers, and learn fundamental marketing practices of product development, brand positioning, and brand management. Students will also examine various pricing strategies, and traditional and contemporary methods of product distribution and sales. This course will examine how those marketing methods and practices are applied in the entertainment industries, including film, television, radio, book publishing, and digital media. Students will also learn the other components of the marketing mix, namely publicity and promotion. Students will learn the vital role of radio promotion in music and examine the tools used to publicize and promote music.

This course will provide students with advanced insight into the theoretical, technical, and creative principles of synthesizers, synthesis, and the MIDI Protocol. During this course, students will be introduced to synthesizer and MIDI history, terminology, technology, and the creative practical application of keyboards, hardware, and software.

Today’s music business is not your parent’s music business. The World Wide Web and digital technologies have led to an evolution in the music industry, where inspired artists and entrepreneurs are utilizing those new technologies to create, market and distribute their music. Our Music Business course will offer students a comprehensive introduction to the business of music, and the often-complicated relationships between music, technology and consumers. We will begin by examining the fundamental clash between art and commerce, and understanding the value of music as commodity. This course will then examine the roles of the artist and songwriter, and the vital people and organizations that support music creators, including music publishers, record labels, managers, agents, promoters and publicists. Through case studies and real-world examples, students will discuss management, publishing and recording agreements, and examine key statistical data and analytics used within the music industry. Finally, students will also explore the methods, technologies and new revenue streams involved in the digital distribution of music.

This course will provide students with comprehensive insight into the principles and processes involved in creating music for film, television, and other visual media. During this course, students will be introduced to the process of creating original music to accompany visual media, as well as aesthetics, terminology, and composition considerations.

This course will provide students with both theoretical and practical applications of various artist management concepts and strategies. Students will discuss the role of the manager, the relationship between artists and managers, artist management agreements, and the other key members of the artist’s team, including agents, lawyers, business managers, publicists, and promoters. This course will also provide students with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills required in event planning and management. Students will discuss the various types of events and venues, as well as live event agreements and personnel. Students will then apply their theoretical training in the production of a live event. This course will also provide students with a broad understanding of radio and broadcasting, focusing on important radio terms and terminology.

This course will provide students with a broad introduction to the technical, creative, and business responsibilities of a record producer. During this course, students will be introduced to production communication skills, the creative, business, and management responsibilities of today’s music producers, and an overview of record producers and their music throughout the history of recorded music.

This course will provide students with broad and thorough insight into basic and advanced rudiments of music theory and composition. During this course, students will be introduced to notation, structure, terms and symbols, chord structures and scales in a practical sense, to compose and arrange music. Students will also be introduced to the core concepts of harmony and arranging and apply them to practical exercises.

This course will provide students with an overview of the various software applications used in business environments. This course will teach students the necessary computer skills found in entertainment business operations through a practical, hands-on approach. Students will be introduced to basic word processing software and learn how to create and manage documents. Students will then be introduced to databases and spreadsheet software and apply that knowledge to the presentation and analysis of financial and statistical data. This course will also introduce students to visual presentation software applications and provide students with the skills to create dynamic visual presentations. Students will learn core fundamentals of website planning, design, maintenance, and other online business tools.

This course will provide students with comprehensive insight into the principles of electricity and electronics. During this course, students will be introduced to a variety of concepts and terms including electric charges, electromagnetic fields, electric current, electric circuits, electric fields, and electric potential, as well as the use of electricity as it pertains to show systems in live entertainment. Students will also examine analog and digital electronics, including the concepts behind fundamental circuits found in nearly all electronic instruments, including the behavior of passive Ohmic elements, resistors, capacitors, inductors, in circuits (voltage dividers and filters), and passive non-Ohmic components like diodes and transistors in circuits.

This course will provide students with a complete introduction to the principles of sound through a comprehensive study of physics. During this course, students will be introduced to acoustic principles, wave propagation, and auditory perception.

This course provides students with a broad introduction to the study of subjective human perception of sound. Effectively, it is the study of the psychology of acoustical perception. During the course, students will be introduced to the concepts of psychoacoustics in music, music and psyche, cymatics, and the therapeutic use of sound and music in the healing of the body and mind.

This course will provide students with thorough insight into the theoretical, technical, creative and artistic principles of sound and recording. During this course, students will be introduced to applied acoustic principles, microphones, signal flow, recording studio equipment, console operation, session protocols, and communication skills. Students will also be introduced to microphone placement, signal paths and studio environments, including live and broadcast. Students will gain knowledge of practical physics and become technically capable and encouraged to begin acting and thinking as professional recording engineers.

This course will provide students with thorough practical application of the theoretical, technical, creative and artistic principles of sound and recording. During this course, students will be introduced to applied acoustic principles, microphones, signal flow, recording studio equipment, console operation, session protocols and communication skills. Students will also be introduced to microphone placement, signal paths and studio environments, including live and broadcast. Students will gain knowledge of practical physics and become technically capable and encouraged to begin acting and thinking as professional recording engineers.

This course will provide students with a comprehensive introduction to the techniques used by successful songwriters to craft memorable songs. During this course, students will analyze contemporary songs through a study of lyrics, melody, chord progressions, rhythm, form, arrangement, and production styles, in order to begin to understand the principles and techniques used to create commercially successful and marketable music.