Small Business Certificate: Audio Engineering
The Grayson College's Small Business Certificate in Audio Engineering is designed to be your first step toward a career as an audio engineer, producer, recording artist, live sound technician, film/video game composer, songwriter, or sound designer. The courses in this certificate are intended to provide a foundational understanding of music theory, music technology, and the field of commercial music. In addition to the audio engineering courses this certificate includes business courses necessary to manage a small business.
This award can be taken by non-music majors who are interested in pursuing a career in commercial music or by music majors intending to transfer to four-year programs in a variety of fields, including commercial music, audio production, music technology, composition, or theatre tech.
This certificate, in conjunction with an Associate of Arts degree in Music, prepares you to become a musician fluent in music technology. Whether you are planning to be a professional classical musician or work in commercial music, the Grayson College Small Business Certificate in Audio Engineering will give you the foundation you need to harness your creativity.
Small Business Certificate: Audio Engineering Courses
Fall Semester
BUSI 1301 Business Principles (3-0-3)
Course Description: This course provides a survey of economic systems, forms of business ownership, and considerations for running a business. Students will learn various aspects of business, management, and leadership functions; organizational considerations; and decision-making processes. Financial topics are introduced, including accounting, money and banking, and securities markets. Also included are discussions of business challenges in the legal and regulatory environment, business ethics, social responsibility, and international business. Emphasized is the dynamic role of business in everyday life.
BMGT 1327 Principles of Management (3-1-3)
Course Description: Concepts, terminology, principles, theories, and issues in the field of management.
End-of-Course Outcomes: Explain various theories, processes, and functions of management; apply theories to a business environment; identify leadership roles in organizations; and describe elements of the communication process.
MUSC 1327 Audio Engineering I, (2-4-3)
Course Description: The tools, personnel and standard workflow of a recording studio. Topics include fundamentals of sound and overview of tracking, editing, and mixing audio.
End-of-Course Outcomes: Identify properties of sound and electronic signals; explain microphone characteristics and placement; describe studio set-up and signal routing; explain console and recording operation techniques; and identify basic recording studio procedures.
MUSC 1213 Commercial Music Theory I, (1-2-2)
Course Description: Introduction to chord progressions, song forms, and harmonic techniques used in commercial music. Topics include modern chord notation and chord voicings.
End-of-Course Outcomes: Explain scale construction, interval classification, and chord spellings; analyze and identify commercial music chord progressions using standard lead sheet and chord symbols and numbers; and harmonize selected melodies with appropriate chord voicing.
MUSP 1110 Applied Commercial Music: Piano (0-1-1)
Course Description: Private instruction in piano with goals related to commercial music.
End-of-Course Outcomes: Demonstrate proficiency in commercial music repertoire and technique; develop a professional, disciplined approach to performance skills; and present a juried performance for faculty.
Spring Semester
MUSC 2201 Audio Engineering Practices (0-4-2)
Course Description: Application of the concepts and techniques presented in Audio Engineering I and II.
End-of-Course Outcomes: Identify and troubleshoot procedural and/or technical problems which may arise in the audio studio; and demonstrate the use of audio consoles, multi-track recorders, and signal processing.
MUSC 2327 Audio Engineering II, (2-4-3)
Course Description: Implementation of the recording process, including microphones, audio console, multi-track recorder, and signal processing devices.
End-of-Course Outcomes: Demonstrate signal routing techniques, microphone selection, and placement/signal processing applications; execute a multi-track project including recording, editing, and mixing.
MUSC 1321 Songwriting I, (2-3-3)
Course Description: Introduction to the techniques of writing marketable songs including the writing of lyrics and melodies, setting lyrics to music, developing lyrical and musical "hooks", analyzing the marketplace, and developing a production plan for a song demo.
End-of-Course Outcomes: Develop skills to compose marketable melodies with commercial music, form, and harmony; write lyrics and set to song; create lyrical, melodic, and harmonic "hooks"; and develop a production plan for a song demo.
MUSB 1305 Survey of Music Business, (3-0-3)
Course Description: An overview of the music industry including songwriting, live performance, the record industry, music merchandising, contracts and licenses, and career opportunities.
End-of-Course Outcomes: Explain basic music industry principles including copyright, publishing, and performance rights; explain the business of live performance to include artist management, unions and guilds, entertainment agencies, venues, and concessions; identify the record industry systems from record producers, recording studios, manufacturing production, and distribution companies; identify those aspects of music relating to wholesale and retail merchandising and promotion of music products; summarize the use of contracts and licenses in the music industry; and identify career opportunities in the music industry.
Business Elective
The elective can be any of the following courses:
- BUSG 2309 (3-1-3)
- ACCT 2301 (2-3-3)
- BUSG 1304 (2-3-3)
- ACNT 1313 (2-2-3)
- BUSG 2305 (3-1-3)
- ITSC 1309 (2-3-3)
- MRKG 1311 (3-0-3)
- MRKG 2333 (3-0-3)
- MRKG 1302 (3-0-3)
Grayson Recording Studio
- Digidesign C24 Mixing Console
- Focal Solo6 Be Studio Monitors
- Yamaha HS8S powered studio subwoofer
- True Systems Precision 8 Mic Preamps (x3)
- Whirlwind 8 Channel Switchers
- Pro Tools Ultimate
- AVID I/O 16x16
- Pro Tools HD Native Thunderbolt Audio Interface
- iMac Pro - (late 2017)
- 3.2 GHz - 8 core processor
- 32 GB DDR4 RAM
- Neumann KM Series Matched Pair Microphones (KM 183, 184, and 185)
- AEA R88 MkII Stereo Ribbon Microphone
- AKG C414 XLS/ST Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphones - Matched Pair
- Audix DP7 7-piece Drumset Microphone Kit
- Sennheiser MKH 416 P48 Shotgun Microphone w/ Boom and Blimp Windshield System
- Sennheiser MD 421 microphone (x5)
- Sennheiser MD 441 microphone (x3)
- Shure SM 81 LC microphone (x4)
- Full selection of orchestral and modern instruments available for recording through Grayson College Music Department
Additional Equipment (Live Sound, Location Recording)
- X32 40-channel Digital Mixer
- Soundcraft Signature 22-channel Multi-Track Analog Mixer and Audio Interface
- Focusrite Clarett+ 8Pre 8-channel Audio Interface
- 8 ADAM T7V 7-inch Powered Studio Monitors
- 2 Eurolive B215A Powered Speakers
- Pyxis 6k Full-Frame Digital Video Camera
- Zoom H6 Handheld Recorder
Mac Keyboard/Computer Lab
- 8 iMac Computers
- 8 Focusrite Scarlett Audio Interfaces
- 8 MIDI keyboards
- 8 Korg nanoKONTROL2 MIDI Control Surfaces
- 8 Copies of Protools Studio
- 8 Licensed Copies of REAPER
Available Recording Spaces
- Fine Arts Band Hall
- Choir Room
- Cruce Stark Auditorium (900 seats)
- Recording Studio Control Room