Sound Recording and Music Technology

Combining Music with State-of-the-Art Technology

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Program Duration: 2 Year Program
Degree Type: Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.)
Total Credit Hours: 60

An instructor explains a soundboard to a student.

About This Program

Use the latest technology in creating and recording music. You will learn to use sophisticated equipment, work with professional software, create music for multimedia and film, use a mixing board and learn various microphone techniques, run and record live sessions, and print your own music for publication. The College’s program also offers you internship opportunities at local recording studios, individual computer stations with extensive technology for recording and composing, an introduction to the music industry as a business, and training on the same equipment that music industry professionals use. This program is ideal for anyone who wants to pursue a career in music production and studio recording, musicians who want to be able to record and publish their own music, and music teachers.

Quick Information

General Contact: Call (215) 751-8010

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Transfer Opportunities

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Healthcare and science-focused institution in Philadelphia.

A public research university in Glassboro, New Jersey, known for its innovative programs and research opportunities.

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Semester 1

Course Number and Name	Credits	Advisory Notes	Course Type
MUS 100 - Music Reading	3 credits	Students with a foundational music theory background should contact the Music Department Chair to complete the MUS 100: Music Reading course requirement as a credit by exam. MUS 100 covers key signatures, major scales, intervals, music language and rhythmic recognition.	Major Course
MUS 101 - Piano I	1 credit	Students must take three one-credit courses (MUS 101, MUS 102, MUS 108, MUS 109, or ensemble courses) to meet the Oral Communication/Creative Expression requirement for general education. The requirement may also be met by MUS 115.	Major Course
MUS 115 - Introduction to Music Technology	3 credit	Students must take MUS 115 to keep on the Music Tech Course Sequence.	Oral Communication/Creative Expression
FNMT 118 - Intermediate Algebra	3 credits		Quantitative Reasoning
ENGL 101 - English Composition I or ENGL 101H - English Composition I (Honors)	3 credit	ENGL 101 must be passed with a "C" or better to move onto ENGL 102.	Writing, Research, Info Lit 1
MUS 196B - Brass Ensemble I or MUS 196C - Chamber Music Ensemble I or MUS 196E - Electronic Ensemble I or MUS 196G - Jazz Guitar Ensemble I or MUS 196H - Hip Hop Ensemble I or MUS 196J - Jazz Ensemble I or MUS 196P - Pop & Rock Ensemble I or MUS 196SA - Soprano/Alto Ensemble I^* or MUS 196SV - Studio Voice Ensemble I or MUS 196TB - Tenor/Bass Ensemble I^*	1 credit	Students can register for any ensemble at the 196 level. All students must complete at least one semester of Soprano/Alto or Tenor/Bass Vocal Ensemble as part of the curriculum. This can be at the MUS 196, 197, 296 or 297 course level. Students must take three one-credit courses (MUS 101, MUS 102, MUS 108, MUS 109, or ensemble courses) to meet the Oral Communication/Creative Expression requirement for general education. The requirement may also be met by MUS 115.	Major Course

Notes:

This program is designed to provide students with the option of entering the workforce or transferring to a bachelor's degree program after earning their associate's degree
Follow this course schedule each semester and you’ll earn your associate’s degree in two years
Make sure you discuss your first semester schedule and your educational plan with an advisor or counselor when you register.

Semester 2

Course Number and Name	Credits	Advisory Notes	Course Type
MUS 180 - Music Business	3 credits	Registration in MUS 180 allows students to participate with Spring Garden Records, the College's record label.	Humanities
MUS 116 - Theory I	4 credits	Prerequisite: MUS 100	Major Course
MUS 215 - Advanced Music Technology and Multimedia	3 credit	Prerequisite: MUS 115	Major Course
MUS 102 - Piano II	1 credits	Prerequisite: MUS 101	Major Course
ENGL 102 - The Research Paper or ENGL 102H - The Research Paper (Honors)	3 credit	Prerequisite: ENGL 101 with a grade of "C" or better	ENGL 102, Info Lit
MUS 197B - Brass Ensemble II or MUS 197C - Chamber Music Ensemble II or MUS 197E - Electronic Ensemble II or MUS 197G - Jazz Guitar Ensemble II or MUS 197H - Hip Hop Ensemble II or MUS 197J - Jazz Ensemble II or MUS 197P - Pop & Rock Ensemble II or MUS 197SA - Soprano/Alto Ensemble II^* or MUS 197SV - Studio Voice Ensemble II or MUS 197TB - Tenor/Bass Ensemble II^*	1 credit	Students can register for any ensemble at the 197 level. All students must complete at least one semester of Soprano/Alto or Tenor/Bass Vocal Ensemble as part of the curriculum. This can be at the MUS 196, 197, 296 or 297 course level. Students must take three one-credit courses (MUS 101, MUS 102, MUS 108, MUS 109, or ensemble courses) to meet the Oral Communication/Creative Expression requirement for general education. The requirement may also be met by MUS 115.	Major Course

Notes:

Don’t forget to meet with an advisor and review this schedule when registering for your classes
Start planning for transfer:
- Did you know our dual admissions partnerships include scholarship opportunities?
- Learn more about our transfer agreements and use our interactive search tool for your program’s transfer options
Make sure you are using Starfish Connect to track and improve your grades
Stay on the path to success: take advantage of academic support services offered by Counseling the Learning Labs, Academic Advising and more
Now is a good time to start financial planning for next semester:
- Manage your financial aid
- Take advantage of our payment plans and know the payment deadlines
- Apply for a scholarship— You only have to complete one application to be considered for all available scholarships

Semester 3

Course Number and Name	Credits	Advisory Notes	Course Type
MUS 118 - Theory II		Prerequisite: MUS 116	Major Course
MUS 220 - ProTools and Ableton Live - Audio Editing and Production	3 credits	Prerequisite: MUS 215 MUS 220 is typically only offered in the Fall semester.	Major Course
MUS 103 - Introduction to Music	3 credits		Cultural Analysis & Interpretation
MUS 280 - Music Entrepreneurship, Licensing and Marketing	3 credits	Prerequisite: MUS 180	Fulfills Tech Competency
MUS 296B - Brass Ensemble III or MUS 296C - Chamber Music Ensemble III or MUS 296E - Electronic Ensemble III or MUS 296G - Jazz Guitar Ensemble III or MUS 296H - Hip Hop Ensemble III or MUS 296J - Jazz Ensemble III or MUS 296P - Pop & Rock Ensemble III or MUS 296SA - Soprano/Alto Ensemble III* or MUS 296SV - Studio Voice Ensemble III or MUS 296TB - Tenor/Bass Ensemble III*	1 credit	Students can register for any ensemble at the 296 level. All students must complete at least one semester of Soprano/Alto or Tenor/Bass Vocal Ensemble as part of the curriculum. This can be at the MUS 196, 197, 296 or 297 course level. Students must take three one-credit courses (MUS 101, MUS 102, MUS 108, MUS 109, or ensemble courses) to meet the Oral Communication/Creative Expression requirement for general

Notes:

Meet with an advisor and review this schedule when registering for your classes
Make sure you are using Starfish Connect to track and improve your grades
Stay on the path to success: take advantage of academic support services offered by Counseling the Learning Labs, Academic Advising and more
Start financial planning for next semester:
- Manage your financial aid
- Take advantage of our payment plans and know the payment deadlines
- Apply for a scholarship—You only have to complete one application to be considered for all available scholarships

Semester 4

Course Number and Name	Credits	Advisory Notes	Course Type
MUS 260 - Sound Reinforcement and Recording Session	4 credits	Prerequisite: MUS 215 MUS 260 is only offered in the Spring semester. Prerequisite for MUS 290	Major Course
MUS 290 - Music Internship	2 credits	Prerequisites: MUS 180, MUS 260 which may be taken concurrently MUS 290 is only offered in the Spring semester. Requires 10 hours of Internship experience per week in the field + 1 hour lecture course per week.	Major Course
PHYS 125 - Musical Acoustics	3 credits	PHYS 125 is always offered during the Spring semester, though there have recently been offerings in the Fall as well.	Natural Science
ACCT 101 - Financial Accounting	4 credits		Major Course
ADC 176 / HIST 176 - Philadelphia History: Architecture and Planning or ANTH 112 - Cultural Anthropology or GEOG 103 - Introduction to Human Geography or HIST 101 - United States History: Colonial America through the Revolutionary Era or HIST 102 - United States History: The 19th Century or HIST 103 - United States History: The 20th Century and Beyond or HIST 103H - United States and Pennsylvania History: The 20th Century (Honors) or HIST 103H - United States and Pennsylvania History: The 20th Century (Honors) or HIST 121 - Global History I HIST 122 - Global History II or HIST 142 - Food History or HIST 146 - Latino American History or HIST 150 - History of American Health Care or SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology or SOC 101H - Introduction to Sociology (Honors) or SOC 115 – Gender and Society	3 credits	SOC 101 recommended due to the fact that it fulfills many Gen Ed requirements and is transferrable if pursuing a 4-year degree.	Social Sciences American/Global Diversity Interpretive Studies Writing Intensive
MUS 297B - Brass Ensemble IV or MUS 297C - Chamber Music Ensemble IV or MUS 297E - Electronic Ensemble IV or MUS 297G - Jazz Guitar Ensemble IV or MUS 297H - Hip Hop Ensemble IV or MUS 297J - Jazz Ensemble IV or MUS 297P - Pop & Rock Ensemble IV or MUS 297SA - Soprano/Alto Ensemble IV* or MUS 297SV - Studio Voice Ensemble IV or MUS 297TB - Tenor/Bass Ensemble IV*	1 credit	Students can register for any ensemble at the 297 level. All students must complete at least one semester of Soprano/Alto or Tenor/Bass Vocal Ensemble as part of the curriculum. This can be at the MUS 196, 197, 296 or 297 course level. Students must take three one-credit courses (MUS 101, MUS 102, MUS 108, MUS 109, or ensemble courses) to meet the Oral Communication/Creative Expression requirement for general education. The requirement may also be met by MUS 115.	Major Course

Notes:

Congratulations, this is your final semester! Don’t forget to complete your graduation application.
Meet with an advisor when registering for your classes
Finalize your transfer plans:
- Meet with a counselor at your selected dual admissions transfer college
- Meet with one of our College’s counselors or an advisor to review transfer requirements
Take advantage of our scholarship opportunities for transferring students and apply for a scholarship
Visit Career Connections to learn about internships and your future career possibilities

Guitarist sings as drummer watches in music studio.

Launch Your Career as a Sound Engineering Technician

Sound Engineering Technician – est. salary $82,009
Median Salary of Music Directors and Composers– est. salary $54,751

Learn More

**EMSI Data, 2022; The greater Philadelphia region; a percentage of people in these jobs may have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Featured Career

Sound Engineering Technician

Operate machines and equipment to record, synchronize, mix, or reproduce music, voices, or sound effects in sporting arenas, theater productions, recording studios, or movie and video productions.

Starting Pay: $29,627

Closeup of hands working with sound equipment.

Typical Tasks

Confer with producers, performers, and others to determine and achieve the desired sound for a production, such as a musical recording or a film.
Prepare for recording sessions by performing activities such as selecting and setting up microphones.
Regulate volume level and sound quality during recording sessions, using control consoles.
Record speech, music, and other sounds on recording media, using recording equipment.
Separate instruments, vocals, and other sounds, and combine sounds later during the mixing or postproduction stage.

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