Focuses on understanding the elements and principles of design and methods to apply it effectively. Students will take into account design consideration that integrate functionality, ergonomics and beauty. Student will also learn the elements of copywriting, balancing clarity and creativity in promotional text and learn from case studies in-class exercises.

Total Hours: 36 hours

This module will cover the production processes of the more aggressive musicals styles such as rock, metal, punk and alternative music. While each of these is, in their own right, as vast a genre as pop is, they do share some common characteristics. These genres trace their roots from the 1960’s when guitar players started to push their amplifiers beyond the recommended operating conditions resulting in a new sound produced from those overdriven amplifiers. Bands that wanted to push the musical envelopes to play music that was not mainstream quickly adopted these sounds.

Total Hours: 36 hours

This module will introduce students to the production processes involved in producing live music. Live music production is different from studio production in that the musicians and performers are performing together while being recorded. This has several benefits and disadvantages. Benefits include a more flowing and less mechanical performance, better interacting between musicians and a tighter overall representation of the music. The main disadvantages of live recording are primarily microphone ‘bleed’ and limitations in editing out mistakes. However, this module will teach students how to minimize the microphone ‘bleed’ and ways to get around editing limitations while retaining the natural musical ebb and flow.

Total Hours: 48 hours

This module will introduce the process of composing music through the use of the MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) protocol. It teaches the student the fundamentals of MIDI used within the DAW. Students will explore the processes and approaches in sequencing MIDI through the use of MIDI and audio loops, software samplers and sequencers, 3rd party VST and Rewire instruments. Students will be taught the finer aspects of editing MIDI to create different effects such as legato through changing the note length and velocities of individual overlapping notes. Students will also learn sampling through MIDI, for creative musical uses as well as advanced uses in audio editing and mixing such as audio replacement/layering. Students will learn how original music can be created solely from MIDI in a variety of musical styles and genres ranging from orchestral to dance to rock and pop and also how MIDI can be used to supplement audio recording to produce finished mixes.

This module will provide students with a solid grounding in the acoustical principles of sound production, absorption, diffusion, perception and how these affect the techniques used to record audio. Students will explore acoustic principles instrument by instrument, and how these can interact (and be altered) with the surroundings before even being captured by the microphone. Also covered in this module is the perception of sound by the human ear through the study of its physiology. A good understanding of this aspect of the human anatomy will help the student compensate aural perceptions in mixing situations. Also, this module covers the acoustical design of the recording studio with regards to space and sound treatment. Particular emphasis is paid to the various methods of soundproofing such as through the use of rockwool, cellulose and decoupled wall constructions. Also covered are sound diffusion and absorption principles and students will get to investigate the various types of sound treatment materials and their effectiveness in sound absorption and diffusion.

This module will provide students with a complete and total understanding of audio systems. It covers all the analogue and digital aspects of audio and of audio systems in the recording studio. Students will learn how to design and implement a professional audio system as used in recording and production studios around the world. This course will cover every piece of audio equipment from studio mixers to microphone preamplifiers, from microphones to the monitor speakers. Students will also be introduced to important audio recording concepts such as both analogue and digital summing, analogue to digital conversion, synchronization, headroom and how to best use these in order to get the best recording and mix as possible.

Total Hours: 48  hours

Students will be introduced to the basics of mastering audio and the various techniques used by mastering engineers. Mastering is the process of optimising and finalizing finished mixes for release. Students will compare mastered tracks from various different decades and will also explore the various techniques used by mastering engineers such as noise reduction, compression and multi band compression, dynamic range optimization, stereo width expansion, psychoacoustic harmonics and limiting.

In this module, students will be introduced to audio post-production work that involves audio for video and motion picture. Students will learn the three main elements of a soundtrack namely, dialogue capture and ADR, voiceover narration, sound effects and music. Each element will be investigated thoroughly and students will learn to develop strategies to best tackle each element in the recreation of a soundtrack from an existing piece of film. Students will learn the use of library effects, effects editing as well as foley recording for the sound design. For the music element, students will be introduced to the basic strategies for film scoring.

Total Hours: 36 hours

This module will teach students the basics of video recording for the purpose of making music videos. The world today requires a musician/band to have more than just an audio sampler. Since the invention of Youtube, video has become an essential tool for the development of careers of independent artistes. Today, advancement of digital camera technology has enabled professional television programs to be filmed on the DSLR camera.

This entrepreneurial module will teach students how to release a music single/EP or album in the local music scene. Students will learn how to develop a creative concept for their releases, how to design a press kit and also get to organize a gig at one of the many local establishments in order to launch their music. Students will also be introduced to music marketing concepts, strategies to promote their music release and their events through social media, crowd funding and guerilla marketing. The module also covers publishing, music distribution and copyright.

This module will introduce students to the world of video postproduction. Students will learn how to edit video on video softwares such as Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premier Pro. Also, students will learn programs such as Adobe After Effects to enhance the footage taken and produce finished professional looking music videos.

This module introduces the student to the fundamentals of music theory essentially used in contemporary popular music. This includes major and minor scale construction, chord construction, relative minor and the chord scale relationship, tensions, simple and compound time signatures, flat and sharp key signatures, rhythm and rhythmic divisions, solfege, pickup. Students will also explore harmonic and melodic minor scales, and the pentatonic scale.

In this module, students will explore harmonic and melodic concepts transcribing and analysing the hook and melody, chord progressions and modulations, of various notable contemporary songs. Students will also be introduced to the concept of groove and lyric writing and will examine the lyrics of notable songs such as by Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, U2 and many others and their impact on popular culture. Also students will be introduced to basic arranging concepts, which can help to enhance the musicality of the written song. These include stop-time, kicks over time, bass ostinato, pedal point, power chords, chord voicing etc. shall be explored.

Total Hours: 36 hours

This module will introduce the fundamental concepts in the use of Digital Audio Workstations or D.A.W. programs. While there are various DAW’s in the market, the basic functions are essentially the same. A strong understanding on these topics will ensure mastery in the use and integration of various aspects of each DAW. It will introduce students to the inner workings of various DAW, to understand the architecture, functions and more importantly, the workflow intended for each platform. Students will also be encouraged to develop their own customised workflows in order to be proficient in these various DAWs. Proficiency in multiple DAWs will make for flexible studio engineers and increases employability in different studios using different platforms.

This module will introduce students to the world of video postproduction. Students will learn how to edit video on video softwares such as Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premier Pro. Also, students will learn programs such as Adobe After Effects to enhance the footage taken and produce finished professional looking music videos.