Audio Arts

The Audio Arts degree provides students with conceptual, technical, and creative skills necessary for employment in audio-related positions in a variety of industries. These industries include, but are not limited to, music, film, TV, radio, animation, gaming, theater, event management, theme parks, commercial installations, and integrated systems. The program provides training in audio production, engineering, and business for recordings, live events, and multimedia. Students who successfully complete the Associate’s of Science program will be able to: 1) Collaborate effectively in the development of high-quality audio productions. 2) Lead and manage complex audio productions. 3) Develop audio productions for a specified purpose in a variety of settings. 4) Analyze and critique audio productions in their historical and cultural context. 5) Analyze emerging technology and industry developments to make strategic decisions. 6) Operate advanced audio systems in recording, live, and multimedia settings. 7) Apply technical knowledge and skills to the development of high-quality audio productions. 8) Apply creative audio techniques to the development of effective audio productions. While the audio job market is competitive and position placement is in no way guaranteed, successful graduates will gain competitive skills necessary for pursuing entry-level employment as a(n): 1) Producer or director 2) Studio, mix, or live sound engineer 3) Sound designer or arranger 4) Sound editor 5) Entertainer or performer 6) Audio and video equipment technician 7) Media and communication worker 8) Communication equipment operator

We project that we will have 50 majors in the program by Fall 2019 and are targeting to have 20 completers per year beginning Spring 21. The Centers of Excellence Labor Market Supply and Demand Table from Fall 2016 projects an undersupply of graduates in audio-related occupations. In Los Angeles and Orange County, there are anticipated to be 871 annual openings in audio-related fields with only 58 graduates per year currently being produced. This report projects that there will be more than adequate demand for our graduates. Student interest has been extremely high and we’ve used their input to help design the program. Based on in-class and student club discussions, students indicate that they want to be producers, However, there is recognition among them that the definition of a producer is nebulous. They see producers as serving the traditional role of overseeing the production of recorded audio. However, they also see producers as arrangers and digital audio composers whose primary art making tool is the digital audio work-station. A survey of 52 potential students indicated a variety of interests. See Appendix A for questions and responses. These students were enrolled in our music technology classes or members of our student music club. They were 85% male and 15% female. Sixty-two percent of the students were in their first two years of college and 90% were 25 years old or less. Fifty-five percent percent commute less than ten miles to Mt Sac and another 32% commute less than 15 miles. Fifty-nine percent indicate that they would be willing to attend another college if they could find the right major and 72% of plan to transfer to a four-year institution. Students were asked to rate their degree of interest in a variety of topics within audio. The results are indicated below. All surveyed topics garnered interest, with studio recording, producing, and live performance rated the highest. More broadly, there was a high level of interest in the areas of sound engineering, technology, and business (such as marketing and promotion). There was also interest in multimedia fields, such as sound for television and media, but a lower level. In follow-up conversations, students indicated that although they rated them lower, their interest in multimedia had increased once they began taking the music technology class. They believed that many students would enter the program with a musical focus and then branch out once they had exposure to other audio applications. This mirrored the thinking of our advisory committee as well: “…not everyone will become a rock-star, but there are many jobs for those with audio skills.” The survey results influenced our program design. We saw the program as an opportunity to bring together the labor market need, advice from our advisory committee, and student interest. Student’s were more focused on music than other arts areas, which is logical since the students that responded were primarily in our music technology class. Should this interest remain strong and if there is not conflict with offerings at other colleges, we may explore developing a commercial music program in the future. For now, and controlling for the fact that these respondents tended from musical backgrounds, we’ve determined that there is sufficient interest across the audio spectrum from our students to offer a wide range of arts topics. We’ve included engineering, production, business, creative, and technical classes. We’ve also designed the courses so that students can learn audio concepts while applying their learning to a specified application of their or their instructor’s choosing. We believe classes will fill immediately and anticipate having to turn students away.

The audio production and post-production industry, which includes audio production and post-production for film/TV, music recording, live sound, sound design for theater, and sound design for animation, is a quickly growing field. Projections in the 2015 Otis Report on the Creative Economy project that by 2019 there will be over 142,000 jobs in the entertainment industry, an increase of over 6% since 2015. Many of these positions will be filled by audio technicians. The annual median wage, according to the Otis Report, is over $57,000 a year for sound engineering technicians. In addition, the live music industry, which relies heavily on audio technicians and enjoys annual revenues of over $7 billion, is rapidly growing. The Centers of Excellence Labor Market Supply and Demand Table from Fall 2016 projects an undersupply of graduates in audio-related occupations. In Los Angeles and Orange County, there are anticipated to be 871 annual openings in audio-related fields and only 58 graduates per year being produced. Currently, there are few audio programs at either the community college or four-year level. Audio courses are generally included as part of a commercial music or music technology degree. Unfortunately, because they are music-focused, they do not provide the depth or breadth of audio skills needed to pursue employment in fields outside of music. In addition, there are no audio courses at Mt San Antonio College that serve this purpose. As a result, Mt San Antonio College is developing the Audio Arts program to meet the unmet need for trained audio professionals. We will provide them skill that will allow them to work in a variety of fields, including music, film, TV, theater, live sound, animation, gaming, events, and commercial installations. The goals of this program are to provide the following in the field of audio: 1) Career and technical training. 2) Training for immediate workforce placement. 3) Maximum course transferability. 4) Life-long learning. 5) Training for work in a variety of industries. To attain these goals, our objectives are to: 1) Offer an Associates of Science in Audio Arts for advanced training in audio and academic breadth. 2) Offer a 36-unit Certificate Level II in Audio Arts for advanced training in audio. 3) Offer a 21-unit Certificate Level I in Audio Arts for entry-level employable skills in audio. 4) Align as many courses as possible to C-ID descriptors to maximize transfer opportunities. 5) Provide pass/no pass courses for immediate skills-gain or lifelong-learning. 6) Avoid selection criteria for entry. 7) Train students for audio jobs in a variety of fields such as music, animation, gaming, film, TV, radio, theater, dance, and commercial applications. As a result of completing the AS degree, students will be able to: 1) Collaborate effectively in the development of high-quality audio productions. 2) Lead and manage all aspects of an audio production. 3) Develop audio productions for a specified purpose in a variety of settings. 4) Analyze and critique audio productions in their historical and cultural context. 5) Analyze emerging technology and industry developments to make informed career-related decisions. 6) Operate advanced audio systems in recording, live, and multimedia settings. 7) Apply scientific and technical knowledge and skills to the development of high-quality audio productions. 8) Apply creative audio techniques to the development of effective audio productions. Students will then be prepared for employment in the following occupations or fields: 1) Audio and Video Equipment Technicians 2) Sound Engineering Technicians 3) Communications Equipment Operators 4) Producers and Directors 5) Media and Communication Workers The Certificate Level I consists of 21 units, or seven courses. It provides the minimum training for entry level positions. The training is primarily technical. The Certificate Level II adds 15 units, or five courses to the Certificate Level I. It provides advanced training for audio jobs. It covers more conceptual, creative, and leadership skills. The degree adds the Mt SAC general education and degree requirements to the Certificate Level II. Although this is not a transferrable degree, six of the courses are aligned with C-ID descriptors so students can have transferability options. These C-ID descriptors are under commercial music. Even though we are not offering a commercial music program, we were able to align with these descriptors because they were very stripped down. By adding to the provided topics and outcomes, we could design courses that meet our needs for providing instruction across the audio spectrum. It is emphasized that while this is neither a transferrable nor music degree, students may find they are able to transfer a significant amount of their coursework towards a four-year commercial music or music technology program. We believe this is a significant benefit for our students. Some example institutions with such programs include CSU Pomona, CSU Los Angeles, CSU Fullerton, and CSU San Bernardino. The following courses align with the indicated C-ID descriptors: Mt SAC Course C-ID Course MUSA 100: Introduction to Audio Technology CMUS 100X: Introduction to Music Technology MUSA 120: Electronic Music CMUS 110X: Electronic Music I MUSA 130: Business of Audio Production CMUS 140X: Music Business MUSA 150: Audio Recording CMUS 130X: Recording I MUSA 160: Live Sound Engineering CMUS 120X: Live Sound I MUSA 230: Songwriting CMUS 150X: Songwriting There are no selection criteria for entry into the program nor associated fees.

The curriculum outline is as follows: CERTIFICATE LEVEL 1 Fall 1 MUSA 100: Introduction to Audio Technology (3) MUSA 110: Acoustics for Audio Production (3) MUSA 120: Electronic Music (3) Winter 1 MUSA 130: Business of Audio Production (3) MUSA 150: Audio Recording (3) Spring 1 MUSA 160: Live Sound Engineering (3) MUSA 200 CSU: Studio Engineering (3) Certificate Level I required units: 21   CERTIFICATE LEVEL 2  (add the following to Certificate Level I) Fall 2 MUSA 210: Audio for Multimedia (3) MUSA 220: Sound Design for Live Performance (3) MUSA 250: Audio Capstone (3) Winter 2 Select 6-8 units from the following: MUSA 230: Songwriting (3) MUSA 299: Work Experience in Audio Arts (1-3) MUS 2 & 5A: Music Theory and Musicianship (4) R-TV 01: Introduction to Electronic Media (3) R-TV 11A: Beginning Radio Production  (3) ELEC 50A: Electronic Circuits (DC) (4) ELEC 50B: Electronic Circuits (AC) (4) BUSM 66: Small Business Management  (3) THTR 14: Stagecraft  (3)   Certificate Level 2 required units: 36-38   ASSOCIATES DEGREE (add the following to Certificate Level II) Mt SAC GE requirements 24 Degree required units: 60-62 It is recommended that students pursuing an associate’s degree a complete the CSU-GE-Breadth or IGETC pattern for their general education. This will maximize their ability to transfer coursework to a four-year institution if they desire.

This is a new program. There are no similar programs at Mt. SAC. It is affiliated with the Music Department, and is part of the Arts Division.

Citrus College: Recording Technology Cypress College: Recording Arts Fullerton College: Sound Technician Glendale Community College: Audio Production Technologies Golden West College: Audio Recording Harbor College: Music Recording Arts LA Trade Tech College: Digital Media - Digital Video and Audio Cerritos College: Commercial Music Production Saddleback College: Music Production

2018/19: 50