Audio Recording and Mixing

The Audio Recording and Mixing Certificate of Achievement is designed for students who would like to pursue careers in audio production, engineering, studio recording, live sound, editing, mixing, and/or mastering. The program focuses on hands-on experience learning digital and analog workflows in Cabrillo’s music technology studios and labs alongside lecture courses. This certificate provides the foundation to join the workforce in entry level jobs such as audio recording engineer, audio editor, audio mixing engineer, live sound engineer, audio producer, or to continue to an associate’s degree.

A total of 10 students are expected to enroll with potential for annual growth. Completion rates of the Certificate of Achievement are expected to be 7-9 per year with a potential for annual growth.

Cabrillo College is seeking approval from the Chancellor’s Office for the new Audio Recording and Mixing Certificate of Achievement in Career Education. The Audio Recording and Mixing Certificate of Achievement is designed to prepare students to take advantage of employment opportunities in the field of audio recording, audio engineering, audio editing, mixing, and mastering.

The need for workers in the diverse field of audio recording and mixing has been advocated for by local businesses in digital media program advisory boards and supported by current, regional labor market research (TOP 1005.00). The Audio Recording and Mixing Certificate of Achievement is aligned with Cabrillo’s mission, master plan, and statewide community college work in Guided Pathways. Approval of this program will benefit regional employers, fulfill the workforce needs of the local community, augment college enrollment, and support non-traditional and underserved minority students in a viable career and academic path.

This program would give our students the knowledge and skills they need to enter the workforce or continue their studies in the field. The goal is for certificate completers to be gainfully employed within a year of program completion or to advance to an associate’s degree. Working with employers to identify earning potential is promising, with potential for a starting salary of $48,000-$59,000/yr in jobs such as recording engineer, mixing engineer, mastering engineer, live sound engineer, assistant engineer, audio producer, production assistant, and audio editor. It is critical to give community college students educational and professional experience that is necessary to be successful when they continue to higher degrees or certificates.

There are 7.5 of required units in music technology and recording arts and 9 units of music electives, including 3 units of music theory.

Course	Title	Units	Year/Semester (Y1 or S1)
MUS31A	Fundamental Recording I	1.5	S1
MUS31B	Fundamental Recording II	1.5	S1
MUS31LS	Live Sound Production	1.5	S1
MUS31SP	Advanced Recording and Studio Production	1.5	S2
MUS31V	Audio and Music for Visual Media	1.5	S2
MUS7	Music Synthesis, Sampling, and Electronic Music	3	S2 - elective
MUS57A	Digital Music Production and MIDI	1.5	S2 - elective
MUS57B	Electronic Music Composition and Performance	1.5	S2 - elective
MUS59A	Game Audio Production I	1.5	S2 - elective
MUS59B	Game Audio Production II	1.5	S2 - elective
MUS6	Beginning Jazz/Pop Music Theory	3	S1 - elective
MUS7	Fundamentals of Music	3	S1 - elective

The Music Technology and Recording Arts program shares learning goals with the Music, Digital Media and Art Photography programs. These goals include principles of music, composition, commercial media and the evolving use of technology in art and culture.   MTRA participates in VAPA’s division-wide Arts Entrepreneurship initiative and the department’s AP79 Creative Careers-Discovering Self-Directed Pathways course. This course is part of the interdisciplinary certificate with the same title that also includes a section of BUS 88 Starting and Operating a New Small Business that is tailored to the VAPA cohort.

There are not any programs in the Cabrillo College service area that offer programs under this TOP code.