The Academy of Production & Recording Arts
Calgary, Alberta; www.thebeachaudio.com. APRA is located within Alberta’s premier recording facility, The Beach Advanced Audio. Certificate courses enable students to learn all elements of audio recording, engineering and production.
Alta Center for Communication Arts
Phoenix, AZ, www.thealtacenter.com. 10-week digital audio recording diploma program is designed by Wayne Vlcan, a multi-Gold record–winning engineer/producer and founder of The Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences. Curriculum is created specifically for independent musicians, artists, producers and engineers.
Art Institute of Seattle
www.ais.edu. 6-quarter A.A.A. in audio production program includes studio production, post-production, streaming media, radio production. Required internships, placement assistance. Five studios, four DAWs, two 25-seat computer labs (Windows/Sonic Foundry, Mac/Pro Tools LE). SSL 4000G+, Euphonix C3000, Digidesign Control|24, Mackie D8B, Yamaha 02R, Mackie 32×8. 24-track Studer/Sony analog 2-inch, 24 I/O Pro Tools|HD, 16 I/O Pro Tools|HD. 5.1 DTS room.
The Art Institute of Vancouver
Burnaby, BC; www.aivan.artinstitutes.edu. 1-year independent recording arts certificate, 2-year professional recording arts diploma. Students train for careers in music and post-production for film, video, TV and new media. The campus covers 55,000 square feet and boasts five recording studios, a mix-to-picture surround studio and automated music production facility.
Aspen Music Festival and School
Aspen, CO; www.aspen.com/musicfestival. The Edgar Stanton Audio Recording Institute is an intensive 4-week, full-time seminar/workshop. Provides a background in the basics of audio production. A wide range of recording and guest lecturers are noted representatives of the recording and broadcasting industries. The session is limited to 10 students.
Audio Institute of America
San Francisco, CA; www.audioinstitute.com. Home-study course for recording engineers, producers and live sound engineers. Learn how to build and operate your own studio or work in studios around the world.
AudioMe
San Francisco, CA; www.audiome.com. Pro Tools training and certification for music and post. Using a combination of master instructors, world-class facilities and small class sizes, we tailor your training experience to meet your goals. In addition to Digidesign’s official curriculum, AudioMe offers an ICON D-Control and D-Command training program.
The Banff Centre
Banff, Alberta; www.BanffCentre.ca. Work-study program that provides a bi-weekly stipend with no tuition fee. The audio program runs alongside internationally renowned music programs. Facilities include recital hall with adjoining control room, digital multitrack recording studio, Pro Tools post-production suite, Sonic Solutions editing suite, Pyramix digital audio workstation and a multichannel research lab.
California State University, Chico
www.csuchico.edu/mus/ra. 4-year B.A. in music industry and technology with an option in recording arts.
California State University, Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA; www.csudh.edu/musicdepartment. B.A. and certificate programs. Fully equipped analog and digital studio, and a synth studio. Mackie and Panasonic Digital 5.1 consoles, 48 tracks of DA-98 and ADAT recording, Pro Tools and Sonic Solutions DAWs and high-res mastering.
Casper College
Casper, WY; www.caspercollege.edu. Associate degree programs in theater technology and music performance. Courses include sound reinforcement and audio recording, independent studies in audio and recording. 8-track analog on ½-inch tape, 16-track digital hard disk, Pro Tools, Sound Workshop 30 Series, Roland VS 1680, Digi001, Tannoy monitors and a deep mic cabinet.
Citrus College
Glendora, CA; www.citrusstudios.org. Hands-on training in a working studio for a 1-year vocational certificate in recording technology. Courses in engineering, acoustics, live sound, critical listening, digital audio, MIDI and music business. Two studios with Neve VR and Euphonix CS2000 consoles, Tascam digital, Studer A827 analog and Pro Tools|HD recorders. Auditorium for live recordings and film scores, a smaller analog studio and a lab with 25 Pro Tools workstations.
City College of San Francisco
www.ccsf.edu/departments/broadcast. Sound recording/sound design certificates cover analog and digital multitrack techniques, basic tracks, overdubbing, editing, mixing and mastering, mic placement, the console, signal flow, gain structure, music mixing theory and aesthetics, equalization, compression and reverberation.
Cogswell Polytechnical College
Sunnyvale, CA; www.cogswell.edu. 4-year digital audio technology program covers music, audio, science and technology, providing students the opportunity to study and utilize the concept-to-delivery audio production pipeline. In the DAT program, students receive instruction in recording, audio editing, musicianship and the business of audio and project management. The final three trimesters of study concentrate on audio production tailored to students’ specific needs.
Columbia Academy
College of San Mateo
San Mateo, CA; www.gocsm.net. 2-year A.A. program combining hands-on studio work with studies in music and technology. Three studios and a state-of-the-art theater. Digital Performer, Peak, ARP 2600V and Max/MSP. Mac G5, MOTU 828 audio interface, ADAT and DAT recorders, mics, various MIDI synths, sound modules and drum machines.
Columbia Academy
Vancouver, BC; www.columbia-academy.com. 1-year program, students develop skills in engineering, music production, post, digital editing and mixing, tracking and recording, with hands-on experience in broadcast production, audio post and music recording studios. In the music studios, students work with live talent. In post-production, independent filmmakers provide students with feature-length movies, documentaries and short films.
Community College of Southern Nevada
Cheyenne, NV; www.ccsn.edu. Certificate in music business and technology covering audio recording, the business of music, computer skills and communication abilities. Pro Tools, Otari 24-track analog, 24 tracks of ADAT and more.
Cuesta College
Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences
Tempe, AZ; www.audiorecordingschool.com. Limited to 12 students, Master Recording Program II is the only program that secures and requires an internship for graduation. 40,000-square-foot facility includes eight control rooms, five studios, two Pro Tools labs, two digital labs, two mix labs and a 6,000-square-foot live sound classroom. Gear includes 26 Pro Tools rigs, SSL, Neve, Studer and more. Students are offered certification on Pro Tools. Financial aid is available.
Ex’pression College for Digital Arts
Cuesta College
Paso Robles, CA; www.cuesta.edu. Cuesta College Recording Studio has been a full-service professional studio since fall 2001. Recording technology and studio procedures are taught in the 1,500-square-foot facility that features 25-foot ceilings and two iso booths. New and vintage gear, as well as current digital recording equipment are standard.
Ex’pression College for Digital Arts
Emeryville, CA 94608; www.expression.edu. Bachelor’s degrees in sound arts in an accelerated 2.5-year program. Class size is limited. Ex’pression’s close ties to industry professionals provide students with real-world client projects, mentorship and internship opportunities and a high placement rate for graduates. Accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Career Schools and Colleges of Technology.
Foothill College
Los Altos Hills, CA; www.foothill.edu/musictechnology. A.A. degree in music technology. On-campus and online courses in recording arts, digital audio production, sequencing and songwriting, music business, digital video and performance are available at times that fit your schedule. At $17 per unit, you can’t afford not to consider Foothill.
Fullerton College
Fullerton, CA; www.fullcoll.edu. 2-year music recording production certificate covering music technology, music business and electronic music, with a recording studio that has a Mackie digital board and hard disk system, Digital Performer, soft synths and an electronic music lab.
Future Rhythm
Santa Clara, CA; www.futurerhythm.com.
Digidesign Operator certifications in Music Production
and Post-Production; Digidesign Expert certification in Music Production and
Post-Production; Apple Logic Pro certification; Apple Final Cut Pro
certification; and Apple DVD Studio Pro certification. Future
Rhythms offers classes in digital audio and video as an authorized training
provider for Digidesign Pro Tools and Apple’s Logic Pro, Final Cut Pro and
DVD Studio Pro. Future Rhythm also teaches a class in Propellerhead’s Reason. All instructors are full-time industry professionals who use the applications they teach in the real world.
Glendale Community College
Glendale, AZ; www.gc.maricopa.edu. 2-year Associate degrees and 2-year certificate program in audio production technologies. Classes cover principles of sound recording with emphasis on acoustics, signal flow, mic selection and recording equipment, along with sound reinforcement, DAWs, music business, electronic music, music theory, aural perception and internships. Facilities include studio and lab with 25 individual Pro Tools stations.
Globe Institute of Recording and Production
San Francisco, CA; www.globerecording.com. Program: 2-year audio producer Associates degree; 4-month certificates in audio recording and production, music business, audio for video/film, digital audio workstation, DJ, psychoacoustics. Hands-on classes in recording, mixing, production and Pro Tools using the Virtual Mixer concept, which visualizes sounds in 3-D. Top instructors including David Gibson, author of The Art of Mixing and The Art of Producing. Classes include music theory and instrument proficiency.
Golden West College
Huntington Beach, CA; www.gwc.info. Celebrating our 30th anniversary, the program offers 2-year A.A. degree, 3-semester recording arts certificate, 1-year certificates in home recording and live sound. Four Pro Tools control rooms. Labs for Final Cut Pro, maintenance and electronic music.
Long Beach City College
Long Beach, CA; www.lbcc.cc.ca.us. A.A. degree with emphasis in commercial music; 10 certificates in music, radio or TV. Job placement and intern positions. Seven studios with digital audio and/or analog multitrack, 42 MIDI workstations, three-camera online video facilities and three offline editing rooms. ADAT, Fostex DMT, MCI 24-track, Soundcraft, Sound Workshop and Pro Tools.
Los Angeles Recording Workshop
North Hollywood, CA; www.recordingcareer.com. 900-hour recording engineer certificate. 10 studios include SSL, Neve VR, Pro Tools, five Sony DMX-R100s and Sony Oxford digital console. Financial aid, student scholarships and dorm housing are available.
Los Medanos College
Pittsburg, CA; www.losmedanos.edu. 2-year A.A. and 2-year recording arts certificates. Faculty honored with multiple Grammy Awards and nominations. Tuition for California residents: $18/unit. Two fully equipped 24-track studios, with Studer and Alesis ADATs, Otari MX-70 and MTR-90 multitracks, and Pro Tools. Fully accredited
Mesa Community College
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, CA; http://film.lmu.edu. Educates students in audio engineering, music production, film sound production and post-production, with 4-year B.A. in recording arts (music recording and film sound). Students scout the artists that they want to record. Pro Tools–based state-of-the-art audio facilities.
Mesa Community College
Mesa, AZ; www.mc.maricopa.edu. 2-year Associate degree and 1-year certificate in audio production technology. Classes in studio recording, sound reinforcement, DAWs, electronic music, music business, music theory and more. Two recording studios: one equipped with a SSL console and the other with a Trident console and digital multitrack recorders. Two-story studio accommodates orchestras, choirs, big band and pop bands.
Mills College
Oakland, CA; www.mills.edu. Mills College is an undergraduate women’s college and a co-ed graduate school. B.A.s can specialize in composition with an emphasis on technology; M.F.A. degrees in composition can specialize in electronic music and recording media. Studios include 24-track analog (with Dolby SR) and Pro Tools workstation.
MiraCosta College
Oceanside, CA; www.miracosta.edu/music. Located near the beach in North San Diego County, we offer programs in commercial music, choral, instrumental and other general transfer-level courses. A.A. in music and certificates in recording arts, computer audio production, sound reinforcement, music technology and performance technician.Two control rooms/studios with digital and analog recording and Pro Tools systems. MIDI/digital recording lab with 25 stations and a Foley lab.
Mt. San Jacinto College
San Jacinto, CA; www.msjc.edu. A.A. degrees and 18-unit certificates in audio technologies, with hands-on and theoretical instruction from basic audio principles to full lock-to-picture audio post with digital and analog recording. We can also train your employees with day and evening classes. Five studio floors, four independent control rooms and computer music lab. Upper-level classes are small. Resident fees are $27/unit. Financial aid is available.
Musicians Institute
Hollywood, CA; www.mi.edu. 4-year B.M. degrees; 18-month music certificate programs; and 6-month recording engineer program, recording artist program, music business program and guitar craft academy. Three-story, 64,000-square-foot complex located in the center of Hollywood contains classrooms, labs, studios, rehearsal space, live performance facilities and concert venues.
OnlineDJSchool
San Francisco, CA; www.onlinedjschool.com. OnlineDJSchool.com was created by DJs from the San Francisco Bay Area. Low-cost programs for anyone who is starting out as a DJ or is refreshing their skills. Learn at any place and any time.
Pacific Audio Visual Institute
Vancouver, BC; www.pacificav.com. Four 1-year diploma programs: audio engineering/production, film/music business, game design and film/digital arts. Taught in a world-class commercial recording studio. Film students graduate with a pro portfolio and studio experience. Game design students graduate with a completed game, a game engine license and the skills to get started.
Pyramind
Pro Tools Training Center
Denver, CO; www.protoolstraining.com. Accelerated audio and multimedia training for individuals and corporations. Courses are delivered at high-end studio facilities nationwide. Our staff comprises pro engineers with decades of experience and hundreds of Gold/Platinum albums and 12 Grammy Awards. The Pro Tools Certificate Program is 25 hours; the Digidesign Operator Certification for Music or Post is 75-plus hours and Digidesign Expert Certification for Music or Post is 100-plus hours. Financial aid is available.
Pyramind
San Francisco, CA; www.pyramind.com. Media and music production school offering hands-on training interacting with industry professionals in the recording studio and classroom. Through Pyramind’s three 8-month certificate programs (Digital Producer, Post-Production and Electronic Music Producer), students learn current software and hardware skills and techniques.
R&R Ranch School of Recording
Las Vegas, NV; www.rocknrollranchstudios.com. 20-week course covers basic to advanced recording techniques and skills.
Recording Connection
Hollywood, CA; www.recordingconnection.com. 15-year-old accredited program has a worldwide network of more than 5,000 recording studios throughout the U.S. and Canada. We provide on-the-job training in major recording studios, record companies, and radio and TV stations.
Sacramento City College
Sacramento, CA; www.scc.losrios.edu. 2-year program encompassing live sound reinforcement, studio audio engineering and post-production editing for picture, sound and independent projects. Associate degrees or certificate programs available.
SAE Institute of Technology
Los Angeles, CA; www.sae.edu. SAE has more than 40 audio and media institutes worldwide. All U.S. locations offer a 900-hour diploma program in audio technology, featuring industry-standard equipment and innovative teaching techniques from accomplished professionals.
San Diego City College
San Diego, CA; www.sdccd.net. 2-year A.A. in electronic music. Students receive a well-rounded music education while focusing on Pro Tools in a Mac-based lab. Graduates are prepared for entry-level positions in recording studios, radio and TV stations, multimedia facilities including Web-based production, as live sound engineers and for positions in retail electronic music sales.
San Diego Mesa College
San Diego, CA; www.sandiegomesacollege.net. 2-year certificate and Associate’s degree programs. Beginning to advanced classes in the Mesa College Electronic Music Studio are hands-on and cover several different music composition, production and recording techniques: MIDI, hard disk recording, notation software, digital and analog tape, acoustics, consoles, sampling and multitrack concert recordings via trunk lines and CCTV links to band and choir rooms.
San Francisco State University
www.sfsu.edu. The Broadcast & Electronic Communication Arts Dept. offers B.A. and M.A. in radio and television with emphasis in music recording, audio-for-visual media and post-production. Fully equipped recording studio with 2-inch analog multitrack, state-of-the-art DAWs and labs for individual work.
Santa Barbara City College
Santa Barbara, CA; www.sbcc.cc.ca.us.
Santa Monica College
Santa Monica, CA; http://academy.smc.edu. The Academy of Entertainment and Technology offers certificates and A.A. degrees. The interactive media program is a comprehensive course in the design and implementation of Websites, interactive entertainment and other media.
School of Worship
Santa Ana, CA; www.schoolofworship.net. 1-year certificate program is designed to equip and train future worship leaders on basic theological concepts, leadership, administration, music theory, studio and live engineering, vocal techniques and many others.
Selkirk College
Castlegar, BC; http://selkirk.bc.ca. 2-year certificates in music performance, engineering or composition. A contemporary music program with an emphasis on music technology. State-of-the-art Pro Tools/ProControl studio and numerous project studios. Our first two years are equivalent to Berklee School of Music’s first two years.
Shoreline Community College
Seattle, WA; http://success.shoreline.edu/sccstudio. Associate’s degrees in digital audio engineering, MIDI music production, music performance and music merchandising. Study audio engineering, MIDI, music performance and music merchandising with a focus on music theory and technology in a student-friendly creative atmosphere.
Sound Master
Los Angeles, CA; www.soundmasterrecording.com. If you’re serious about becoming a recording engineer, you won’t find a better program than our accredited 8-month audio engineer program. Small classes, the right mix of analog and digital equipment, and a curriculum that covers all aspects of the industry.
Studiocat Productions
Phoenix, AZ, www.studiocatproductions.com. Courses include recording, editing and mixing of music created by Arizona’s top local artists. With smaller class sizes, students can maximize their hands-on training in a real working atmosphere, instructed by multi-Platinum Award–winning engineer Jamison Weddle.
Trebas Institute, British Columbia
Vancouver, BC, www.trebas.com. 3-year B.A. in sound technology and 1-year diploma programs. Established in 1979 to train students in music business, audio, film/TV production, post-production, interactive multimedia and computer animation. Outstanding instructors. High-tech studios and labs. Lifetime national job-search assistance. Authorized training center for Cubase and Macromedia.
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, CA; http://music.ucsd.edu. The Computer Music program emphasizes research in electronic music composition and performance, with an active concert program emphasizing new works. The ICAM program in music aims to bring together ideas and paradigms from computer science, music, art and cultural theory.
University of Denver
University of Colorado-Denver
www.cudenver.edu/CAM/musictech. 4-year B.S. in recording arts, 2-year MSRA with emphasis in pedagogy, audio forensics, adv. RA. Five control rooms, 24-track analog and digital support studies in music recording and reinforcement, audio sweetening, surround sound and audio forensics. National internship program. AES Student Section and SPARS member.
University of Denver
www.du.edu/lamont. The Lamont School of Music offers a 4-year concentration in audio production within the jazz and commercial music program. The school is housed in the new Newman Center for the Performing Arts comprising of state-of-the-art classrooms, concert halls and a Pro Tools|HD–based studio. Students work in the electronic music studio and on the Yamaha PM5D and Sony Oxford digital consoles.
UCLA Extension
Los Angeles, CA; www.uclaextension.edu/entertainmentstudies. Rigorous certificate programs prepare students in the music business, songwriting, recording engineering and film scoring. Drawing on the talent and studio facilities of L.A., Entertainment Studies has created a curriculum of required and elective courses that cover theory and practice in audio technology, equipment, musicianship and business practice.
University of Oregon
Eugene, OR; http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~fmo. Courses emphasize music composition, performance and real-time interactive media environments. The focus is on creating experimental types of musical content and not on training recording engineers or related technicians.
University of the Pacific
Stockton, CA; http://conservatory.pacific.edu/music_conservatory.asp. 4-year Bachelor degrees in music composition and music management. Introductory and advanced training in the use of music technology for composers and music management professionals.
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA; www.usc.edu/music/academic/programs/industry.html. The music industry programs offer instruction in all areas of the music business. In addition, the technology track of the B.S. degree emphasizes recording, MIDI and other music technologies. The Thornton School has opened a new computer lab with 15 workstations, featuring Pro Tools, Logic, Reason, Finale and Digital Performer. Our main studio has Pro Tools|HD, ProControl 40-fader work surface and large selection of mics and outboard equipment.
Vancouver Film School
Vancouver, BC; www.vfs.com. Operator level certification in Digidesign post-production systems. We offer complete studio production facilities. Students learn the culture of the industry by designing sound for film, games and animation, and specialize in mixing, dialog editing, recording or music production. Students graduate with demo reels of their work.
Video Symphony
Burbank, CA, www.videosymphony.com. Authorized Pro Tools editing/mixing/sound design classes and career program. Pro Tools User and Expert Certification classes and exams included. Job-centric, professional training for Hollywood professionals.
Women’s Audio Mission
San Francisco, CA; www.womensaudiomission.org. In a field where women professionals are historically underrepresented, WAM seeks to create an environment that will encourage and enable the aspirations of women in the recording arts. We provide access to audio technology and training to record sound for music, radio, film, television and the Internet for women and girls.
