Our philosophy is that some musical training and musical skills are an essential complement audio training and technical skills. In addition to the audio and technology classes required in our degree programs, some music theory and piano/keyboard skills are also required – the AAS Audio Engineering degree music content being more commercial than the AGS Music Technology music content. The program advisor will be able to direct you into the correct sequence of classes for your skill level.
Our “hands-on from day one” training curriculum include various hardware and software recording systems and technologies, in order to give our graduates a skill set that will make them most flexibly marketable, and enable them to easily transition into the largest variety of employment situations. We include training that is beneficial for positions outside the stereotypical music recording industry, including live sound reinforcement, theater, post-production, and audio-for-picture.
The Audio Engineering and Music Technology programs feature three recording studios, a classroom/MIDI/video lab, and an impressive live sound rig. The facilities are open daytimes, evenings and weekends, to allow students to work on school projects.
Our students have transferred to other educational institutions including Berklee College of Music, Colorado University-Denver, Emporia State University, Kansas State University, Middle Tennessee State University, Missouri Western State University, the University of Central Missouri, the University of Kansas, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and William Jewell College. Our students are employed both locally and nationally at live music venues, churches, and recording studios, and engineering Grammy Award winning albums; with national and international touring shows; with music industry retailers; at television, radio stations, film and video production and post-production facilities; telecommunications companies; and music business and administration companies; and winning Downbeat Awards and Audio Engineering Society recording and mixing competitions. They have also created entrepreneurial companies that address the needs of niche markets in the audio industry.
In 2006 our students created an official Student Chapter of the Audio Engineering Society on campus. The program faculty consists of active professionals in the recording, sound reinforcement, and music technology fields.
Degrees
Associate of Applied Science in Audio Engineering
The goal of the Associate of Applied Science in Audio Engineering degree is to prepare our graduates for an entry level position in the varied fields of the audio industry and/or to enable them to transfer to a 4-year degree in a related field. We emphasize hands-on experiential training, while assuring students also understand audio theory and traditional musical concepts. Our curriculum produces a versatile professional, prepared to work in a variety of audio industry fields; who can effectively communicate with musicians in a recording studio or live sound environment; and who could transition to work in a non-musical audio field, such as broadcasting, post-production, theater, or corporate sound.
Associate of General Studies with an emphasis in Music Technology
We also offer an Associate of General Studies with an emphasis in Music Technology Degree degree. In addition to the traditional four-semester sequence of music theory and applied (private) lessons, this degree is designed to enhance the technological skills of music students. Academic courses and "hands on" experiences provide an introduction to the use of computers in musical and multimedia production, including web design, digital video editing, and audio recording.