Mar 28, 2024  
2022-2023 Catalog 
    
2022-2023 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Audio Arts, BA


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With roots in the sciences of acoustics, hearing/perception, and analog/digital electronic technologies, and in the arts and practices of sound recording, design, production and post-production, and reinforcement, the BA in Audio Arts prepares students for creative and professional success in a multifaceted, rapidly evolving 21st-century audio landscape. The core coursework in the program provides a solid foundation in the general theories and practices of audio, and it also exposes students to the broad, diverse manifestations of audio that permeate every facet of contemporary society. Through this process, students discover (or confirm) their passions and aptitudes in audio, which leads them to choose one of four concentrations: music recording, live sound reinforcement, audiovisual systems integration, or audio and sound design. 

As a result of successfully completing program requirements, students should be able to:

  • demonstrate an understanding of the basic principles of musical acoustics and auditory perception;
  • demonstrate a critical awareness regarding the cultural, social, and historical context of the audio arts; and
  • evaluate sound quality or utility and correct any deficiencies using appropriate technical means.

CONCENTRATIONS


Audio and Sound Design


As a result of successfully completing program requirements, students should be able to:

  • identify suitable sound recording, production, and synthesis techniques for a given sound design problem and implement them using different hardware and software environments;
  • develop computational literacy in the field of audio programming in order to design and implement custom-built software environments for specific sound design problems;
  • pursue entry in a graduate program in a field related to the audio arts with little or no additional preparation; and
  • work effectively in interdisciplinary teams to contribute towards the design and implementation of media artworks from the perspective of sound.

Audiovisual Systems Integration


As a result of successfully completing program requirements, students should be able to:

  • analyze the user needs and technical needs of the sound, AV, or computer-network system;
  • organize their work effectively, applying the principles of project management;
  • design and synthesize technical systems, including sound, audiovisual, and computer networks for monitoring and control; and
  • evaluate the system, once installed, and troubleshoot any deficiencies using appropriate analytic techniques.

Live Sound Reinforcement


As a result of successfully completing program requirements, students should be able to:

  • manage audible content on a jobsite with respect to site-relevant aesthetically correct performance, targeted at client satisfaction;
  • manage audible content on a job site with respect to feedback suppression to the degree that there is no audible feedback in house or monitors;
  • address industry mandated sound measurement issues as required by the particular characteristics of a given job site;
  • address live industry IT-specific issues on job sites as required by situation and hardware availability; and
  • define, document, present, and implement sound system designs applicable to a given live sound event for a variety of musical styles and events contexts.

Music Recording


As a result of successfully completing program requirements, students should be able to:

  • apply principles of audio science, theory and practice to predict, formulate and implement effective sound assessment, recording, processing, mixing and synthesis, within a given context;
  • demonstrate fluency on a variety of audio production technologies and platforms appropriate for the completion of projects in live and studio contexts;
  • develop critical listening skills to identify and assess the impact of the features of sound sources and the capabilities of recording and processing technologies toward the aesthetic goals of a given project; and
  • apply effective planning, communication, management and quality control skills to complete professionally and aesthetically successful audio production projects.

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