The Art of Music Production

About this course: Explore the art of record production and how to make recordings that other people will love listening to. This course will teach you how to make emotionally moving recordings on almost any recording equipment, including your phone or laptop. The emphasis is on mastering tangible artistic concepts; the gear you use is up to you. You will learn to develop the most important tool in the recording studio: your ears. You will learn to enhance every aspect of your own productions, both sonically and musically, by employing deeper listening skills. Assignments will include posting your own recordings for peer review, and reviewing your classmates’ work by employing specific tools and strategies. If you use a digital audio workstation to record and mix, that’s great, but as long as you can record into your computer and post an MP3, you can complete the assignments. As you learn about the art of record production in this 4-week course, you will also learn about yourself and who you are as an artist and producer. It is not necessary that you read music or play an instrument to take this course.

Created by:  Berklee

• Taught by:  Stephen Webber, Director of Music Production, Technology and Innovation

  Berklee

Basic Info Course 1 of 4 in the Music Production Specialization Level Intermediate Commitment 4 weeks of study, 2-4 hours/week Language English Hardware Req Audio recording device (smartphone, tablet, or computer with digital audio workstation & microphone) How To Pass Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. User Ratings 4.8 stars Average User Rating 4.8See what learners said Coursework

Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.

Help from your peers

Connect with thousands of other learners and debate ideas, discuss course material, and get help mastering concepts.

Certificates

Earn official recognition for your work, and share your success with friends, colleagues, and employers.

Berklee Berklee College of Music was founded on the revolutionary principle that the best way to prepare students for careers in music is through the study and practice of contemporary music. For more than half a century, the college has evolved to reflect the state of the art of music and the music business. Berklee serves distance learners worldwide through its award-winning online extension school, Berklee Online.

Syllabus


WEEK 1


Welcome to The Art of Music Production
Welcome to The Art of Music Production! Before you begin the course, we will cover all the details about the course and what you'll need to know to get the most out of your experience.


1 video, 7 readings, 1 practice quiz expand

1. Video: Welcome
2. Reading: A Note From Stephen
3. Reading: Connect on Facebook & Twitter
4. Reading: Meet Your Teaching Assistant
5. Practice Quiz: What Are Your Goals?
6. Reading: Course Certificates
7. Reading: Peer Review Assignments
8. Reading: Technology Requirements
9. Reading: Learner Support

Listening Like A Producer



By the end of this lesson, you’ll understand the concepts of listening to music emotionally and technically. Strategies for maintaining objectivity and using kinesthetic observations to discover musical effectiveness will be internalized. You’ll train yourself to make distinctions on what works and what doesn’t work, rather than just passively listening as a fan.


6 videos, 1 reading, 1 practice quiz expand

1. Video: Make It Sound Like A Record
2. Video: Why Do We Listen To Music?
3. Video: Listening Emotionally vs. Listening Technically
4. Practice Quiz: Identifying Emotions
5. Video: Kinesthetic Observation - Emotional Cues
6. Video: Elements of A Compelling Musical Recording
7. Reading: Elements of a Compelling Recording
8. Video: Letting Go Of Prejudice
9. Discussion Prompt: Letting Go Of Prejudice
10. Peer Review: Active Listening

Graded: Listening Like a Producer

WEEK 2


Identity, Vision, and Intention



In this lesson, you’ll hone in on your identity as a recording artist: who are you, and what are you meaning to convey through your music? You’ll work on refining your vision and intention for the recordings you’ll make employing these skills, and record and post a “work tape” of a new piece of music.


6 videos, 2 readings, 2 practice quizzes expand

1. Video: Identity, Vision, and Intention
2. Video: Artist Comparison Exercise
3. Discussion Prompt: Artist Comparisons
4. Video: Artist Identity Workshop
5. Reading: Artist Identity Examples
6. Practice Quiz: Defining Your Artist Identity
7. Video: Producer Identity Workshop
8. Practice Quiz: Defining Your Producer Identity
9. Reading: What is Your Artistic Vision?
10. Discussion Prompt: What is Your Artistic Vision?
11. Video: What is your Artistic Intention?
12. Discussion Prompt: What is your Artistic Intention?
13. Video: Giving and Receiving Feedback
14. Peer Review: Writing and Recording with Identity, Vision, and Intention

Graded: IVI

WEEK 3


Strengthening Musical Productions: Tools & Strategies



By the end of this lesson, you will be able to employ several useful techniques for strengthening your songs and instrumental tracks. You’ll acquire skills in prosody, focus, and an intelligent approach to repetition. You’ll also learn to craft better melodies, write better lyrics, and construct a musical form that best suits the emotional contour you are trying to accomplish with your recording. You’ll understand the principles of getting the most out of feedback on your recordings, in order to gather valuable perspective to better convey your intended response. You’ll incorporate notes from your colleagues to further refine your recording and re-post an updated version.


10 videos, 1 reading, 1 practice quiz expand

1. Video: Using Prosody to Make Better Art
2. Video: Form: The Structure of Your Song
3. Reading: Song Form
4. Video: 5 Tools for Writing Better Lyrics
5. Discussion Prompt: Writing Better Lyrics
6. Video: Crafting Better Melodies
7. Video: Repetition
8. Video: Arranging - Rule of Threes
9. Practice Quiz: Arranging - The Rule of Threes
10. Video: Studio Performance
11. Video: Programmed Tracks
12. Video: Singers: Virtuoso vs. Vibe
13. Video: Producing Vocals
14. Peer Review: Strengthening Your Production

Graded: Tools & Strategies

WEEK 4


Defining the Sonic Signature of your Song



By the end of this lesson, you will address the sonic signature as it relates to your intention and vision, as well as your technology resources and acoustic space. You’ll learn about microphone techniques, getting good levels, and mixing with reverb, EQ and compression. You will record your material, having made some deliberate decisions about the sound of your record, and post your recording for peer review according to specific criteria.


10 videos, 1 reading expand

1. Video: The Sonics of Your Song
2. Discussion Prompt: Sonic Signatures
3. Video: Single-Source Recording
4. Video: Multi-Track Recording
5. Video: Sound Absorbtion vs. Sound Proofing
6. Video: Acoustic Spaces & Mic Placement
7. Video: Microphone Types and Pick Up Patterns
8. Reading: Microphone Types and Pick Up Patterns
9. Video: Layering
10. Video: Guitar Micing Clinic
11. Video: Application of Technology to Art
12. Video: Where To Go From Here

Graded: The Sonic Signature
Graded: Defining The Sonic Signature