6. Georgia State University – Atlanta, GA
A program in the midst of exceptional growth, Georgia State University has a comprehensive music production program and facility. The college offers three recording studios as well as a complete Pro Tools post-production suite, good for teaching students advanced skills in mixing, editing, and mastering. They also have a large, multimedia collaborative lab known as the 2CINEM facility, a 7,000 square foot space dedicated to the marriage of music production and multimedia.
For an in-depth report located in the University of Michigan library archives on GSU’s Music Production program, click here.
5. Drexel University – Philadelphia, PA
Drexel offers only two music degrees at its school: Music Industry with an emphasis on business, and Music Industry with an emphasis on production. The production degree provides students as much hands-on real experience in the field as possible. A desirable aspect of this program is the summer co-op requirement, in which students spend two full summers gaining hands on experience at recording studios, record labels, music venues, and other professional music businesses. Additionally, the college itself has a number of student-run businesses that publish, record, and release music made by the students. A program that is fully committed to preparing students for lucrative music careers in the music industry, Drexel is a top option for any musician looking for an excellent career in music production.
4. Indiana University Jacobs School of Music – Bloomington, IN
Notable Faculty: Konrad Strauss
Indiana University’s music production department is known throughout the school as the “Department of Recording Arts.” It is one of the smallest programs in the entire nation, in terms of number of students, with only 15 incoming students per year. Because of this, students are given unusual quantities of individual attention and instruction, providing an unparalleled opportunity to create an enriching relationship with their faculty.
One of the oldest music production programs to my knowledge, it was founded in 1982. This is a program very much focused on producing sound for CDs, DVDs, and live television, as well as learning the essentials of the basic recording studio. Located in one of the most notable music schools in the US, the faculty recording engineers include accomplished names such as Konrad Strauss, who has won Grammy awards for production.