Department Spotlight: Music and Dance

Technology has always been a hugely transformative force in music. The first electric guitars of the ‘30s revolutionized the tunes of their time just like modern computers have given rise to several never-before-heard genres. The last decade alone brought EDM and dubstep into existence and they have become global sensations. Extensive knowledge of emerging musical technologies is essential for the success of the modern musician. With this insight in mind, Salem State University’s music and dance department has introduced a new 18 credit minor, that prepares students for a music career in the 21st century, called music technology.

The music technology minor is currently open to non-music majors, and is designed to provide students with an overview of the software and hardware that’s used in music production. Have you ever wondered how a song is remixed? Or how those mash-ups on YouTube are made? The first classes, “Introduction to Computers and Music” and “Fundamentals of Audio Engineering,” introduce students to key elements of digital music production such as working with MIDI and DAWs, as well as electronic interfaces that allow for the digitization and manipulation of music. They also introduce microphone techniques and ear training, which conditions the ear to identify different aspects of music. After familiarizing students with basic techniques and interfaces the curriculum adds more advanced skills in “Recording I,” in which students learn about multi-tracking, microphone usage, and live recording. Then “Recording Production II” puts it all together in a workshop environment where students test their practical knowledge by creating their own large-scale music projects.

Appropriately, music technology relies heavily on technology for its curricular structure and organization. The digital nature of the classes keeps them accessible and up to date, and allows professors to be more dynamic in their instruction. Nicholas Giarratani, department staff associate and adjunct professor for over ten years, says that, “in the past, we’ve had software loaded on the machines in the lab and students would be required to go to the lab, but we're in the middle of making the transition to cloud-based apps where it’s possible to replace the need for students to physically go to the lab to complete their work.”

Giarratani adds that this cloud-based software is, “better for our faculty to track their [the students’] progress and better for the students since they can work from anywhere.” The convenience of working remotely is attractive to students because it adds flexibility to otherwise busy, rigid schedules. Another bonus is that experience with cloud computing is rapidly becoming essential in all fields, which makes the move to cloud-based instruction all the more valuable. While this innovative program is currently unavailable to music majors, Giarratani says that, “we’re also working on a certificate program in music technology so that music majors will also be able complete some sort of tech program.”

Despite its nascent state, music technology already appears to be a popular minor with students already enrolled. Giarratani explained that the department is also “continually seeing students inquiring about it, so we anticipate it is going to be very popular.” Interested students should plan next semester’s registration accordingly if they want to enroll in the minor and stay in sync with the evolving music industry.