How to Designing A Music and Technology Degree

Designing a Music and Technology
Degree for Today’s Digital
Entertainment Industry
Dr. David Mitchell
February, 18th, 2016
www.DavidMitchellDMA.com

DR. DAVID MITCHELL
• Published, Award Winning
Composer of Commercial and
Experimental Music
• Director of Education at The
Atlanta Institute of Music and
Media
• Blogger and Public Speaker

MY RESEARCH
Looks at new opportunities for
musicians in today’s digital
entertainment industry.
Explores how music schools can
design a music and technology
degree to prepare graduates for
success.

ABSTRACT
• Unlimited opportunities for generating income online.
• Video will account for 80% of global online traffic by 2019.
• Musicians should be skilled in digital music composition, sound
design, audio engineering.
• Crowd sourcing, music licensing, streaming, live video concerts,
fan art, YouTube channels deliver funding and a following.
• Success or failure of a music school is determined by the ability
to find & exploit emerging opportunities.

THE BIG IDEA
Digital media is the medium through
which our music is most often
created, found and heard.
We must learn to master it
like we master our instrument.

WHY MUSIC & TECHNOLOGY
Students Want It

OUR STUDENTS WANT IT, TOO
• Prepares Them for Success in Today’s Market
• Helps Them Reach a Global Audience
• One of AIMM’s Most Popular Degrees
• 54 New M&T Students in One Year

MUSIC LICENSING OPPS
• 80% Video Content Online by 2019
• 2013 Department of Labor Report
• Composer – 2nd Fastest Grow Job Market
• Music Licensing Sites (Just a Few)
• Where PR Agencies Go for Music
• The Downside to Licensing
• Exclusive vs. Non-Exclusive
• They Take a Big Cut Either Way

LIVE STREAMING & YOUTUBE
• Live Streaming
• Megan McGann
• 70,000 Fans
• “You Mess Me Up” was #14 in UK
• £2,000/Month
• Online Videos
• Lindsey Stirling
• 70,000,000 Views = $350,000
• Mando Pony, Auto Tune the News
• YouTube Original Movies

MORE OPPORTUNITIES
MY PICK IS APPLE MUSIC
• 71.5% Revenue to Artists (More
than Spotify)
• Not Free
• Get Fans Used to Paying for
Music Again

INDEPDENDENT OPTIONS
• Publish and Stream From Your Website
• Upload to SoundCloud
• Could Go Offline
• My Website
• Composing Lead for Global
Hotel Brand Through Site

FILM & GAMING OPTIONS
• Digital Entertainment Tax Credit:
$242 million (07) to $5.1 billion(14)
• Georgia House Bill 956
• Hollywood South
• Legislation for Music Studios

LIVE SOUND OPPORTUNITIES
• Live Sound (One of AIMM’s Biggest Employers)
• Churches Stream Services
• Need Recording, Live Sound Engineers, Mixing and
Mastering, Music Directors, Musicians & More

MULTIPLE INCOME STREAMS
• Traditional
• Concertizing (Challenging)
• Private Lessons (Harder These Days)
• Teaching for an Institution
• Performing with an Ensemble
• Orchestras are Struggling

MULTIPLE INCOME STREAMS
• Music and Technology
• All of the Above, Plus…
• Digital Streaming
• Music Licensing for Film, Video Games, Ads & Online Videos
• Recording Engineer
• Live Sound Engineer
• EDM and Electronic Music
• Post Production Including
Sound Design and Foley

MUSIC CAREERS MORE VIABLE
• I’m More Optimistic Today
• Studios No Longer Own The Market
• Be Creative to be Successful
• Take Advantage of Online Opportunities

CMS OPEN DISCUSSION
• Open Discussion Forum
Responses (March 15th)
• Roughly 1/3 of Respondents
Offer Music and Technology
• Schools Haven’t Caught Up to
The Demand

WHAT IS A M&T DEGREE?
• NASM’s Guidelines
• Bachelor of Music in Music and
Technology
• 25-35% Technology
• 25-35% Music (basic musicianship,
performance, music business &
supporting classes)
• 25-35% Gen Ed.
• With a Focus In…
• Some Traditional Classes Will Have to Go…

CHALLENGES
• Keeping it Musical
• Infrastructure Expense
• Will You Provide a Tech Kit?
• AIMM vs. SAE
• We Do Both
• $3,500 with software

SOFTWARE AND EQUIPMENT
• Logic vs. Pro Tools
• Ableton (Primarily Sequencing)
• Finale or Sibelius
• Plugins
• Microphones
• Cables (Studio Interconnection)
• Outboard Equipment Including Mixing Board, Power Amps
• Project Storage – Dropbox Backups, External Hard Drives for
Students
• What Do They Need To Succeed vs. Cost

DESIGNING A DEGREE
• Look at Job Opportunities for Placement
• What Skills Do Graduates Need to Fit the Market?
• Decide What Classes to Offer Based on Their Required Skill
Sets and Learning Outcomes
• We Designed Our Degree to Fit Georgia’s
Film &Video Game Market

AIMM’S AAS TECH OFFERINGS

AIMM’S TAILORED GEN ED

BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Atlanta Institute of Music and Media. “Music and Technology
Degree…” www.aimm.edu (accessed February 17, 2016).
2. NASM. “Handbook 2015-16.” http://nasm.arts-accredit.org/
(accessed February 12, 2016).
3. Ritchey, Julia. “Georgia Legislative Committee Explores Increasing
Post-Production Incentives.” Savannah Now: Savannah Morning
News (Fall, 2014),
http://savannahnow.com/exchange/2014-12-04/georgia-legislative-
committee-explores-increasing-post-production-incentives#
(accessed February 17, 2016).

THANK YOU
Websites:
www.davidmitchelldma.com
www.davidmitchellmusic.com
Blog:
www.themusiccompositionblog.com
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/user/davidguitar671
Or Just Look Up Dr. David Mitchell
Twitter: @Music_comp

How to Designing A Music and Technology Degree

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