Program Overview

Media Scoring and Production (MSP) Program

The Media Scoring and Production (MSP) program offers a comprehensive curriculum that covers various aspects of media scoring and production. The program is designed to provide students with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in the field of commercial music composition and production.

Program Courses

The MSP program includes a range of courses that cover topics such as:

• Recording Ensemble
• Media Scoring and Production Forum
• Essential Technologies for Musicians
• Digital Audio and MIDI Production
• Virtual Orchestration
• Media Scoring I: Music for Media
• Media Scoring II: Video Game Scoring
• Synthestration
• Production I: Recording and Production Techniques
• Production II: Audio Processing and Critical Listening
• Media Scoring III: Film Scoring Foundations
• Media Scoring IV: Film Scoring Extensions
• Production III: Audio Editing
• Production IV: Mixing and Mastering
• Senior Project/Portfolio
• Special Projects in Media Scoring & Production
• Special Topics in Media Scoring & Production

Course Descriptions

• MSP 139: Recording Ensemble: An ensemble of student-generated recording musical repertoire.
• MSP 17: Media Scoring and Production Forum: A weekly forum for sharing information about issues, current developments, and other matters related to commercial music composition and production.
• MSP 250: Essential Technologies for Musicians: Basic MIDI and digital audio principles from set-up to final mix, recording of live instruments using basic microphone techniques, MIDI sequencing, software synthesizers, basic editing, and audio looping.
• MSP 259: Digital Audio and MIDI Production: Weekly lab focused on Pro Tools proficiency and the intricacies of audio technology relating to a modern producer/film composer.
• MSP 260: Virtual Orchestration: Weekly lab focused on the creation of sample-based orchestral mock-ups.
• MSP 261: Media Scoring I: Music for Media: Project-based lecture course designed to provide students the opportunity to compose and realize a varied array of music projects for media applications.
• MSP 262: Media Scoring II: Video Game Scoring: Project-based seminar/workshop designed to provide students the opportunity to gain the skills, knowledge, and experience necessary to produce a variety of musical works for use in video games.
• MSP 280: Synthestration: Weekly lab focused on Sound Design/synthesis as it applies to the modern producer.
• MSP 281: Production I: Recording and Production Techniques: Project-based seminar/workshop designed to provide students the opportunity to gain the skills and knowledge to properly record acoustic audio into a DAW.
• MSP 282: Production II: Audio Processing and Critical Listening: Project-based practicum course designed to provide students the opportunity to explore, discover, and articulate the elements needed to successfully model and emulate music of any genre.
• MSP 363: Media Scoring III: Film Scoring Foundations: Seminar in the aesthetics and psychology of mood music, sound-film synchronization, timing techniques, and scoring procedures.
• MSP 364: Media Scoring IV: Film Scoring Extensions: Adaptation of previous semester's techniques to television scripts and performed music.
• MSP 383: Production III: Audio Editing: Project-based practicum course designed to provide students the opportunity to compose, record, and reproduce a wide variety of music projects.
• MSP 384: Production IV: Mixing and Mastering: Weekly lab focused on mixing and mastering music for commercial release.
• MSP 445: Senior Project/Portfolio: This course is the capstone of the Media Scoring and Production major and program.
• MSP 493: Special Projects in Media Media Scoring & Production: Advanced individual instruction pertaining to faculty member’s area expertise and student’s area of interest.
• MSP 494: Special Topics in Media Scoring & Production: Advanced group/classroom instruction pertaining to faculty member’s expertise and students’ areas of interest.

Graduate Courses

The MSP program also offers graduate-level courses, including:

• MSP 631: Recording Engineering Seminar: Students in MSP 631 will accomplish three primary goals: understanding historical trends in the audio recording industry, understanding and appreciating recent advances in sound recording technologies and methods, and development of critical thinking, research, writing, and presentation skills.
• MSP 739: Recording Ensemble: An ensemble of student-generated recording musical repertoire.
• MSP 759: Digital Audio and MIDI Production: Weekly lab focused on Pro Tools proficiency and the intricacies of audio technology relating to a modern producer/film composer.
• MSP 760: Virtual Orchestration: This project-based seminar/lab is designed to expose students to the basics of MIDI orchestration with particular emphasis on the creation of fully-realized mock-ups.
• MSP 761: Media Scoring 1: Film Scoring Foundations: Seminar in the aesthetics and psychology of mood music, sound-film synchronization, timing techniques, and scoring procedures.
• MSP 762: Media Scoring 2: Film Scoring Extensions: Adaptation of previous semester's techniques to television scripts and performed music.
• MSP 763: Video Game Scoring: Project-based seminar/workshop designed to provide students the opportunity to gain the skills, knowledge, and experience necessary to produce a variety of musical works for use in visual media.
• MSP 770: Synthestration: Weekly lab focused on Sound Design/synthesis as it applies to the modern producer.
• MSP 771: Production 1: Recording and Production Techniques: Recording studio production procedures.
• MSP 772: Production 2: Audio FX Processing and Multitrack Mixing: Project-based course designed to provide students with a clear understanding of most Audio effects used in Mixing and Music Production.
• MSP 773: Production 3: Advanced Production Seminar: Project-based course designed to provide the opportunity to record, produce, mix, and commercially release an EP.
• MSP 793: Special Projects in Media Scoring & Production: Advanced individual instruction pertaining to faculty member’s area of expertise and student’s area of interest.
• MSP 794: Special Topics in Media Scoring & Production: Advanced group/classroom instruction pertaining to faculty member’s expertise and students’ areas of interest.

Master's Project

The MSP 805: Master's Media Scoring and Production Project requires supervised completion of a proposal, business plan, project completion and presentation, reflective journal, and media writing and production electronic press kit.

Research in Residence

The MSP 820: Research in Residence is used to establish research in residence and maintain full-time enrollment after the student has completed all courses required for the degree.