Master of Fine Arts Degree - Recording Arts and Technologies

NOTE: This graduate program is NOT designed for students who have graduated from the MTSU Department of Recording Industry with a concentration in Production and Technology. Graduates of the MTSU program are encouraged to seek employment in the industry or to pursue a graduate program that offers experiences different from their undergraduate program.

The purpose of the Master of Fine Arts program is to prepare practitioners in the field of audio recording and production for advanced work in an integrated electronic media environment. Preparation for advanced professional practice requires that students specialize in one area and develop a common understanding of the theoretical concepts behind other disciplines such as video production, digital animation, music, and computer science. The program offers a strong technical component utilizing the latest advancements in software and hardware. The degree plan also offers preparation for graduates to teach at the postsecondary level in the field of audio recording and production.

The M.F.A. degree is a 60-hour, six-semester program as outlined below including 30 hours of required courses, 12 hours of guided electives, 9 hours of work in a cognate area (courses in a single department outside of the program), plus 9 hours of work on a final project. It is expected that students attend full time taking 9 to 12 hours per semester.

Guided electives will be from the Recording Arts and Technologies courses and approved courses from other departments. Depending on the student's background and program goals electives might be chosen from the departments of Art, Computer Science, English, Education, Industrial Technology, Mass Communication, Music, Psychology, Sociology, or Speech and Theater. At least 6 hours of guided electives must be graduate level courses from the Department of Recording Industry.

Guided electives may be chosen from Recording Arts and Technologies courses and approved courses from other areas such as art, computer science, English, education, industrial technology, mass communication, music, psychology, sociology, or speech and theatre. At least 6 hours of guided electives must be graduate-level courses from the Department of Recording Industry. The cognate requires 9 hours of courses from a single department. No more than 12 hours of guided electives and cognate area courses may be from the same department. A maximum of 6 hours of 5000-level courses may be counted toward the degree.

Description of Courses

MRAT 6010 Recording In Cultural Context. 3 Hrs. Recording In Cultural Context is designed to acquaint learners with the evolution of this complex of technologies and provide tools for cultural analysis and critique of recorded artifacts. An interdisciplinary mosaic of scholarly approaches to the examination of contemporary recorded culture will be engaged.

MRAT 6030 MIDI and Digital Audio Seminar. 3 Hrs. MIDI and Digital Audio Seminar provides the student with the technical skills and conceptual foundation necessary to undertake advance creative projects. Emphasis is placed on the mastery of hardware and software platforms currently used for MIDI and hard-disk based digital audio.

MRAT 6050. Multitrack Recording Seminar. 3 Hrs. Multitrack Recording Seminar is a systematic examination of the technology currently used in the modern recording studio. In addition techniques for using this technology in the creative recording and mixing process will be examined.

MRAT 6070. Visual Aesthetics and Technology I. 3 Hrs. Visual Aesthetics and Technology I is designed to assist the beginning graduate student with the skills to effectively communicate an idea visually.

MRAT 6090. Visual Aesthetics and Technology II. 3 Hrs. Continuation of MRAT 6070, with introduction to the visual elements and technology used in the entertainment industry. Introduction to creative conceptualization, elements of composition, how the production process works and allows for demonstration of basic and advanced visual technology, serving as a foundation for more advanced courses in the graduate program. Focus on concepts rather than completed media projects.

MRAT 6110. Production Seminar I. 3 Hrs. Prerequisites: MRAT 6030 MIDI and Digital Audio Seminar, MRAT 6050 Multitrack Recording Seminar, and MRAT 6070 Visual Aesthetics and Technology I. This is an applications course where students utilize skills and theory obtained in previous courses and work in a cooperative group environment toward the completion of an audio or multimedia production. Laboratory required.

MRAT 6120. Disk-Based Audio Post-Production. 3 Hrs. Prerequisites: MRAT 6030 MIDI and Digital Audio Seminar and MRAT 6050 Multitrack Recording Seminar. Advanced practitioner-oriented approach to the principles of tapeless digital audio recording on a variety of digital workstation platforms. In-depth discussion of the principles of digital audio, synchronization, and audio-for-video. Focuses on the use of digital audio workstations in an audio post-production environment. Laboratory required.

MRAT 6130. Production Seminar II. 3 Hrs. Prerequisites: MRAT 6110 Production Seminar I. This is the second semester of an applications course where students utilize skills and theory obtained in previous courses and work in a cooperative group environment toward the completion of an audio or multimedia production. Laboratory required.

MRAT 6140. Graduate Seminar in Audio Recording. 3 Hrs. Prerequisites: MRAT 6030 MIDI and Digital Audio Seminar and MRAT 6050 Multitrack Recording Seminar. Advanced application of recording and mixing techniques in a digital multitrack setting. Additional topics: console automation, machine synchronization, digital audio editing, and tape machine alignment. Laboratory required.

MRAT 6150. Legal Rights of the Creative Individual. 3 Hrs. This course acquaints creative individuals with their legal rights as creators and their legal duties when using the works of others. Students apply concepts from copyright, trademark, trade secrets, privacy, publicity, defamation, and other branches of the law to media productions.

MRAT 6160. Composition for Contemporary Media. 3 Hrs. Prerequisites: Four semesters of Theory/Sight Singing/Ear Training, MRAT 6030, MRAT 6050. Composition for Contemporary Media provides the student with the conceptual foundation necessary to undertake advanced creative projects involving the creation and manipulation of the materials of popular music. Emphasis is placed on the mastery of the structure and style elements of contemporary popular music. Laboratory required.

MRAT 6180. Introduction to Film Scoring. 3 Hrs. Prerequisites: Four semesters of Theory/Sight Singing/Ear Training, MRAT 6030, MRAT 6050. Overview of the film scoring process. Discussion of the aesthetic relationship between music and film. Thematic analyses of representative film scores. Composition exercises demonstrating traditional film scoring techniques. Application of compositional techniques through laboratory assignments utilizing computers, synthesizers, and digital samplers. SMPTE time code, MIDI time code, and film time formats and their application to tape synchronization. Major project will consist of scoring a short scene from a film and synchronizing the music with the visual. Laboratory required.

MRAT 6210. Production Seminar III. 3 Hrs. Prerequisites: MRAT 6120 Production Seminar II. This is the third semester of an applications course where students utilize skills and theory obtained in previous courses and work in a cooperative group environment toward the completion of an audio or multimedia production. Laboratory required.

MRAT 6320. Directed Research. 3 Hrs. Prerequisite: permission of department. Research in recording techniques and related topics.

MRAT 6340. Directed Production. 3 Hrs. Permission of department. Independent advanced audio productions.

MRAT 6360. Graduate Internship. 1 - 3 Hrs. Prerequisite: permission of department. Practical experience for advanced students in a professional recording industry setting.

MRAT 6650. Final Project. 1 - 9 Hrs. This course is designed to be a directed production project of substantial size and scope proposed, developed, and realized under the guidance of the major faculty advisor in consultation with the Final Project faculty committee. 6650 Final Project is the culminating experience in the M.F.A. program.