Jesus Martinez
Digital Music Production

Music in the 21st century is about a lot more than singing or playing an instrument. Although these are valuable skills, the music producer/engineer today is equally responsible for the quality of the musical product. Digital Music Production is a new SAISD music elective designed to supplement traditional performance-based music instruction with knowledge and skills that are becoming increasingly more relevant to 21st century musical practices. Based on UTSA’s music technology curriculum, this course emphasizes creative rather than re-creative aspects of the musical experience. Instruction focuses on developing tools for individual musical expression. The course deals with musical understanding and abilities on a holistic rather than an atomistic level, that is, how music is constructed and communicated rather than how to sing or play an instrument.
Here’s what you’ll learn in Digital Music Production:
...
....• Music sequencing techniques
....• Recording & audio editing techniques
....• Tonal synthesis
....• Audio engineering skills
....• How music works
....• How sound works
....• Aural skills
....• How people respond to music
....• Composition techniques
....• Digital control protocols (MIDI, etc.)
 • Digital audio concepts
• Notation software
• Basic conventions of western music
• Musical styles
• Critical evaluation skills
....• aesthetic quality
....• technical quality
....• musical styles
....• performance
....• blend & balance

(Photo is of Jesus Homar Martinez, a student in UTSA's Music Technology Certificate program and computer lab monitor.)