Sonic Arts
The Sonic Arts pathway is a pioneering program where students will learn about recording, mixing, and mastering in LIHSA’s state-of-the-art recording studio and digital music lab.
LIHSA’s experienced faculty will introduce students to a diversity of technical approaches and musical styles as they work with visual media, live interactive performance, sound installations, and software applications. The hands-on sound production courses will introduce students to audio techniques, covering the basics of writing, producing, and engineering productions.
Students will learn the fundamentals of music and how to create it on the computer using digital tools; gain a solid understanding of digital audio recording and editing techniques for persuasion, information, and entertainment, as well as the experience needed to be proficient in technical aspects of sound and music production, such as signal flows, mixing, mastering, compression, asset management, and online delivery; delve into creating sounds using current industry standard synthesizers by working at digital audio workstations to record and organize synthesized sounds and explore the vast array of electronic effects in Logic Pro X, ProTools, and Ableton Live.
Completing the Sonic Arts program will provide students with skills in music technology and a supportive curriculum to prepare them for post-secondary study and the professional work environment, with the breadth of knowledge, creative thinking, and expressive skills that can be translated into artistic, technical, entrepreneurial, and research endeavors.
LIHSA’s future alumni in this area will be poised to find meaningful work in recording arts, sound design, and commercial music enterprises. Others will pursue the independent artist’s path combining production with performance, composition, teaching, or arts administration.
As someone who knew, from a young age, that I wanted to pursue a career on the business side of the music industry, I wish I had known that LIHSA was available to High School students like me. Having the opportunity to focus my attention on a field I was interested in would have given me a head start that I am confident would have helped to push me forward during the early years of working for record labels and distribution companies.
Program Requirements
All students accepted in the Sonic Arts program are required to take 7.0 core credits over the course of 2 years. Students will complete an additional .5 credits in Career and Financial Management coursework, a requirement of a CTE program. Beyond the required core, students take .5 elective credits with different semester offerings each year.
Recording Careers and Operations
Learn about different careers involved in the audio recording process, studio procedures and the process of making and releasing music while learning hands-on recording skills
Audio Recording Theory
Participate in a hands-on classroom environment applying knowledge of acoustic theory, microphone characteristics, signal flow and basic effects processing.
Audio Recording Techniques
Study and demonstrate techniques in digital recording, and production. Develop specialized skills with a variety of recording equipment.
Audio Portfolio & Career Development
Students will leave this course college and career ready with a well-developed audio portfolio including a cover letter, resume and college essay.
