Career Connections: Real World Projects

VIDEO GAME Audio 1

Early video game audio played a key role in connecting the player to the game and enhancing the overall entertainment experience. Learn how to record action sounds, and write chiptune-style themes and stingers. Finally, add your custom sounds to a Mario remix in Scratch and play the game using your own audio.

Career Connections: Video Game Sound Designer, Game Audio Composer, Audio Programmer, Foley Artist, Audio Director, AR/VR Sound Designer, Game Designer,

VIDEO GAME Audio 2

Audio in modern video games immerses players in other worlds. Write and record your own ambient sounds, action effects, and background music, then load them into gameplay footage. Finally, take on the role of audio middleware by adjusting the volume levels of each track to shift the vibe of the game.

Career Connections: Video Game Composer, Foley Artist, Interactive Music Designer, Orchestrator/Arranger, Audio Director, Media Composer, Music Editor, Interactive Narrative Designer, Creative Director

Music For Film 1

A film’s score helps connect the audience to the story by establishing the genre and enhancing the mood. Create your own story by selecting a piece of concept art, then score a scene from that story by choosing an instrument palette and using chord pairs to compose the music.

Career Pathways: Film/TV Composer, Music Editor, Orchestrator/Arranger, Music Supervisor, Sound Designer/Foley Artist, Audio Post Engineer, Screenwriter, Scriptwriter, Storyboard Artist

Radio Commercials

From radio commercials to podcast ad reads, advertisements are everywhere in broadcast and streamed audio. Create your own product or service, write a script, record a voiceover, and compose background music as part of a larger marketing campaign.

Career Pathways: Jingle Writer, Voiceover Artist, Audio Engineer, Advertising Copywriter, Audio Branding Specialist, Radio Producer, Creative Director, Advertising Copywriter, Brand Strategist, Media Planner

Songwriting Workshop

Fear of the blank page, or of creating something that doesn’t feel good enough, keeps many people from writing their own music. Work through three scaffolded songwriting prompts designed to build your creative confidence: remix the lyrics to Call Me Maybe, topline a verse, and create a catchy chorus from scratch.

Career Connections: Songwriter/Topliner, Lyricist, Singer‑Songwriter, Music Producer, Vocal Producer, Demo Producer, Session Vocalist, Arranger, Staff Writer (Music Publishing), A&R Representative

Verse/Chorus SongWriting

Toplining is when a songwriter writes the melodies and lyrics for a pre-existing instrumental track. Learn how to put words to music through a series of exercises. Apply these skills by writing a verse that tells a story and crafting a catchy chorus. Then, define your vocal style, rehearse, and record to topline your own song.

Career Connections: Songwriter/Topliner, Lyricist, Singer-Songwriter, Music Producer, Staff Writer, Vocal Producer, A&R Representative, Session Vocalist.

Hip Hop Songwriting

Hip-hop artists each have a unique flow, a pattern of rhythm and rhyme, that helps convey their message. Analyze rap verses, then practice writing your own to develop your personal flow. Write verses and a hook to a beat, record your voice, and edit the performance to produce your own original hip-hop track.

Career Connections: Rapper/MC, Hip‑Hop Artist, Lyricist/Topliner, Songwriter (Rap & R&B), Ghostwriter, Battle Rapper, Spoken‑Word Performer, Vocal Producer, Demo Vocalist, Hip Hop Producer

Podcasting

Podcasts come in many forms; fiction or non-fiction, scripted or unscripted, focused on specific topics or simply created for fun. Explore a variety of podcast types to discover the style you enjoy most. Then, plan your segment, record your podcast, and edit it to make it sound polished and ready for streaming.

Career Connections: Podcast Producer, Podcast Host, Audio Editor, Broadcast Producer, Audio Journalist, Podcast Sound Designer, Script Writer, Researcher/Fact Checker