The aim of my class is to provide students with valuable, real-world music production skills while fostering an appreciation for the craft of electronic music. This class will appeal to a range of student interests: from musicians interested in learning how to create professional-quality productions, to non-musicians with an interest in learning how to make music on the computer for the first time. Each lesson will take a methodical, step-by-step approach to teaching students the basic fundamentals, eventually culminating in more advanced techniques that will prepare them for professional situations in the future. Students will learn how to navigate the software, how to reverse-engineer and understand sample material I've created, and how to make their own music with the goal of utilizing specific techniques they've been taught. Most importantly, students will be encouraged to have fun while learning the ropes, and will be able to share their own creations with other students in the class, providing them with both the knowledge and the confidence to unleash their creative potential.

The software we'll be using for the class is called Ableton Live. I've been using Ableton in my own musical endeavors for the past decade. Ableton is a highly versatile digital audio workstation used in professional and amateur settings alike, from mixing live recordings to making beats. Ableton's interface is intuitive and graphically oriented, making it unintimidating for the uninitiated, while its powerful toolset grants the user with virtually limitless capability. Topics covered will include, but are not limited to:

• Sampling and splicing audio

• EQ, compression, and other mixing fundamentals

• Familiarity with Ableton's vast library of audio effects and tools

• Programming virtual synthesizers

• How to layer and balance sounds

A 90-day free trial of Ableton is available here: https://www.ableton.com/en/trial/