Music Production
Program Details
The Music Production program is designed to equip you with the essential technological skills for creating, recording and refining music in today's digital era. As a student in the music production major, you'll have the opportunity to engage in an internship at a recording studio, gain access to a dedicated production space and still have flexibility to pursue a second major or multiple minors. Enrich your experience through ensemble options like Rock Band and Laptop Orchestra, and fine-tune your craft with private lessons covering songwriting, rap and specialized training in music production techniques.
Click here for information on Scholarships and Auditions.
Degree Awarded
Bachelor of Arts in Music
Curriculum
The sample course sequence below illustrates class offerings for the Music Production major. Consult the official Xavier University course catalog for detailed registration and advising information.
Fall
- MUSIC 198 - Studio Class............ 0cr.
- MUSIC 199 - Recital Attendance............ 0cr.
- MUSIC 200 - Music Theory I............ 3cr.
- MUSIC 201 - Aural Skills I............ 1cr.
- MUSIC 208 - Keyboard Skills I............ 1cr.
- Private Lesson............ 1cr.
- Ensemble............ 1cr.
- CORE 100 - First-Year Seminar............ 3cr.
- CORE 101 - First-Year Co-Curricular Passport............ 0cr.
- ENGLISH 101 - English Composition............ 3cr.
- Second Language Elective............ 3cr.
Spring
- MUSIC 127 - GarageBand, Logic & More............ 3cr.
- MUSIC 198 - Studio Class............ 0cr.
- MUSIC 199 - Recital Attendance............ 0cr.
- MUSIC 202 - Music Theory II............ 3cr.
- MUSIC 203 - Aural Skills II............ 1cr.
- MUSC 209 - Keyboard Skills II............ 1cr.
- Private Lesson............ 1cr.
- Ensemble............ 1cr.
- CORE 102 - First-Year Co-Curricular Passport............ 0cr.
- PHILOSOPHY 100 - Ethics as Intro to Philosophy............ 3cr.
- THEOLOGY 111 - Theological Foundations............ 3cr.
Fall
- MUSIC 119 - Making Beats & More............ 3cr.
- MUSIC 198 - Studio Class............ 0cr.
- MUSIC 199 - Recital Attendance............ 0cr.
- MUSIC 210 - Music History I ............ 3cr.
- MUSIC 300 - Music Theory III............ 3cr.
- MUSIC 301 - Aural Skills III............ 1cr.
- Private Lesson ............ 1cr.
- Scientific Perspectives............ 3cr.
Spring
- MUSIC 198 - Studio Class............ 0cr.
- MUSIC 199 - Recital Attendance............ 0cr.
- MUSIC 211 - Music History II............ 3cr.
- MUSIC 303 - Aural Skills IV............ 1cr.
- DIFT 340 - Audio Production............ 3cr.
- Private Lesson............ 1cr.
- Mathematical Perspectives............ 3cr.
- Natural Science Elective............ 3cr.
Fall
- MUSIC 198 - Studio Class............ 0cr.
- MUSIC 199 - Recital Attendance............ 0cr.
- MUSIC 342 - Studio Production............ 3cr.
- Theological Perspectives............ 3cr.
- Social Science Elective............ 3cr.
- ENGLISH 205 - Literature and the Moral Imagination............ 3cr.
Spring
- MUSIC 198 - Studio Class............ 0cr.
- MUSIC 199 - Recital Attendance............ 0cr.
- MUSIC 405 - Internship............ 3cr.
- Philosophical Perspectives............ 3cr.
- Free Elective............ 3cr.
- Free Elective............ 3cr.
- Free Elective............ 3cr.
Fall
- Historical Perspectives............ 3cr.
- Free Elective............ 3cr.
- Free Elective............ 3cr.
- Free Elective............ 3cr.
- Free Elective............ 3cr.
Spring
- Free Elective............ 3cr.
- Free Elective............ 3cr.
- Free Elective............ 3cr.
- Free Elective............ 3cr.
- Free Elective............ 3cr.
Sample Courses
Sample courses within the music production curriculum:
- Electronic Music (MUSC 127) - This course provides an introduction to the hardware and software used in electronic music production, emphasizing music sequencing, digital recording and mixing techniques. Students will learn the fundamentals of creating, editing and arranging electronic music.
- Audio Production (DIFT 340) - This course delves into the technical and theoretical foundations of audio production. Students will explore various aspects including digital sound editing, the integration of special effects, commercial production techniques, and documentary production principles. Through hands-on lab sessions, participants will gain practical experience applying these concepts in real-world scenarios.
- Studio Production (MUSC 342) - Students assume the role of sound engineer in all areas of professional audio: acoustics, microphone techniques, analog and digital signal flow, using computers, recording (mono, stereo, and multi-track), studio policies, and working with a clientele. Focused on hands-on learning in the studio and in live sound environments.
- Internship (MUSC 405) - Students spend 8-10 hours per week teaching high school students how to use the tools of music production at the Music Resource Center studio.
Career Outcomes
99 percent of Xavier students are working, volunteering or in graduate school within six months of graduation .Explore Xavier's Career Outcomes Dashboard to view career outcomes by major.
Xavier music graduates have gone on to such diverse positions and employers as:
- Music educator, public and private schools
- Private music studio instructor
- University professor
- Performer in local bands
- Sales, professional recording equipment
- Member, United States Army Band
- Cincinnati Opera
- Nashville music industry
- Public health administrator
- Teach for America
- Jesuit Volunteer Corps
- Montessori and special education teachers
- Physician, registered nurse or other medical professional
- Procter and Gamble
Xavier music graduates have also been accepted into graduate music programs at:
- Columbia University
- Florida State University
- Indiana University School of Music
- Miami University (OH)
- Northwestern University
- Ohio University
- Peabody Conservatory
- St. Louis University
- University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
- University of Louisville
- University of Massachusetts
- University of Maryland
Find more information on our Music Alumni webpage.
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Gain Real-World Experience Through Studio Internships
You'll gain professional experience by completing an internship, whether that's at the Music Resource Center (MRC) or at a branch of the Cincinnati YMCA that teaches music performance, creation and recording to local teenagers. MRC directors teach courses and private lessons in production and hip-hop at Xavier.
Learn Production Skills in a Dedicated Production Space
In addition to the regular music lab, you'll have exclusive access to the new recording and production space featuring a Mac Studio desktop equipped with Logic Pro, Ableton Live, FL Studio and much more.
Combine Music Production with Another Major
Students in the Music Production major have room to add another major or one or even two minors. The many options include Film & Television (DIFT) as a second major and Business, Innovation and/or DIFT as minors.
Graduate With Honors
Are you looking for an academic challenge? The University Scholars Honors Program offers incoming students a more challenging curriculum and close support from professors while completing their undergraduate degree. Acceptance into the program is highly selective and includes a $2000 travel grant.
Music Production Major at Xavier University
Xavier’s Music Production program combines traditional music learning (theory, history, and musicianship) with courses in technology that teach students to create, record, and process music for today’s digital environment.
Xavier University’s College of Arts and Sciences challenges students to develop an integrated understanding of humanity, the world, and God by pursuing the questions raised in Xavier's core and departmental curricula. The College of Arts and Sciences is the oldest and largest college at Xavier University. The college provides an excellent liberal arts education in the Jesuit tradition that prepares students for careers, professional or graduate school, and life in a global society.
Xavier University is a private university located in Cincinnati, Ohio, providing a liberal arts education in the Jesuit Catholic tradition. Founded in 1831, the University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation. It has been ranked among the top 10 master's-level universities in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report for the past two decades. The Princeton Review names it one of the "Best 385 Colleges in America."