I stumbled on this program last week and want to share them with you! Music courses for college credit can be hard to find, and these are taught by Grammy Award winners James Fauntleroy and Larrance Dopson. The program is mainly in person, but they offer 6 online courses, all ACE evaluated for 1 college credit each: Music Production, Songwriting, Music Business, Artist Branding, Mixing, and Engineering.
1500 SOUND ACADEMY
“1500 Sound Academy is a trailblazing music education institution that strives to produce passionate sound creators through mentorship, a positive mindset, and professional development.
Our state-of-the-art music school in Los Angeles offers comprehensive courses in music production, mixing, songwriting, musicianship, business management, entrepreneurship, and Artist Branding to aspiring professionals.
1500 Sound Academy’s founders consist of the legendary musical ensemble, 1500 or Nothin’ – James Fauntleroy and Larrance “Rance” Dopson. Both are Grammy award-winning industry leaders who have worked with many high-profile artists, including Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Nipsey Hussle, and Justin Timberlake. Twila True is a renowned entrepreneur, executive, and philanthropist.”
http://www.1500soundacademy.com
1500 Sound Academy offers a virtual OPEN HOUSE every month. Open to anyone. The next event is MAY 31, 2023 at 4pm PACIFIC TIME Register here: https://www.1500soundacademy.com/pages/events
The companies/organizations in this category sell courses “for college credit” that have been evaluated by the American Council on Education (ACE). ACE credit is not as transferable as credit earned directly through a college, but can be very transferable when used with the intention of transferring to one of the partner colleges. ACE is a third party credit evaluator that evaluates all types of learning that happens outside of a college. This kind of college credit is guaranteed to transfer into partner colleges (varies by provider) but transfers poorly outside of partnerships.
Using ACE credit requires creating an account with another third party, Credly to “hold” your teen’s credit until they’re ready to use it. HS4CC List of ACE Partners
| Title | ACE ID | Start Date | End Date | Total Recommended Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artist Branding | SOUND-0006 | 07/01/2022 | 06/30/2025 | 1 |
| Engineering | SOUND-0002 | 07/01/2022 | 06/30/2025 | 1 |
| Mixing | SOUND-0004 | 07/01/2022 | 06/30/2025 | 1 |
| Music Business | SOUND-0005 | 07/01/2022 | 06/30/2025 | 1 |
| Music Production | SOUND-0001 | 07/01/2022 | 06/30/2025 | 1 |
| Songwriting | SOUND-0003 | 07/01/2022 | 06/30/2025 | 1 |
These courses are taught 3 different ways, each offering different tuition rates.
On-Campus Program (for high school graduates/GED only)
Our six-month music program helps develop the skills you need to succeed in all aspects of the music entertainment business. Gain access to a wide range of innovative strategies and digital tools required to thrive at our music school. Our courses are taught by artists currently practicing in the industry. Enroll in our Music & Industry Fundamentals program today.
Classes held in California in-person from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
$12,500 when enrolled in Full Program (6 Courses)
$2,250 per Course
Live Online (open to anyone)
Our Live Online Music & Industry Fundamentals Program offers online music classes taught by an On-Campus Instructor in a virtual classroom setting—that means courses are in real-time, yet virtually, in the comfort of your home.
$8,640 when enrolled in Full Program (6 Courses)
$1,800 per Course
On Demand Online (open to anyone)
1500 Sound Academy’s On-Demand music courses online are here to help you learn at your own pace and hone your skills to a professional level at your convenience. You can take part in our music production courses online, globally, at home, on the go, or anywhere–you just need access to the internet! We offer a wide range of online courses for music production, engineering, mixing, and more. Each course contains approximately 10 hours of pre-recorded video content and is designed to offer flexibility to be completed on your own time.
6 course bundle – $3,000
Individual Course – $549.00
ARTIST BRANDING
Lower-Division Baccalaureate, 1 credit, Music Marketing (4 weeks)
Upon completing the course, the student will be able to create a brand strategy for a musical artist; create audio and music for video; understand music distribution best practices; explore social media marketing avenues, and display social negotiation and pitch methods in professional settings
Learning Outcomes:
Identify personal artist brand and image
Create album or song cover art
Adhere to standard music distribution practices
Recognize various social media strategies for marketing
Employ professional interaction techniques
MUSIC BUSINESS
Lower-Division Baccalaureate, 1 credit, Introduction to Music Business (4 weeks)
Upon the completion of the course, the student will be able to register an original song with a performance rights organization; file a DBA application with the state of California Franchise Tax Board; register a musical copyright with the United States Copyright Office; create a songwriter split sheet, and distribute a song on popular streaming services.
Learning Outcomes:
Compose and maintain an account with a performing rights organization
Create a business entity for managing music commercial transactions
Strategically create and register copyrights for effective legal protection
Negotiate and record collaborative songwriting split agreements
Prepare and distribute song deliverables for streaming services
AUDIO ENGINEERING
Lower-Division Baccalaureate, 1 credit, Introduction to Audio Engineering
Upon the completion of the course, the student will be able to record a vocalist or instrumentalist in Pro Tools; create a vocal template in Pro Tools; understand the fundamentals of vocal production; tune vocals using Melodyne and Auto-Tune; edit audio in Pro Tools, and use automation in Pro Tools.
Learning Outcomes:
Select the gear and components for a home or project studio
Recognize various microphone types and polar patterns
Process vocal tracks using dynamic and time-based effects
Understand gain staging and fundamental recording techniques
Recite engineering terminology and begin using the vocabulary terms and split audio clips in Pro Tools
Automate volume faders to level a vocal in Pro Tools
SONG WRITING
Lower-Division Baccalaureate, 1 credit, Introduction to Songwriting
Upon completing the course, the student will be able to define essential parts of song structure; write lyrics for various parts of a song’s structure; apply songwriting etiquette best practices; create visual imagery lyrics, and write songs from a storytelling perspective.
Learning Outcomes:
Write words for melodic top-line ideas
Demonstrate use of rhythmic patterns to create movement in lyrics
Identify memorable lyrics and melodies
Reinforce a “phrase that pays” lyrical line
Employ the use of relative major and minor chords
MUSIC PRODUCTION
Lower-Division Baccalaureate, 1 credit, Introduction to Music Production
Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to Select and augment sounds for music composition; compose music tracks using major scales and diatonic chord progressions; locate and organize samples for music production; sequence drum tracks on a musical grid, and arrange and export music tracks
Learning Outcomes:
Understand workflow techniques in Ableton Live
Identify major scales, triads, and chord progressions
Collect and organize samples in Ableton Live
Compose a track including a harmonically accurate melody within a chord progression
Design and export tracks/stems in Ableton Live
MIXING
Lower-Division Baccalaureate, 1 credit, Introduction to Mixing
Upon the completion of the course, the student will be able to understand the mixing process; import a multi-track into Pro Tools; automate track and plug-in parameters; use compression, equalization, and limiting in a mastering context; and deliver mastered files to a collaborator or client.
Learning Outcomes:
Apply dynamic, time-based, saturation, and distortion effects
Understand side chains and ducking
Automate track and plug-in parameters
Bounce the appropriate versions of a mix
Create stems
High School Credit Recommendations
All 6 courses taken over 2 semesters (1 year) would yield 1 high school credit.
Scholarships
For those who would like to attend live/ in-person on campus in California, there are a limited number of scholarships available. https://www.1500soundacademy.com/pages/scholarship
