The Bachelor of Music in Recording Arts and Sciences program is designed to meet the expanding need for skilled audio technicians, producers, and engineers who possess both technical expertise and a sophisticated knowledge of music. Frequently taken as a double major program, the Bachelor of Music in Recording Arts combines an applied performance or a composition major with a technical education in recording technology. Relevant studies in electrical engineering, math, science, and computer science are taken at the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and the Whiting School of Engineering of The Johns Hopkins University on the Homewood campus.
Program Requirements
The Recording Arts curriculum includes extensive practical experience, in styles ranging from jazz, rock, and popular music to classical, opera, chamber, choral, and orchestral. In addition to regular laboratory sessions with live musical groups of all styles, students serve as recording engineers for all Peabody performances, including providing the audio feed for those events being streamed live. All recording majors are expected to work in the recording studios throughout the course of their enrollment as part of the College Work Study program. Following their third year, students complete an internship with a company or individual specializing in the area of the industry in which they intend to pursue a career following graduation.
For common requirements, please see the Bachelor of Music Degree page.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major Area | ||
| PY.020.100 | Minor Lesson 1 Hour (2 Semesters (4)) | 4 |
| PY.910.xxx | Large Ensemble | 4 |
| The Breakthrough Curriculum | ||
| PY.123.111 | Exploring Arts Careers | 1 |
| PY.123.311 | Building a Brand and Portfolio | 2 |
| PY.123.312 | Pitching Your Creative Idea (UG) | 2 |
| Supportive Courses in Music | ||
| PY.715.123 & PY.715.124 & PY.715.223 & PY.715.224 | Ear Training 1 and Ear Training 2 and Ear Training 3 and Ear Training 4 | 8 |
| PY.715.155 & PY.715.156 | Keyboard Studies 1 and Keyboard Studies 2 | 4 |
| Advanced Keyboard Studies (Classical or Jazz Requirements) | 4 | |
| PY.710.111 | Theory 1 | 3 |
| PY.710.112 | Theory 2 | 3 |
| PY.710.211 | Theory 3 | 3 |
| Advanced Theory (Classical or Jazz Requirements) | 9 | |
| PY.610.210 | Introduction to Musicology | 3 |
| PY.610.215 | Western Art Music, 1600-1950 | 3 |
| PY.610.3xx | Topics in Musicology (Intro and WAM as pre-requisites) | 6 |
| General Studies | ||
| PY.260.115 | Core 1 | 3 |
| PY.260.216 | Core 2 | 3 |
| AS.110.108 & AS.110.109 | Calculus I (Physical Sciences & Engineering) and Calculus II (For Physical Sciences and Engineering) (KSAS) | 8 |
| AS.171.101 & AS.171.102 | General Physics: Physical Science Major I and General Physics: Physical Science Major II (KSAS) | 8 |
| PY.260.xxx | Liberal Arts Electives | 3 |
| Recording Arts Courses | ||
| PY.550.111 & PY.550.112 & PY.550.211 & PY.550.212 | Recording 1a - Fundamentals and Recording 1b - Fundamentals and Recording 2a - Studio Technology and Recording 2b - Studio Technology | 8 |
| PY.550.311 & PY.550.312 & PY.550.411 & PY.550.412 | Recording 3a - Classical/Jazz Techniques and Recording 3b - Classical/Jazz Mixing and Editing and Recording 4a - Rock/Pop Techniques and Recording 4b - Rock/Pop Mixing and Editing | 10 |
| EN.520.137 | First Year ECE Design | 4 |
| EN.520.230 | Mastering Electronics | 3 |
| EN.520.231 | Mastering Electronics Laboratory | 2 |
| PY.550.515 | Musical Acoustics | 3 |
| PY.550.624 | Architectural Acoustics 1 | 3 |
| PY.550.517 | Psychoacoustics | 3 |
| PY.550.419 | Recording Internship | 4 |
| PY.710.412 | Instrumentation & Arranging | 3 |
| or PY.710.413 | Orchestration 1 | |
| Professional Electives | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 133 | |
Double Majors
The major in Recording Arts and Science may be combined with the following majors: Composition, Computer Music, Guitar, Jazz Performance, Orchestral Instruments, and Piano. Other combinations are not permitted.
The following changes to the above list apply to students who double major:
- Minor Lessons are replaced by the Major Lessons.
- Students follow the Theory, Ear Training, Keyboard Studies, and Musicology requirements of their applied music major (e.g., Composition majors follow the classical music sequences and Jazz Pianists follow the jazz sequences in those areas).
- Calculus and Physics satisfy Liberal Arts credits for both majors.
- PY.550.515 (Musical Acoustics) and PY.710.412 (Instrumentation and Arranging) are waived. Composers must still take Orchestration for their Composition major.
- Three credits of Professional Electives are required rather than six.
To aid clarity, a Double Major Sample Program is provided. In this sample program, all double counting courses and all waived courses have been removed. Only the additional Recording Arts classes are given. Students should follow their applied major's sample plan and add the appropriate Recording Arts courses.
Double majoring adds 40 credits to the applied music major. Although the Double Major Sample Plan shows 56 credits, Calculus and Physics count as Liberal Arts electives for the applied major.
Recording Arts + Performance: Computer Music
Studio Techniques and Mixing Electronic Music under the Computer Music major are waived.
Sample Program of Study
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Credits | |
| PY.715.123 | Ear Training 1 | 2 |
| PY.020.100 | Minor Lesson 1 Hour | 2 |
| PY.715.155 | Keyboard Studies 1 | 2 |
| PY.710.111 | Theory 1 | 3 |
| PY.550.111 | Recording 1a - Fundamentals | 2 |
| PY.260.115 | Core 1 | 3 |
| AS.110.108 | Calculus I (Physical Sciences & Engineering) (KSAS) | 4 |
| Credits | 18 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| PY.020.100 | Minor Lesson 1 Hour | 2 |
| PY.715.124 | Ear Training 2 | 2 |
| PY.715.156 | Keyboard Studies 2 | 2 |
| PY.710.112 | Theory 2 | 3 |
| PY.550.112 | Recording 1b - Fundamentals | 2 |
| PY.260.216 | Core 2 | 3 |
| AS.110.109 | Calculus II (For Physical Sciences and Engineering) (KSAS) | 4 |
| Credits | 18 | |
| Second Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| PY.910.xxx | Large Ensemble | 2 |
| PY.123.111 | Exploring Arts Careers (may be taken fall or spring semester) | 1 |
| PY.715.223 | Ear Training 3 | 2 |
| PY.710.211 | Theory 3 | 3 |
| PY.715.255 | Keyboard Studies 3 (or Jazz Keyboard Studies 1) | 2 |
| PY.550.211 | Recording 2a - Studio Technology | 2 |
| AS.171.101 | General Physics: Physical Science Major I (KSAS) | 4 |
| PY.610.210 | Introduction to Musicology | 3 |
| Credits | 19 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| PY.910.xxx | Large Ensemble | 2 |
| PY.715.224 | Ear Training 4 (or Jazz Ear Training 1) | 2 |
| PY.710.3xx | Topics in Music Theory | 3 |
| PY.715.256 | Keyboard Studies 4 (or Jazz Keyboard Studies 2) | 2 |
| PY.550.212 | Recording 2b - Studio Technology | 2 |
| AS.171.102 | General Physics: Physical Science Major II (KSAS) | 4 |
| PY.610.215 | Western Art Music, 1600-1950 | 3 |
| Credits | 18 | |
| Third Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| PY.123.311 | Building a Brand and Portfolio | 2 |
| PY.710.3xx | Topics in Music Theory | 3 |
| PY.610.3xx | Topics in Musicology | 3 |
| PY.550.311 | Recording 3a - Classical/Jazz Techniques | 2 |
| PY.550.515 | Musical Acoustics | 3 |
| Liberal Arts Electives PY.260.xxx | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| PY.123.312 | Pitching Your Creative Idea (UG) | 2 |
| PY.710.450 | Music Theory Capstone | 3 |
| PY.610.3xx | Topics in Musicology | 3 |
| PY.550.312 | Recording 3b - Classical/Jazz Mixing and Editing | 2 |
| EN.520.137 | First Year ECE Design | 4 |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| PY.550.411 | Recording 4a - Rock/Pop Techniques | 3 |
| EN.520.230 | Mastering Electronics | 3 |
| EN.520.231 | Mastering Electronics Laboratory | 2 |
| PY.550.517 | Psychoacoustics | 3 |
| PY.550.624 | Architectural Acoustics 1 | 3 |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| PY.550.412 | Recording 4b - Rock/Pop Mixing and Editing | 3 |
| PY.550.419 | Recording Internship | 4 |
| PY.710.412 | Instrumentation & Arranging | 3 |
| Professional Electives | 6 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Total Credits | 133 | |
If double majoring, the following courses should be added each semester to the principal major's sample program. The fourth year contains a high number of credits. Moving one or two courses from either major's fourth year to an earlier semester may be useful.
Calculus and Physics count as 16 credits of Liberal Arts electives.
Double Major Sample Program of Study
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Credits | |
| PY.550.111 | Recording 1a - Fundamentals | 2 |
| AS.110.108 | Calculus I (Physical Sciences & Engineering) (KSAS) | 4 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| PY.550.112 | Recording 1b - Fundamentals | 2 |
| AS.110.109 | Calculus II (For Physical Sciences and Engineering) (KSAS) | 4 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Second Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| PY.550.211 | Recording 2a - Studio Technology | 2 |
| AS.171.101 | General Physics: Physical Science Major I (KSAS) | 4 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| PY.550.212 | Recording 2b - Studio Technology | 2 |
| AS.171.102 | General Physics: Physical Science Major II (KSAS) | 4 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Third Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| PY.550.624 | Architectural Acoustics 1 | 3 |
| PY.550.311 | Recording 3a - Classical/Jazz Techniques | 2 |
| Credits | 5 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| PY.550.312 | Recording 3b - Classical/Jazz Mixing and Editing | 2 |
| EN.520.137 | First Year ECE Design | 4 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| PY.550.411 | Recording 4a - Rock/Pop Techniques | 3 |
| EN.520.230 | Mastering Electronics | 3 |
| EN.520.231 | Mastering Electronics Laboratory | 2 |
| PY.550.517 | Psychoacoustics | 3 |
| Credits | 11 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| PY.550.412 | Recording 4b - Rock/Pop Mixing and Editing | 3 |
| PY.550.419 | Recording Internship | 4 |
| Professional Electives | 3 | |
| Credits | 10 | |
| Total Credits | 56 | |