Music Production
Program Details
Music production is a concentration within the Bachelor of Arts in Music degree that teaches students the technology needed to create, record and process music for today’s digital environment.
The music production major offers each student an internship at a recording studio, a dedicated production space and leaves room for a second major or several minors. Ensemble options include Rock Band and Laptop Orchestra and private lessons include songwriting, rap and music production.
Click here for information on Scholarships and Auditions.
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
Xavier is known for providing an education that's both challenging and personal. Here are some courses that are part of the Production concentration of the Music BA major at Xavier:
GarageBand, Logic & More (MUSC127) - Introduction to hardware and software related to electronic music production, with a focus on music sequencing and digital recording.
Audio Production (DIFT 340) – Introduction to digital sound editing and special effects for film and television.
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.
Student Clubs
The following clubs are popular choices for music students:
The Xavier Hip Hop Collective
This club is dedicated to promoting cultural awareness of Hip Hop by educating members on its fundamental elements and rich historical foundation. It represents a social gathering of individuals dedicated to the pursuit and creative expression of this art form.
A caBellas
These singers are a close-knit group of students who love performing a cappella music on and off campus. They sing a variety of songs ranging from old classics to pop music. According to their mission statement, their goal is to "empower each other to be our best both in rehearsal and out of rehearsal. Each of us bring something unique to the group and when we sing we blend as if we are one voice."
Harmon-X
Harmon-X is an a cappella group whose mission is to bring high-quality music to campus and beyond. Members practice three times a week for performances on campus and within the Cincinnati community.
Career Outcomes
98% of Xavier students, including those in the music production major, are working, volunteering or in graduate school within six months of graduating (Class of 2021).
Career Opportunities: Designer, Marketing Manager, Artistic Fellow, Compact Utility Sales Specialist, Creative Content Developer, Equipment Manager, Executive Trainee
Top Companies for Graduates: Cincinnati Art Museum, College Hill Coffee, Public Communications Inc, St. Joseph Worker Program West, GE Aviation, News America Marketing, Boy Scouts of America
Take the Next Step
Real-World Experience Through Studio Internships
Music production majors gain professional experience by completing an internship at the Music Resource Center (MRC), 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.
Dedicated Production Space in the Music Building
In addition to the regular music lab, Music production majors 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 or two minors
Music Production majors 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, Entrepreneurship & 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."