Five years after its implementation, the minor in music technology has proven to be very successful. Its creator, Dr. Christopher Hopkins, and music department advisor Kevin Judge have witnessed high enrollment and completion of the required coursework supporting its popularity among students.
The program is designed to help students creatively apply the use of technology in areas such as sound editing, processing, programing computer based musical instrument interfaces, synthesis techniques and electronic music composition.
This minor has appealed to students outside of the music department as well according to advisor Kevin Judge.
“The minor in music technology is a popular minor, especially with students who are currently taking computer science and-or electrical engineering courses. There are many classes that overlap in these two disciplines that allow students to graduate with a minor in music technology without taking too many more credits,” Judge said.
Darren Hushak, Iowa State graduate of 2014, was a double major in electrical engineering and computer engineering as well as a double minor in music and music technology. Hushak’s experience with the minor wasn’t what he initially thought it would be but it led him to areas of study that he was unaware about.
“I went into it thinking I’d learn how to record rock bands by the end of it. It wasn’t exactly the studio arts minor I thought it would be, but rather a series synthesis design and electronic music composition courses,” said Hushak.
“Ultimately, however, it gave me a much deeper understanding of digital audio and ways to manipulate it that furthered my mixing and recording abilities in ways I couldn’t have thought of. In short, I really didn’t know what I didn’t know,” Hushak said.
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