SUU Launches Music Technology Master’s Degree
Published: March 30, 2016 | Author: Tommy Gugino | Read Time: 2 minutes
As the music industry continues to expand, Southern Utah University remains at the forefront of innovation. Beginning in the summer of 2016, SUU will launch a new Master of Music degree in music technology. SUU is the first university in the state to offer a music technology master’s degree and the first in the country to offer such a program online.
According to Steven Meredith, SUU’s director of choral activities and music technology, this degree will allow students more flexibility in the job market.
“The main theme of this degree is that there are not many music jobs where you sit in a cubicle from 9 to 5. The program is designed to show student how to combine three or four different income streams and create a career from it," he said.
In recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, musician employment from 2012-2022 is expected to grow 5 percent while broadcast and sound engineering technicians’ employment is expected to grow 9 percent all due to digital downloads and new emerging music technology.
In his article, “The Coming Melt-Down in Music Higher Education,” music educator and critic David Cutler of the Duquesne University Center for Music Entrepreneurship Studies suggests that a music technology focus might be critical to the future of music education in general.
“As we have witnessed in the recording, automobile and housing sectors, past formulas for success may not last forever,” said Cutler. “Industries that fail to adapt to current realities are often unsustainable…over the coming decades, the music schools that thrive will be those that differentiate their offerings, cultivate entrepreneurial leaders, and best prepare students for professional realities.”
The Master of Music degree in Music Technology is a project-based program designed for musicians who wish to use technology to enhance and expand their current skillset as a performer, educator, composer or technician. All students enroll in core courses in music technology, and then choose a study track - - Performance Technology or Studio Technology. The degree consists of 30-credits, all offered online, and includes regular interaction with other students, and instructors who are working music technology professionals.
Those who are interested in this program should visit our website or contact SUU at 435-865-8665 or onlineadmissions@suu.edu.
Contact Information:
435-586-5400
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