Music Production & DJ Performance Diploma

Program Overview

Point Blank LA's 12-month Music Production & DJ Performance Diploma prepares students for various roles in the music industry. Delivered in person with industry-leading technology, this program combines classes on DJ skills, music production, musicianship, and sound design, with exclusive masterclasses and networking opportunities. Students benefit from personalized instruction in small classes and the latest industry tech, ensuring they develop the skills and knowledge to launch a successful music career.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

Our 12-month Music Production & DJ Performance Diploma will prepare you for a variety of roles including music producer, mixing engineer, sound designer/editor, video game or film music composer, artist/performer, resident/touring DJ, A&R/label manager, and many more. You will learn a broad range of skills from music fundamentals to creative and advanced production techniques, sound design, beatmaking, DJ performance, mixing and remixing, VJ skills, and live electronic music performance. This course is designed and taught by industry professionals who have decades of experience working in the music industry and know what it takes for you to make it as a successful professional. For an accelerated 9-month program, click Enroll Now and choose the more rigorous "Intensive Format" in Step 1. You will be learning on the latest industry tech including Ableton Live, Push, Logic Pro, NI Komplete, Roland Cloud, and Pioneer DJ gear such as the CDJ-3000, DJM-V10, CDJ-2000NXS, XDJ-XZ, RMX-1000, and more. All students enrolling in this course will receive a copy of the Ableton Live 11 Suite or Apple Logic Pro X software valued at $749 and $199 respectively. You’ll also attend exclusive masterclasses from the likes of Mark de Clive-Lowe, Laura Escude (Jay Z, Kanye West), Daddy Kev (Low End Theory) and Jimmy Mac (Lorde). Spaces are limited to 16 students per class, so Enroll Now to guarantee your spot! Point Blank offers exclusive features and partner discounts to students in our LA School.

Outline:

Duration:

1 Year or 9 Months

Available start dates:

• 2024: July 8 (Limited availability), September 30 (Limited availability), January 13, April 14, July 14

Weekly timetable:

Three to four 4-hour classes per week for 3 to 4 terms. Daytime, evening & weekend class sessions available. Contact us for more details.

Modules:

Term 1

• Course 1: DJ Skills - Level 1
• This course provides students with a strong foundation across a range of DJ skills.
• Develop a solid knowledge of music theory within the context of spinning tunes.
• Essential DJ Skills will help you develop the knowhow and confidence to play live in the genre of your choice.
• A wide range of the latest DJ equipment is available in Point Blank's Pioneer DJ studio so you can familiarize yourself with the kind of set-ups most venues have.
• Students receive plenty of one-to-one support from the instructor while working on practical tasks.
• The course also introduces the specialist DJ software Rekordbox and gives students an overview of the powerful features it offers.
• Topics Covered: Equipment Overview, Cueing, Drop Mixing, Analog Turntables, Beat Matching, Equalization, Transforming, Back to Back Mixing, Rekordbox (Export Mode), Music File Formats, Programming Mixes, Recording a Mix
• Course 2: One of the following modules:
• Music Production: Ableton Live
• This course gives students a thorough grounding in essential music production skills in Ableton Live.
• Topics Covered: Introduction to Ableton Live, MIDI & Making Beats, Melody & Harmony, Audio Warping, Recording & Editing, Audio Effects & Controllers, Push, Introduction to the Instruments, Sampling, Track Arrangement & Automation, Mixing Tools: EQ & Compression, Finalizing the Mix, Live's Extended Capabilities
• Music Production: Logic Pro
• This course gives students a thorough grounding in essential music production skills in Logic Pro.
• Topics Covered: Logic X Overview, Drum Programming, Drummer & MIDI Editing, Drum Machine Designer & Drum Synth, Music Basics & MIDI Effects, Virtual Instruments & Other Features in Logic X, Audio Processing & Quick Sampler, Flex Time & Flex Pitch, Live Loops & Step Sequencer, Creating Parts & Structure, Mixing & Final Mixdown, Apple Certified Pro Exam
• Course 3: Musicianship for Producers - Level 1
• Gain confidence in your musicianship as a producer by mastering the most fundamental aspects of ear training, reading and writing music notation, and recognizing and becoming fluent in the building blocks of music.
• Topics Covered: Ear Training, Reading Music Notation, Major & Minor Scales, Movable Do Solfege, Circle of Fifths, Key Signatures, Intervals & Melodies, Chords & Inversions, Aural Recognition, Dictation/Transcription, Focus on Major Keys, Relative & Parallel Keys, Transposition, Rhythm & Meter, Tempo & Subdivision
• Course 4: Piano Keyboard Skills - Level 1
• Gain confidence in the most fundamental techniques for writing and performing music at the piano keyboard, including scales, chords, melody, harmony, sight-reading, and more.
• Topics Covered: Musicianship Fundamentals, Keyboard Techniques, Harmony & Theory, Scales & Intervals, Key Signatures & Transposing, Melodies & Phrasing, Rhythm & Tempo, Sight-reading Notation, Major & Minor Keys, Interval & Chord Inversions, Chord Types & Voicings, Reading & Writing Chord Progressions

Term 2

• Course 5: DJ Skills - Level 2
• You can add to your live set skills with looping, cue points, and basic Turntablism principles.
• You will develop an understanding of the recording and editing process using a DAW such as Ableton.
• Topics Covered: Harmonic Mixing, Looping, Hot Cues, Finger Drumming, Creative Use of Effects, External Effect Units, Acapella Mixing, Digital DJ Tricks, Basic Scratching Techniques, Beat Juggling, Creating DJ Drops/Idents, Producing a Radio Mix
• Course 6: Beatmaking
• This course establishes strong fundamental skills for making beats in Ableton Live.
• Topics Covered: Rhythm Fundamentals & Kit Building, Beatmaking in Hip Hop, House & Techno, Jungle & Dubstep, Pop, Indie, & Singer-Songwriter, Sampling Audio, Manipulating Audio, EQ & Dynamics, Automation & Song Structuring, Mixing Beats, Exporting Backing Tracks, Publishing & Monetizing Your Beats
• Course 7: Musicianship for Producers - Level 2
• Go further with your musicianship skills, including chord extensions, voice leading, progressive sight-reading, chord progressions, musical analysis, and more.
• Topics Covered: Seventh & Sixth Chords, Extended Harmony, Chord Voicings, Voice-Leading, Compound Intervals, Progressive Ear Training, Sight-Reading Skill Building, Seventh & Sixth Chords, Transcribing Chord Progressions, Focus on Minor Keys, Progressive Dictation/Transcription, Progressive Rhythm Training, Blue Notes, Modes, Exotic Scales
• Course 8: Piano Keyboard Skills - Level 2
• Go further with your creative musical skills at the piano keyboard, including exotic scales, extended chords, melodic articulation, voice-leading, sight-reading, and more.
• Topics Covered: All-Around Musicianship, Progressive Keyboard Techniques, Extended Harmony & Chord Voicings, Improvisation, Transposing Full Songs, Modes & Exotic Scales, Voice-Leading & Arrangement, Sight-reading Lead Sheets, Touch, Dynamic, & Ornamentation, Slash Chords & Bass Motion, Seventh Chords, Writing Harmonies & Singable Melodies

Term 3

• Course 9: DJ Skills - Level 3
• This course digs deeper in to a range of digital DJ software applications and performance hardware.
• You will develop an advanced knowledge of the various digital vinyl systems on offer as well as a range of hardware DJ devices.
• Topics Covered: Rekordbox DJ, Sampling & Sequencing, Remixing, Advanced Scratch Techniques, Serato DJ, DJ Performance Hardware, Video Mixing, Finger Drumming Techniques, Traktor Pro, Promotion Tips, Preparing For Live Shows, Final Performance
• Course 10: Art of Mixing
• Point Blank's Art of Mixing course reveals how to mix audio from start to finish.
• Topics Covered: The Mixing Environment & Critical Listening, Hardware & Plug-ins, Starting a Mix, Controlling Dynamics, EQ & Separation in the Mix, Reverb, Space & Depth, Echos, Delays & Related Effects, Creative Mixing, Mixing Vocals, The Mix Process, Final Mix, Basic Mastering
• Course 11: Music Composition
• This course shifts the focus from the technical to the musical elements within your track.
• Topics Covered: Music & Time, Rhythm & Beats, Harmony 1, Melodies & Creating Riffs, Basslines, Hooks, Harmony 2, Structure & Arrangement, Applying Vocals, Finishing Tracks, Creative Tactics & Workflow, Intro to Copyright & Publishing

Term 4

• Course 12: Production Styles
• This course breaks down your favorite artists' music so you can understand how it was made.
Culture, Underground Pop Music, Dance Music Now, Critical Listening
• Course 13: Creative Production & Remix
• This course is all about getting your music out into the real world and competing with other talented producers.
• Topics Covered: Remix Analysis, Extended & Creative Edits, Writing & Arranging Vocals, Advanced Drum Programming, Isolating Vocals, Working with Parts & Stems, Sampling & Resampling, Creative Effects & Automation, Versioning, Mixdown & Automation, Remix Challenge, Remixing as Composition
• Course 14: Sound Design
• Sound Design is where you get to grips with your creative potential through the use of cutting-edge music software.
• Topics Covered: Introduction to Sound, Subtractive Synthesis, Wavetable Synthesis, Frequency Modulation Synthesis, Creating Multi-Sample Patches, Sampling & Drum Design, Processing & Layering, Resampling, Intro to Reaktor, Reconstructing Patches, Using Reaktor as an Effects Plugin, Synthesis with Absynth

Teaching:

• Instructors: The program features a diverse and experienced faculty including dela Moon, Adal Jamil, Mecha, DJ ShanLynn, DJ Morsecode, Sweatson Klank, and more.
• Teaching Methods: This program is designed and taught by industry professionals who have decades of experience working in the music industry.
• Unique Approaches: The program provides exclusive masterclasses from industry professionals.
• Learning Environment: The program is delivered in person at our brand-new campus in LA's Miracle Mile neighborhood.
You will be learning on the latest industry tech.
• Student to Instructor Ratio: Spaces are limited to 16 students per class, ensuring personalized attention and guidance.

Careers:

• Career Paths: The program prepares students for a variety of roles in the music industry, including music producer, mixing engineer, sound designer/editor, video game or film music composer, artist/performer, resident/touring DJ, A&R/label manager, and more.
• Outcomes: The program provides students with the skills and knowledge to launch a successful career in music.
• Students have access to their own fully-equipped workstation in class and during their practical studio work outside of class time.
• Point Blank provides student discounts from leading industry partners including Apple, Ableton, Pioneer, Native Instruments, Serato, Izotope, Waves, and more.
• The program is designed to help you create your own signature sound and open up a world of possibilities in music for you.