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New degree track in composition and technology debuts this fall

Beginning in fall of 2020, the Auburn University Department of Music will be offering a brand-new degree track in composition and technology. This highly innovative program welcomes students interested in instrumental and vocal composition, video game and film scoring, as well as songwriting and beat making.

The composition and technology degree includes instruction in ear training, music theory, music history and piano skills, and provides the opportunity to perform in a wide array of highly celebrated AU ensembles.

The upper-level coursework features a large variety of industry related topics including audio engineering, advanced digital audio workstations (DAW) operations, virtual instrument orchestration and electronic music history. These courses were developed to prepare students to become lifelong learners in the ever-changing world of music technology and studio production.

Lee Johnson, director of composition and technology at Auburn University, is an active symphonic and crossover composer. He brings decades of experience in training and preparing students for their place in the modern music industry.

Johnson’s students hold a wide-array of positions in the music industry including scoring for network television and feature films, teaching and administrating at leading universities, as well as producing for themselves and other artists throughout the music industry—including students who have won Grammys for their work.

According to Johnson, one of the most exciting features of the composition and technology degree is that it will attract and engage students from a wide variety of musical backgrounds.

“The stylistic pursuits recognized and supported in this degree will run the gamut of the music industry. Symphonic, instrumental, and choral composers will be studying alongside songwriters, electronic musicians, and beat makers,” Johnson said.

Students in composition and technology will be provided with in-depth instruction and production experiences, which include virtual and hi-tech audio and studio techniques. In addition, majors will have a wide-range of experiences with live musicians and ensembles on the concert stage and in the recording studio environment.

For more information about this program, please contact:

Lee Johnson, Professor
128 Goodwin Music Building
Phone: 334-844-3167
Email: lej0030@auburn.edu

Tags: Students Arts and Culture Music