Craig Brandwein

Assistant Professor, University of Alabama, Birmingham

Instrumental Methods Classes as a Model for Music Technology Pedagogy

I have designed and implemented a program to include a “Hands – On Practical” experience in Audio Post Production during the course plan of a degree in Music Technology. With all of the content being developed, I believe that there is and will continue to be a market for certain skill sets that are an extension to Music Technology such as the need for competencies in Sound design, ADR, Foley, dialog editing and mixing. This is a crucial skill set of what can be expected of a graduate in Music Technology. I will demonstrate the infusion of some of these additional skills that are very easily introduced into an existing curriculum and engages students to immediately apply the concepts of the already learned knowledge of a DAW and to new situations that will arise with the evolution of the technology. In addition to using their skills for music composition and programing, they will also be able to apply the same concepts to understanding the language of video editing, CODECS, and Audio Post Production. This additional knowledge will have an impact on their projected income and placement in the industry. For a student to be introduced to this area of the technology can only increase their chances of employment in the field.

The presentation will be enhanced with video examples of work by the students in class as well as examples of films that have been distributed worldwide that students assisted on with location audio and full post-production.

In addition to using Pro-Tools® as a DAW for recording and mixing music, I will also introduce how we can use the DAW to work with sound design.

An extension of the above, I will also include a presentation on the use of MIDI along with traditional instruments. This is also part of the “Hands – On Practical” approach to the new course plans and the techniques of teaching this technology.

BIO

Prof. Craig Brandwein is an Assistant Professor of Music Technology at the University of Alabama, Birmingham. Previously, he was an Associate Professor of Audio Production and Design at Living Arts College in Raleigh, North Carolina. He has been in the music business for over 40 years as an accomplished musician, composer, writer, producer and engineer. Craig has written and produced music for various artists, such as the late Lynn Anderson. He has composed music for Network Television, (CBS, NBC & ABC), Corporate Clients as well as Musical Theatre.

In 2010, he received an Emmy TM nomination for music composition and arranging, as well as in 2011 a TellyTM Award and a 2012 “People’s Choice” TellyTM Award for a promotional video. He co-produced the “Sing With Max” album, which has earned a Mom’s Choice Award and Dove Foundation Seal of Approval. He is also a voting member of NARAS (Grammys.)

He has scored music for film and television, his credits include Composer and Music & Sound Supervisor. As a film producer, Craig has been a key element on such films as “We Remember,” a Holocaust survivor DVD; “Destiny Road; “Changeover”, Union Bound; and Producer and music director for “Max & Wrigley.