News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Tennessee Tech’s Music and Engineering Departments have partnered to offer a new Live Audio Engineering and Technology Degree.
School of Music Director Colin Hill said the degree is the first of its kind in the United States. Hill said with the degree students will learn how to coordinate audio for live events such as concerts and sporting events. Hill said the university implemented the program as they are seeing a big shift in the audio engineering industry.
“There’s a lot more jobs now in the live audio versus the recording studio industry and that’s mostly due to a change in things like YouTube or Spotify where people really stream a lot of their music for free and they don’t buy albums like the way they used to.”
Hill said the university is partnering with some of the top leaders in the live audio industry such as Bridgestone Arena and Claire Global. Hill said the partnerships will play a vital role in the success of the program.
“I think it is hugely important you know that one the degree that we are creating is current and then again that is meeting the needs of potential employers of our graduates,” Hill said. “Two, providing opportunities for our students while they are in school and when they graduate. Networking and knowing the right people is very important and getting our students to learn from the people who are doing it and can tell real stories of their experiences with various projects and tours and being on the road.”
Tennessee Tech Live Audio Engineering and Technology Program Director Eric Harris said the degree requires a minor in electrical engineering. Harris said when forming the program he pushed to have that as part of the requirements for the degree.
“I think it’s important for young people who want to become audio engineers in the modern era moving forward to have that educational background,” Harris said. “We have to have electrical engineering professors involved in this,”
Harris said the university’s music department, engineering department, and several other departments have chipped in to help form this program. Hill said the degree has been popular so far as about 24 students are pursuing the degree. Hill said one benefit of the new degree is now they have students who can help with audio for the university’s events instead of hiring that service out.
