The Music Ear training 101 module provides students with the practical exercises and drills necessary to refine their perception of musical sound and enhance their critical listening skills essential to improve their performance as engineers and or producers. Students will practice hearing, analysing and noting elements of rhythm and intervals.

The Music Ear training 102 modules continues from where 101 left off and are designed to provide students with the practical exercises and drills necessary to refine their perception of musical sound to enhance their critical listening skills essential to improve their performance as engineers and or producers. Students will practice hearing, analysing and noting harmony, melody and tuning elements.

This module will introduce students to musical terminology and the various applications to structure music pieces. Students will apply rhythmical examples in traditional notation and within a musical score and indicate rhythmical symbols while reflecting on how these rhythmic elements are used in contemporary music. Students will also learn about pitching, scales and rhythm to prepare them to create chord progressions in music composition.

This module will introduce students to the various chord types and their variations within chord progressions, including sus and slash chords. Students will learn how to write melodies and harmonisation. Finally, students will learn about chart reading, 7th Chords, Harmonic and Melodic Minors, Circle of 5ths, Modulation, and the three-note challenge.

This module will introduce you to the theory and practical skills of music production. The course will focus on teaching you about the concepts, functionality, and application of virtual instruments, recorded vocals, and plugins within a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). Techniques and expertise learned in this course will allow you to engage with musicians, and songwriters and give you the skills to create your music effectively with the knowledge to use the music software from a basic level to an intermediate one. Lessons will strictly be given in Cubase.

This module will focus on analysing modern-day popular genres, including Electronic Dance Music, Hip-Hop, and Pop, as well as their related sub-genres. Sound design, tips, and production techniques, as well as the history and foundational elements of the genres, are covered giving you the skills to create music in a variety of different styles with an understanding of where the tools and creative thought processes first stemmed from.

This module covers the foundational principles and theories behind sound engineering practices. This module aims to provide students with a theoretical understanding of common sound engineering principles and practices used in modern studios, including familiarity with cables, connectors, digital audio technology, and mono-& stereo-microphone techniques.

This module covers the practical application of studio sound engineering practices within a studio environment. The purpose of this module is to enable the students to apply various studio sound engineering procedures in a modern studio. The module focuses on introductory recording techniques for vocals, bass, acoustic and electric guitar.

Signal Processing focuses on the mixing tools used by sound engineers in the studio and live sound production. The module focuses on the mastery of mixing tools and seeks to establish a good understanding of how to operate these tools in a mixing environment. Throughout the semester, students will learn how to use Faders and Pan knobs to create a balance for a song; how to use EQ to enhance the sonic presentation; how to use Dynamic Processors to add control and power; Time-Based effects to add depth and movement; and, finally, use Automation to transform a static mix into a dynamic mix.

The Recording Project Module assesses the students on recording techniques covered through the SSE102 module. Throughout the semester, the students will have to complete several projects to showcase the skills they have learned throughout the year to record voice-overs, singing or rapping vocals, and various string instruments.

An introduction to ProTools takes a comprehensive approach to learning the fundamentals of Pro Tools systems. During this module students will learn to build sessions that include multitrack recordings of live instruments, MIDI sequences, and virtual instruments. Students will gain valuable knowledge and insight in order to properly utilise ProTools for various applications as well as moving one step closer to becoming an internationally recognised and certified Pro Tools user. This module will specifically cover the ProTools 101 courseware. Students are required to complete the AVID Pro Tools 101 examination in which they receive three attempts at the examination with a passing score of 80% as set by AVID. This module contains one summative assessment (Summative 01) which is the students grade of the AVID ProTools 101 examination.

Following on from MPS101, this module continues to develop the student’s skills in mastering the fundamentals of ProTools systems. Students will learn advanced techniques to build sessions that include multitrack recordings of live instruments, MIDI sequences, and virtual instruments. Students will gain valuable knowledge and insight in order to properly utilise Pro Tools for various applications as well as move one step closer to becoming an internationally recognised and certified Pro Tools user. Due to the nature of this module, there are no Formative assessments and students are required to complete the official AVID Pro Tools 110 User Certification exam with an 80% pass rate.*Exams: Students will only have three opportunities to achieve the AVID aligned pass rate of 80%, upon failing which they would be required to re-enrol for the module.

The human auditory system is a remarkable sensory system, cable of observations and discrimination that equal or exceed all but the most elaborate testing equipment we’ve been able to build to measure sound. Therefore, it is possible for us to use our hearing as a test instrument, once we figure out how to articulate what it is we are hearing. The ability to accurately describe the physical nature of what we are hearing is a primary objective of the Ear Training Module.

This module is designed to build on the theoretical, practical and creative skills acquired in MPT101 to further enhance the student’s capacity to compose and create original musical works for a variety of musical genres and applications including but not limited to acoustic sequencing, film scoring, orchestration, sound design, electronic music production and audio branding..

This module is designed to provide students with advanced training in music theory and keyboard technique with the aim to apply this practically in music production. Students will learn how to demonstrate weekly theoretical concepts gained through independent study of the resource material. During weekly practical sessions presented in small groups, students will gain practical understanding of music theory and compositional concepts.

This module builds on Studio Sound Engineering 101 to cover more advanced practices, principles, and theory of studio sound engineering within a studio environment. The purpose of this module is to enable the students to apply various studio sound engineering techniques that are informed by DAW characteristics and common audio studio best practices.

This module is designed to provide students with a broad understanding and key terminology in the music business industry. Students will learn about the key role players, including royalty collecting agencies in South Africa, and will be able to identify the roles within a record company. Students will also learn about intellectual property, copyright law, and contracts. Students will compare and analyse the different music distribution platforms and finally, put together an Electronic Press Kit for their own brand.

The Live Sound Engineering module is designed to impart the necessary theoretical, practical and reflexive skills required to equip the student with a resilient skill set which will allow him/her to work in or adapt to the demands of commercial live sound engineering. Students will learn about the roles of the live sound engineer and learn how to set up full live sound systems including speakers and amplifiers. Students will learn how to setup and use various mixing consoles and live sound desks. Students will practice their overall live sound mixing skills and become competent in using EQ, dynamics and others processors in a live sound environment.

During the MPS201 course, students will be covering courseware from Pro Tools 201. This course will cover core concepts and skills required to utilise Pro Tools Ultimate in a professional studio environment. Topics covered during this course will include working with the Pro Tools HD hardware, Pro Tools session configuration and management, clip-based processing, and advanced automation features. Students will gain valuable knowledge and insight in order to properly utilise Pro Tools for various applications as well as move one step closer to becoming an internationally recognised and certified Pro Tools Operator in Music Production (210M). Students are required to complete the AVID Pro Tools 201 examination in which students receive three attempts at the examination and require a passing score of 80% as set by AVID. This module contains one summative assessment (Summative 01), the student's grade for the AVID Pro Tools 201 examination.

The MPS210 course will cover the courseware from the ProTools 210M Production II (Music Production) module. Topics covered during the MPS210 module will include tracking and overdubbing, editing and fine-tuning audio, enhancing drum performances and arranging and producing in ProTools. At the end of this module, students will be attempting the internationally recognised Pro Tools 210M Operator certification. Students will gain valuable knowledge and insight in order to properly utilise ProTools for various applications as well as moving one step closer to becoming an internationally recognised and certified ProTools Operator in Music Production. Students are required to complete the AVID Pro Tools 210M examination in which students receive three attempts at the examination and require a passing score of 80% as set by AVID. This module contains one summative assessment (Summative 01) which is the students grade of the AVID Pro Tools 210M examination. *Exams: Students will only have three opportunities to achieve the AVID aligned pass rate of 80%, upon failing which they would be required to re-enrol for the module.

The MPS210 course will cover the courseware from the ProTools 210M Production II (Music Production) module. Topics covered during the MPS210 module will include tracking and overdubbing, editing and fine-tuning audio, enhancing drum performances and arranging and producing in ProTools. At the end of this module, students will be attempting the internationally recognised Pro Tools 210M Operator certification. Students will gain valuable knowledge and insight in order to properly utilise ProTools for various applications as well as moving one step closer to becoming an internationally recognised and certified ProTools Operator in Music Production. Students are required to complete the AVID Pro Tools 210M examination in which students receive three attempts at the examination and require a passing score of 80% as set by AVID. This module contains one summative assessment (Summative 01) which is the students grade of the AVID Pro Tools 210M examination. *Exams: Students will only have three opportunities to achieve the AVID aligned pass rate of 80%, upon failing which they would be required to re-enrol for the module.

Building and expanding on the conceptual and practical skills acquired in the first two years, this module is designed to develop the aptitude of the students to work with audio and video hence broadening the skill set of successful graduates to include post production skills which opens up a wider scope of possible employment opportunities. Topics include voice-over, foley, automated dialogue replacement, mixing and post-editing.

This module introduces the student to the concepts associated with business management and entrepreneurship in the music industry but covers general principles that are applicable to the creation of any startup business venture across various industries. The core mode of ideation is based around Osterwalder and Pigneur’s (2013) Business Model Generation, the innovative and ground-breaking business model tool that uses design thinking principles to build and improve business models. The module further introduces the student to methods of business and market research, feasibility and viability studies, business finance and budgeting. The module culminates with the preparation of a business plan that can be used to apply for grants and a pitch to the industry panellists on a student version of Dragon’s Den. The assessment strategy is based on problem-based learning (solving a customer problem via a value offering), inquiry (real-world application and research) and simulation (pitching to investors). Students exiting this module should be able to demonstrate critical thinking, creative and problem solving skills.

The Music Industry Praxis module forms part of the experiential learning component of the Diploma in Music Technology, and is designed to help students to bridge the gap between formal education and practically working in the industry. To complete this module, the student is required to complete a total of at least 150 hours of internship/workplace experience at a minimum of two (2) different companies / venues actively involved in an area of the SA music business. In addition to submitting official internship/work-based learning agreements signed by the host company, students have to upload two separate host manager reports in order to comply with the specifications of this module.

This module is designed to build on the theoretical, practical and creative skills acquired in the first and second year to culminate in the production of technically and musically intricate musical compositions in a variety of genres ensuring that learners possess the necessary technical and creative versatility to adapt to the ever-changing musical marketplace. Additionally, this module serves as a platform for the creation of a professional portfolio to enhance the chances of the student of gaining employment upon completion of the course. Emendy uses an iterative model of teaching during Semester 1 covering a wide variety of topics and concepts , both from a theoretical and practical perspective. Semester 2 consists of one-on-one individual workshops and feedback sessions.

This is a portfolio based module where students will be required to produce six (6) songs for two different artists to demonstrate their capabilities in studio production and mixing. The purpose of this module is to enable the students to apply various studio sound engineering, production, arrangement and mixing techniques as well as developing their own production style, communication and networking abilities.

This module utilises the Ableton Live DAW and develops students’ knowledge and skills in producing and performing electronic music. Students will learn about the stylistic elements of various electronic music genres and build their own tracks using samples and synthesisers. Students will learn to apply various dynamic processes and techniques such as modulation, automation, warping and remixing. Students will design and create their own electronic music production set that will be performed in front of their peers at a venue.

The sound synthesis and design module is designed to impart the necessary theoretical, practical and creative skills required to make use of a variety of sound synthesis techniques for the creation of original musical sounds and sound effects as well as further the technical knowhow of the learners to enable them to create an original custom electronic instrument. Students will be able to design customised synthesis based instruments.