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Diploma Programs & Elective Programs Diploma Programs:
Performer	Whether in front of the audience or behind the scenes, expert instrumentalists are the heartbeat of the music scene. Good music is often transformed into great music by stunning instrumental performances and good players have the respect of all their musical peers. At USSCM you'll be given the tools and guidance to become an accomplished instrumentalist, who is aware of what is expected and who can deliver it.
Program Design: The following example meets the minimum requirement for a performance concentration. Design your Program. In the program design example below we add Schillinger before Advanced Improvisation. We recommend this strategy for players who want to have a significant competitive edge and to incorporate a thorough understanding of the sophisticated harmonic, rhythmic and melodic analysis tools developed by Joseph Schillinger, who influenced great Hollywood and New York songwriters, composers and improvising instrumentalists.

Songwriter	Virtually every idiom of popular music is based upon well-written songs. These songs don't just happen by accident. They are composed by knowledgeable, experienced writers. Today's songwriter must not only be conversant with style, prose, music theory, and songform, he or she must be technologically competent. Nearly every song that is recorded today started its life as a self-produced demo. Your USSCM course will train you in the compositional techniques used by great composers and songwriters, while encouraging you to develop your recording skills. You'll study styles and artists, and learn how to project your own voice through them. Note that the two suggested variations of the program change the sequence of when SongWriting is studied.
Program Design: The following example meets the minimum requirements for the songwriting concentration. Design your Program. This second example is of a Performer/Songwriter – for instance, one who wishes to make a living as a songwriter who performs his or her songs within a band context as a frontline soloist. Design your Program. This next example (below) is of a Songwriter/Performer – one who wishes to be a concertizing performer of his or her original songs. The difference is the emphasis and timing of when SongWriting is studied in depth and the level of musical sophistication one wishes to aim for. We recommend the study of the Schillinger System in both instances, because it adds so much power to a student's musical arsenal (see Schillinger Module description).Design your Program.

Arranger/Orchestrator	Arranger/Orchestrators provide the service of fleshing out and supporting the artistic output of Songwriters and Composers. Additio nally, they frequently collaborate with bands , librettists, producers, singers, etc., to place musical ideas within larger musical concepts, etc. The following example meets the minimum requirement for a Arranging & Orchestration concentration. Design your Program.

Multimedia Scoring Composer	By artfully blending the skills of the arranger, composer, performer and engineer, today's film, video and game composers are specialists who command good salaries and have interesting work in the fastest growing area of the music business. Multimedia composers are found everywhere the visual and aural arts meet. Design your Program.
Program Design:

Music Production Engineer	At USSCM, our philosophy is not that Music Production is an end in itself, practiced by unskilled Djs, but a rich technology-laden discipline that can serve all musicians. For this reason, we continue to emphasize instrumental studies throughout the modules, including this one and require a prerequisite of at least three music modules. In the MPE module we study the principles of all the elements that have led to today’s microprocessor-based tools, so that each one is understood for its strengths. Such topics include acoustics and psychoacoustics, signal transducing and processing, recording media and mastering, sound reinforcement and performance space issues.
For maximum flexibility, the MP&E concentration may be added to any USSCM program, or taken right after P&I. Design your Program.


Composer Performing Artist Composer-Performers are writers of large-form serious commercial music who generally assemble and perform/record with small to large ensembles, often under their own names. They differ from Songwriters in that they are more experienced with a great variety of compositional devices, whereas instrumental songwriters are more concerned with melodies and harmonies. As usual, they have a distinct advantage when they have facility with the Schillinger System. Program Design:

Professional Arranger Movie themes, TV Jingles, and award-winning pop song arrangements are the products of talented, trained arrangers who understand the nuts and bolts of all types of music. USSCM training in this area will prepare you as a versatile interpretive artist; able to conceive and create all types of charts, and to present them professionally. Design your Program.

Professional Multimedia Composer Multimedia Composers synthesize the skillsets of every area of music production and synchronize their work to visual art of any media, whether film, cartoon, video, etc. Such artists are at a pinnacle of the Commercial Music Industry. Interestingly, some live at great distances from the usual sites of the media industries. Design your Program. Program Design:

Professional Musician A well-rounded career musician, who is ready for any assignment which come along. Design your Program. VALUABLE ADVICE

Diploma Programs & Elective Programs

Diploma Programs: