Music Technology (AS, BS)

Why Study Music Technology?

Audio Production. Post Production. Game Audio. Music Industry. Performing & Recording Artist. Live Sound. Podcasts. Quality listening experiences are in demand: Music festivals attract more than 32 million people annually, revenue from recorded music has seen double-digit growth since 2014, audiobook sales have increased 25% each year since 2017, and the average podcast listener consumes seven shows a week.

Whether you prefer to be on stage or behind the scenes — whether you see yourself mixing a film score in the studio or pumping live music to arenas filled with thousands of fans — earning a music technology or audio engineer degree can put you on track for an exciting, in-demand career.

Why Saint Francis for Music Technology?

Saint Francis Music Technology throws you behind the console from day one, crafting magic that moves millions. 

Our music tech program equips you for today’s fast-paced, collaborative work environment. That’s why you’ll begin to learn your way around a commercial studio from your first semester. With six unique concentrations covering a wide range of the industry, this major is fitting for musicians of all levels and non-musicians alike.

At Saint Francis, you will benefit from the knowledge, mentorship, and connections of a multitalented faculty; you will learn, practice, and create in topline facilities; and you will engage with the campus and Fort Wayne communities through projects, performances, and productions.

Personalize Your Path

Our music technology major offers a solid foundation in music theory, ear training and piano skills — and from there, with the guidance of your academic advisor, you can choose up to three concentrations. Tailor your degree to your interests by mixing and matching courses across concentrations:

Recording, Engineering and Production

Produce music from different genres and styles, discover how to capture the best performance from your talent and develop other skills useful in producer or master engineer positions.

Music Industry

Explore the business side of the music world through both a record label and touring lens. You’ll explore copyright, royalties, event production, promotion and management.

Post Production and Sound Design

From scoring movies and video games to designing sound for a sitcom or documentary, this concentration introduces you to the art and technology of all things post-production.

Live Sound and Event Production

It’s fast-paced, it’s real-time and it’s exciting! Gain skills and experience you need to provide crisp and quality sound for concerts, festivals, houses of worships, broadcasts and other live events.

Contemporary Artist Development and Musicianship

Designed with professional artistic development in mind, this concentration helps you hone your craft, improve your production skills and develop your brand.

Hip-Hop and R&B

This innovative program provides you with the technical skills and creative knowledge needed to excel in today’s music production scene. You’ll explore the history, theory, and production techniques of genres like Hip Hop and R&B, learning to craft infectious beats, soulful melodies, and powerful vocals using industry-standard software and hardware.

Our Faculty and Facilities

At Saint Francis, you will benefit from the knowledge, mentorship, and connections of a multitalented faculty. You will learn, practice, and create in top-line facilities; which include 2 large recording studios, a dedicated mastering studio, 12 individual private mix/edit suites, and multiple practice and rehearsal spaces.  Here you will also engage with the campus and Fort Wayne communities through projects, performances, and productions.

Our Faculty

Our music tech program faculty is composed of composers, performers, and audio production professionals with extensive ties to the music industry, including:

• Mark Everetts, assistant professor and studio manager, operated Nashville-based FunkyLoft Music Production, where he produced/engineered projects for artists in various genres. He has performed/engineered music for film and TV commercials and has worked on stage and in the studio as a drummer for various artists around the country.
• Miles Fulwider (Tonmeister), our program director, works as a producer and recording engineer for many GRAMMY and Emmy award-winning artists and major labels.  Such artists include Wynton Marsalis, Willie Nelson, Norah Jones, Chick Corea, dUg Pinnick (King’s X), Grinder Blues, Jon Batiste, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, XM/Sirius Satellite Radio, and several film scores, including scores for the American documentary filmmaker Ken Burns. He’s also a voting member of the Recording Academy that selects GRAMMY award winners and regularly works in post-production, sound design, and immersive audio formats.
• Phil Schurger, director of our jazz, electronic music, and guitar ensembles, is a renowned composer and guitarist who has shared the stage with artists such as Fareed Haque, Greg Ward, the Wailers, Bolokada Cande, and others. His work has been released on the Chicago-based Ears&Eyes record label, and his album Echoes of the Ancestors was featured in Jazziz magazine.
• Paul “Willie Green” Womack, our Artist in Residence, is a producer, engineer, and sonic artist. Green has built a discography featuring names such as Wiz Khalifa, The Alchemist, The Roots, Billy Woods, ELUCID, and many more, establishing himself as one of the top names in independent hip-hop and R&B. Green is a member of The Recording Academy and a former Governor of the Audio Engineering Society. He works primarily from his studio, The GreenHouse Recording Co., in Brooklyn, New York.

Our Music Technology Center

In 2016, we unveiled the Saint Francis Music Technology Center in downtown Fort Wayne. Equipped with top-of-the-line equipment, this first-rate facility houses classrooms, individual and ensemble practice spaces, recording studios, mixing suites, a piano lab, and a master studio. And you will have 24-7 access to it all!

The music tech center also features a 2,000-seat auditorium, which hosts a variety of university, regional, and national acts each year. This venue serves as a lab of sorts: you can learn how to become a sound engineer in real-time during rehearsals and live performances!

Students also work directly with our unique Artist in Residence. This year, students work directly with Brooklyn-based hip-hop producer and engineer Paul “Willie Green” Womack.

Hands-On Learning: Projects and Productions

Music Technology is a hands-on major through and through. In addition to the everyday classroom and studio work, you’ll have a chance to get involved with special projects and productions.

Marble Lounge Records

Marble Lounge Records is Saint Francis’ student-run record label, and it’s the real deal. Formed in 2017, Marble Lounge produced its first album in June 2018: Legend or Myth by Rosalind & the Way.

Students did it all, from selecting the artist to recording, engineering, and marketing the album.  Students also had the opportunity to work with industry-renowned producer Rob Mathes, who mentored students in producing the album’s single.

Service-Learning

Our students often bring their talents to service-learning and community-oriented projects. In 2018, music tech majors collaborated with art and communication students on “Sensing Beauty: A Multi-Sensory Art Experience.” Part of a Saint Francis Student Exhibition at Garrett Museum of Art, this show was a service-learning partnership between the League for the Blind and Disabled, Inc. and Saint Francis. This student-led art exhibit challenged the viewer’s perception of beauty and art. Students interviewed League consumers – people living without sight – “What does beauty mean to you?” The resulting stories were turned into a photography art exhibit that encourages viewers to experience beauty with all of their senses. Works could be seen, heard, smelled, tasted, and felt.

Campus and Community

You’ll find many ways to get involved at Saint Francis, including cross-department podcast projects, campus performances, running sound for our school’s beloved Jesters group, and plenty of student clubs. Plus, you can play or sing along with one of our music groups:

• Electronic Music Ensemble
• Guitar Ensemble
• Jazz Ensemble
• University Singers

Students  work directly with our unique Artist in Residence. In the 2023-2024 Academic Year, students worked directly with Brooklyn-based Hip-Hop Producer & Engineer, Willie Green. 

What You Can Do With a Degree in Music Technology?

The booming audio industry needs passionate, skilled, and talented people in all areas and at all levels. Maybe you want to become a sound engineer, or maybe one of these other positions sounds good to you:

• Contemporary Artist
• Live Sound Engineer
• Music Producer
• Composer
• Recording Engineer
• Re-recording Engineer
• Mixing Engineer
• Sound Designer
• Sound Editor
• Front House Engineer
• Monitor Engineer
• Worship Sound & Audio
• IATSE Union
• Corporate A/V
• A&R Development
• Podcaster
• Influencer
• Venue Manager
• Events Planner
• Audiobook Producer
• Live Event Management
• Tour Management
• Sales Engineer for Recording Tech
• Commercial/Advertising Audio Producer
• Sound Editor

Where You’ll Find Our Graduates

Graduates from our music tech program are creating, performing, promoting, and designing at companies, labels, venues, and organizations around the country. Here are a few places you’ll find Saint Francis alumni:

• BMI
• Warner Music Nashville
• Flux Studios New York City
• Coachella
• Lollapalooza
• LA Recording School
• Saddleback Church (Orange County)
• Elevation Church (North Carolina)
• Viral Effect Music – Bighead Music Group
• Next Era Audio Technologies (Taylor Swift, Post Malone)
• QSC Pro Audio
• Sweetwater Sound
• The Clyde Theater
• Online Marketing (Audio Technica, Warm Audio, Allen & Heath, Listen Tech, Kali Audio, RME)
• Northeast Indiana Public Radio
• The Embassy Theater
• Arts United
• Cyclone Social
• IATSE Stagehand
• Fusion Media
• Goshen College