Course: Recording Connection for Hip Hop & Beat Making
Audio Education Upgraded
for 2022
Curriculum Overview
Lesson 1 – What is Hip Hop?
Hip hop is an integral part of American pop culture, making waves in fashion, television, movies, retail sales, and literature. As such, it is a multi-billion dollar industry. The music is a multi-genre, multi-cultural experience that draws artists of other genres into its vortex. But hip hop’s beginnings were downright... Read more
Lesson 2 – Sound and Hearing
Like vision and touch, our sonic awareness enables us to make sense of the world we live in. We examine the raw, objective characteristics of sound and how it travels through space, so we can harness our imagination and create captivating subjective experiences for our listeners. Objectives: Be able to define terms... Read more
Lesson 3 – Analog vs. Digital
You can get the best sonic results out of your productions by understanding the difference between analog and digital audio and how our digital audio workstations are actually emulations of traditional analog processes, gear, and electronics. Understanding the basics of both of these realms of audio gives us a more... Read more
Lesson 4 – The DAW
Understanding one’s DAW or digital audio workstation is a key aspect of being a modern-day hip hop music producer who is adept at creating and communicating various song and artistic ideas to other artists and music professionals. Whether you choose to learn Pro Tools™ or Logic Pro X ® this... Read more
Lesson 7 – Producer Considerations & Arranging
Today’s hip hop producer is often much more than the person in charge of guiding a project. In the context of popular music, the producer can even be the person responsible for the entire arrangement, including the lyrics. As the professional responsible for the construction of the instrumental, you must... Read more
Lesson 8 – Elements of Style
Find out what musical elements you’ll need to consider to bring your music into the hip hop idiom! From the tight pocket, to the catchy baseline, to the hook, hip hop is a rich and varied world, full of different feels, tones, and elements of style that vary across the genre... Read more
Lesson 9 – Form
Question: What do the best novelists and music producers have in common? Answer: Control of form. Much like a great novel, a good song requires a solid foundation to support the body of work as the listener is led along on a musical journey. We’ll learn more about the various... Read more
Lesson 10 – Song Analysis
One of the most important things that we can do to help ourselves as hip hop producers, musicians, songwriters, and artists is to understand the work of veterans and our contemporaries. Through song analysis, we can break apart the elements that make a song successful and thereby incorporate them into... Read more
Lesson 11 – MIDI
Since becoming a “standard protocol” in 1983, MIDI has undoubtedly revolutionized the way music gets made. Its options and flexibility allows users to create and manipulate sounds in a way that’s downright impossible with physical instruments. Together, we will explore the power of MIDI sequencing. From creating scratch tracks, to... Read more
Lesson 12 – Drums
Drums can emphasize a precise moment in a piece of music, they can drum a song forward to the next bar, provide a sense of space or an element of interest, and perhaps most importantly stir up the listener and rouse their emotions. Drums have probably been a staple of... Read more
Lesson 13 – Midterm
Can you believe it? You’re halfway there! This chapter is all about preparing you for your midterm, so make good use of it. We’ve poured a lot of thought into the delivery of some valuable information and we want to be sure that you are retaining it. From “What is... Read more
Lesson 14 – The Bass
Big, round, and booming, the bass can be found at the foundation of western popular music across nearly all genres. As you certainly know, the bass is a huge component in hip hop production. Learning how to use it well can make all the difference between a muddy sounding low... Read more
Lesson 15 – Sampling
Sampling is a key part of the hip hop genre because it’s what gives the genre its unique sound. There are many ways to go about sampling from choosing what to sample, how to sample, how to use the sample, how to manipulate the sample, and the list goes on.... Read more
Lesson 16 – Equalization and Dynamic Processing
Creating an instrumental with impact often requires a number of sonic touchups. Equalization and dynamic processing are two powerful tools which allow us to sonically carve out various elements so that everything has its place within the sonic spectrum. Doing this well can enable you to get the sound you’re... Read more
Lesson 16 – Melody
The melody makes most songs, even in hip hop. A melody is a single line progression of notes which the listener perceives as a singular part. In other words, in thinking about your song, the listener will likely hum that part of it. The melody is memorable and as such... Read more
Lesson 17 – Harmony
Two or more notes playing simultaneously to create a chord is harmony. When harmony is used to create a series of chords, that’s called a chord progression or harmonic progression. Harmony does a whole lot of the work for us as producers of hip hop when it comes to creating... Read more
Lesson 19 – Effects Processing
Effects processing is the act of intentionally altering a signal by sending it through an effects unit. Traditionally, this was done by routing the signal through racks of outboard gear or guitar pedals and then into the system to record. Nowadays, a large portion of effects processing is done “in... Read more
Lesson 20 – Mixing
A good mix can take a song to the next level. It can make a song a hit by giving it a well-balanced sonic landscape, or by transporting the listener to another planet (metaphorically speaking, that is). With all the tools available inside of a digital audio workstation, the sky’s... Read more
Lesson 21 – Mastering
Mastering is the art of sweetening the mix and preparing the mix down for duplication. Mastering often takes an elevated set of ears that can discern and hear very subtle sonic intricacies that make up certain sounds and effects. These listening skills take time to develop. In this lesson, we... Read more
Lesson 22 – Performance Rights Organizations and Publishing
Learn how protect your music and your brand while also creating a positive revenue stream. There are numerous ways you can make money from having a solid project. Some of them require you to embark on a process of discovery while others are long established, making it easier to understand... Read more
Lesson 23 – Agreements
The music industry doesn’t run on handshakes alone. Because of the nature of quarterly payments and prospective success, it works on a series of agreements between parties in order to ensure that everyone gets paid what they deem is fair for the situation. What we will look at in this... Read more
Lesson 24 – Final Exam
Please take time to go back through your past lessons’ section reviews. They are very helpful study tools. The Final Exam contains questions from ALL past lessons, so be sure to review everything you can. Proper review of Courses 1-23 and scheduling sessions with your Academic Facilitator will help you... Read more
Lesson 5 – Music Fundamentals 1
If you find the term “music theory” a little intimidating, know this, there’s nothing to worry about. Chances are, you already intuitively know quite a bit of music theory. In Music Fundamentals I, we’ll uncover the building blocks of western music which consists of features like scales, chords, and intervals.... Read more
Lesson 6 – Music Fundamentals 2
Building on Music Fundamentals I, we will delve into the basics of rhythm, musical notation, time is expressed in musical units of measures and bars, and numerical time notation in your DAW. Also known as meter, time signatures such as 4/4, 6/8, and 5/4, greatly impact the feel, character, and... Read more
HIP HOP PRODUCTION AND BEAT MAKING SCHOOL
Giving You the Skills to Pursue a Career in Hip Hop
Have you ever thought of making it as a hip-hop mogul like Kanye West, Dr. Dre, and others? We give you the foundation, education, and skills to make your dreams come true. But you have to be ready to work for it.
A Hands-On Education for Hip Hop and Beat Making
Hip Hop was born on the streets, so does it make much sense to improve your skills as a producer in a classroom? Recording Connection puts you in a real-world recording studio with a hip hop producer and beat-making professional who will give you a one-on-one education in the world of hip hop.
By working with a music industry professional, you’ll learn how to become a hip hop artist and beatmaker with the tools, tips, and tricks used by hip hop music producers in today’s marketplace. Learn the physics of sound, work with audio digital workstations like Ableton and Logic Pro, and develop a style that’s true to you.
Meet Our Mentors
Recording Connection mentors are experienced hip hop producers, beat makers, sound designers, and audio engineers who work across genres, for various mediums, and with some of the biggest names in the music industry.
More Than 300 Studios Across The World
Why uproot your life if you don’t have to? Chances are, we have a location near you. We also offer remote online courses to provide more access for our students.
FAQs
Why Choose Recording Connection Hip Hop and Beat Making Program?
Instead of spending four years in a university classroom, learn how to produce hip hop tracks and make beats in a professional recording studio. We offer a fully immersive experience with hands-on learning from an industry professional. Your mentor will show you how music is made in today’s world.
Is the Hip Hop and Beat Making Program Expensive?
Recording Connection tuition is just a fraction of what you’ll pay when compared to four-year universities, trade schools, and other similar educational institutions. We wanted to keep our tuition low to provide more access to potential students.
How Long Does the Hip Hop and Beat Making Program Last?
This course is spread out over 24 weekly lessons meaning you’ll complete the program in just six months.
Recording Connection provides affordable, unique education models coupled with mentor-based (externship) programs that can be engaged remotely or in person.
New! Finance your education with Climb. Get approved in minutes with no impact to your credit score.
We Stand Against Student Debt!
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All Students Have Access To:
Other schools do classrooms and campus studio labs, with us, your classroom is a real studio in the real world.
You will only learn from an industry veteran who owns or operates his or her own real-world recording studio. Other schools employ full-time teachers who may or may not have achieved success in the real world. Our mentors are not only artists in their craft but working, successful business pros. Imagine what you can learn from them!
Many of our students have been offered the opportunity to work on real-world sessions while they are students with us!! Our students have worked with Beyoncé, Kanye West, Robert Plant, Miley Cyrus, Solange, Khalid, Lady Antebellum, Aerosmith, Marilyn Manson, Johnny Depp and Billy Bob Thornton to name a few while being taught by legendary producers Joe Chicarelli, Al Schmitt, Detail, Ross Hogarth, Ryan Hewitt, F. Reid Shippen and countless others.
Recording Connection takes a unique approach to learning music production and pride ourselves on having a very modern approach to cost. Put plainly—we hate student debt just as much as you do. Throughout our 30 years in the business, we have made it a primary focus to keep our tuition affordable. Very affordable. While we believe we could price our education at three times what it actually costs, we have made it our mission to keep costs low. When you graduate with us, you will not be buried by burdensome amounts of debt.
In addition to the industry pro who will be your mentor, tutoring is available to you for the entire time you are enrolled with us. Need help with your homework? Can't figure out Pro Tools, Ableton, Logic or more? Want to learn how to make more beats? Have a question you forgot to ask your mentor? Want career advice? Want us to help you build a song? Create a resume? Our tutors and Academic Facilitators are here for you!
Our fully staffed Career Services Department exists for one reason—to help our students and graduates get hired. From helping you create an awesome resume, to handling and scheduling your job interview, to finding job opportunities in your area, we’ve got your back.
The more you give to our programs the more you get. Want more time in the studio to study, practice or observe? Simply prove your passion and dedication to your mentor and you will find there is virtually no limit to studio access.
Personal, hands-on lab time is built into our program. You’ll never find yourself fighting over gear availability with dozens of other students. And speaking of gear, because you will be learning in a real-world recording studio you will be learning on the latest gear.
The only way to learn how things work in the real world is to learn in the real world. Since our program places you inside a real-world recording studio on the very first day, you’ll learn all the essentials: studio etiquette, client relations, shortcuts, how to meet a deadline, the art of running a recording studio and so much more. This gives you a tremendous advantage over other schools’ students who never got off the campus and who often graduate underprepared.
You’ve probably heard the expression “It’s who you know.” In the music industry this is definitely true. With The Recording Connection you have access to industry connections on a daily basis. As your progress with our program and start sitting in on recording sessions, you’ll meet your mentor’s connections—artists, producers, mixers, managers, gear reps and many more. It’s networking from the inside.
Once you are in with us, YOU ARE IN! The Recording Connection deals with hundreds of recording studios, audio engineers, music producers, mixers, record labels and studio owners on a daily basis. As long as you are a student or graduate of our programs, in good standing, our access is your access.
