UCLA extenensions offers a wide variety of music production and bsiness classes taught by peeps who made hit records and who have signed big artist. These classes are cool because you can at least learn how the A&R people think and what they look for. UCLA is very respectable and will give certification in some areas of music bizz & tech. Kinda expensive but classes im told are really small and you get to learn in major recording studios. Expensive but less than going to UCLA for 4 yrs to learn that kinda stuff.
Long Beach City College offers similar programs in music biz and recording. However these cats are a bit more down to earth than UCLA and connect alot better to hip-hop and even the DYI indie culture. They know all about the use of the MPC and Midi and computers. Things like Reason and the all mighty 4 Track are still being covered. This school has 4 all pro studios and 6 mini studios. I attended this school and made tons of contacts i still cant believe I got to meet to this day. On the first day of class my professor whom had roadied for at least 20 bands and recorded 10 hit records witht the likes of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, the Eagles and Sting, told us to look around and remember these faces some of them if we chose to stay in music would see them again. Those faces I have read about heard about and seen again. Let me drop some names for you Domino, No Doubt, Suburban Rythum, The Dogg Pound Produers (Snoops Beat Makers) and a few lesser know folks that currently work behind the scenes. Cheaper than UCLA however you can get a loan from Uncle Sam. You can also get a Pell Grant. If you are veteran of the armed forces you can use your GI Bill. 2 years you can get an Associate Degree or transfer.
NYC Sound Lab offers an educational experience that is totaly unique. Forget the WHY just get to the HOW! NYC Soundlab teaches a course on the MPC and another on MIDI. Check this out pay $65 dollars a month for membership and use all the gear anytime. Take that MPC class or some other course for $375. I dont know much about this place but it sounds and looks pretty slick and must for an MPC beginner who may be in the New York area. Yo! check it out
www.nycsoundlab.com
