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AUDIO EDUCATION'S FINEST 2001-HARRIS INSTITUTE FOR THE ARTS
Nov 1, 2001 4:05 PM
AT A GLANCE
Name: Harris Institute for the Arts
Contact: Lance Reckzin, registrarMajor Courses of Study: 12-month courses in Recording Artist Management (RAM) and Producing/Engineering Program (PEP)
Degree Offered: Diploma program
Accreditation: Ministry of Training, Colleges & Universities of Ontario (MTCUO)
Main Technology Platforms: Amek, Digidesign Pro Tools
Tuition: RAM program, $8,844 Canadian; PEP program, $11,508 Canadian
Financial Assistance: Part of Canada Student Loan (CSO) program and Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP); available for students who qualify.
Founded in 1989, Harris Institute for the Arts offers two comprehensive career educational tracks, each leading to a fully accredited post-secondary diploma. Both tracks cover the music entertainment industry from a wide range of perspectives, and each makes use of a highly practical and signature approach to learning.
Harris Institute’s Recording Artist Management (RAM) program and Producing/Engineering Program (PEP) have an extensive array of classes in up to 50 subject areas. The RAM curriculum covers the entire spectrum of music industry business, including artist management, concert promotion, publicity, marketing and promotion. The PEP track offers an in-depth, one-year program that covers the entire array of analog and digital audio production and engineering, ranging from large-scale analog consoles and traditional tracking sessions, to nonlinear digital audio production, mixing and editing, as well as sound-for-picture courses.
But what makes Harris Institute’s curricula most unique is its creation of a very real working environment for each career track. In the RAM program, for instance, students operate in groups of three and literally start their own businesses in artist management, concert promotion and other areas. They will then scout, sign, develop and market recording artists, signing them to actual independent record labels, or they will promote full concert tours. In the PEP curriculum, students learn not only the basics of recording technology in lectures and classrooms, but will also record and produce their own artists. Furthermore, the PEP program places detailed emphasis on music business and integrates coursework into the overall curricula. Thus, production students study and implement fundamental principles of contract negotiation, such as royalty points and advances.
“The things that characterize the learning process at Harris Institute are that every component of the curricula is taught with a truly hands-on, pragmatic application of the principles the students are learning about,” explains school founder and president John Harris. “Our approach is not one of immersion learning, but of exposure to the widest array possible of technologies, techniques and situations. Few industry veterans will have seen as many potential scenarios as our students will experience in a year’s time.”
Harris Institute’s PEP program provides a wide range of technologies, from the large Amek Big-equipped tracking studio to the MIDI and audio post-production studios outfitted with systems such as Pro Tools, Logic and Cubase. Harris Institute’s faculty mirrors the school’s educational philosophy, employing 54 educators who are working professionals. For instance, the Institute’s studio facilities were designed by a faculty member, Martin Pilchner of Pilchner/Schoustal Associates, a world-renowned, Toronto-based acoustical design firm. “You’re able to learn acoustical and studio design principles from a professional—not only in a great studio facility, but one that the teacher designed himself,” says Harris. “There’s a tremendous educational synergy there, like learning archaeology onsite.”
One other element that sets Harris Institute apart is its socially conscious approach to learning and business, as illustrated by the Harris International Media Arts Program (MAP). This generous program brings together students from violence-torn areas, such as Northern Ireland, and promotes peace and reconciliation through the media arts.
“We’re especially proud of the MAP program,” says Harris. “It’s all part of an approach to education that emphasizes a realistic environment and entrepreneurship.”
Harris Institute for the Arts
118 Sherbourne St.
Toronto, Ontario M5A 2R2
Tel.: 416/367-0178
Fax: 416/367-5534
www.harrisinstitute.com
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