Students will explore how beats, melodies, and recorded sounds come together to create original music. Through hands-on projects, they’ll learn the foundations of beatmaking and music production while developing their own sound.

Through guided exercises, students will build drum patterns, create bass lines, layer musical ideas, and arrange them into tracks. They’ll explore how tempo, groove, and song structure shape a listener’s experience, using digital music tools to experiment with sounds and develop their ideas.

Students will also practice recording, editing, and basic mixing, learning how to balance different parts so they work together. Through listening, feedback, and revision, they’ll build confidence making creative and technical decisions throughout the production process.

What Students Will Create

Students will develop original beats and a finished music production project, supported by shorter exercises and experiments. Their work will demonstrate their growing ability to create rhythms, arrange musical layers, and shape a track from an initial idea to an exported recording they can share.

What Registration Will Include

This registration will cover one afternoon elective only. A morning intensive, a second afternoon elective, and housing will require separate registration.

Students will be able to take this elective on its own or combine it with other Summer@Cornish courses. No morning intensive will be required.

How Students Will Build Their Schedules

Full-Time Program
Students will register for a morning intensive and two afternoon electives, one from each schedule. Morning intensives will meet Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–noon, with a lunch break from noon–1 p.m.

One Afternoon Elective
Students will register for this course and attend on the days listed in its schedule. Afternoon electives will run from 1–4 p.m.

Afternoon Electives Only
Students who wish to attend every afternoon will choose two electives: one that will meet Monday/Wednesday/Friday and one that will meet Tuesday/Thursday.

Students will be able to pair this elective with the Music Intensive, or combine it with another morning intensive to explore interests across disciplines.

Students will need to add each course to their cart separately.

Browse Summer@Cornish courses →

Housing Options

A residential option will be available to full-day students and will include supervised housing, evening and weekend activities, and extra studio time.

Students who plan to stay in housing will need to begin with the residential application before registering for courses. They’ll receive instructions for selecting a morning intensive and two afternoon electives as part of the residential package.

Learn about the residential program and how to apply →

Questions?

Students and families will be able to get help choosing courses and building a schedule by emailing cornishplus@seattleu.edu.