Bachelor of Arts - Music - Popular Music

The Popular Music concentration within the BA program in Music at Arizona State University welcomes and accommodates 21st century musicians interested in popular music, music industry studies and entrepreneurship. This includes singers and songwriters, laptop performers, producers, composers, instrumentalists, vocalists and musicians whose practices and playing styles are representative of varied popular music idioms. Students can elect to choose either the performer or non-performer track, following the flexible major map to cater to their desired experience.

All students in this concentration develop general musicianship and foundational skills which prepare them to specialize in areas of study which include songwriting, production, composition, performance, engineering, sound design, live sound and event production, music business, popular music education and advocacy work. Students participate in both group and individual applied study in chosen specializations, augmented by yearly special programing and opportunities. All students gain a working knowledge of the music industry and music business, and the entrepreneurial skills necessary to gain meaningful employment upon graduation.

Internship courses provide opportunities for students to apply their learning in a real-life context and begin building relationships. A capstone senior year allows students to work more intimately with faculty on perfecting their craft as well as preparing for the shift from ASU to the industry.

Students are required to have a personal laptop capable of running a digital audio workstation, and they may need to purchase music software applications depending on their specialization.

Students attend classes at the Downtown Phoenix campus.