Emerging Media

a live recording session from studio G, you can see the performers in the studio through the glass

As new technologies and platforms are being developed it is important that TAC students get a chance to work on the cutting edge, prepared for the latest and greatest jobs in the industry. Our offerings in Augmented and Virtual Reality explore all the dimensions of spatial sound, from Ambisonics to ATMOS. Students also explore artificial Intelligence programs and how they can be used as tools in their everyday workflow. With SFCM an official Dolby Learning Partner, TAC students work side by side with Dolby engineers and designers learning the in’s and out’s of extra dimensional mixing in Dolby ATMOS. From pop songs to games, there is no limit to the breath and style being created. The future is now!

The Conservatory is absolutely amazing, some of the best facilities I have ever seen.”

— RICKY KEJ, GRAMMY-winning composer

TAC's new studios in the Bowes Center, inaugurated in late 2021, are home to digital Avid S6 and analog API 1608-II consoles, as well as a Meyer Sound 9.1.6 Dolby Atmos monitoring system, making them the perfect place for audio recording, post-production, and spatial audio experimentation.

Award-winning film composer Michael Abels met one-on-one with TAC students during a campus visit.

Each semester visiting artists from Sony Interactive Entertainment work with SFCM’s TAC students to record student scores for a fictional video game.

Students work with industry professionals in Studio G, the TAC program's technology hall, to adjust the variable acoustic and truss system in preparation for recording.

50 Oak Street's Studio A, a space designed for large-scale and advanced recording projects as well as clinics and master classes with visiting artists and professionals.

Bay Area's NPR affiliate KQED said, "One could call TAC the perfect marriage of technology, classical musicianship, and experimentation."

Each January, SFCM students participate in Winter Term, a dedicated period of exploration outside one's primary focus area. During Winter Term, TAC students have participated in projects such as building hardware synthesizers, projection mapping in Hume Concert Hall, and performing with modular synths in a public concert.

TAC plays host to SFCM's "Future is Female" concert in honor of International Women's Day.

SFCM’s TAC program offers students a direct path to careers in film, television and media scoring, sound design, and audio engineering. More than 90% of alumni are employed in the field of their choice—one of the highest job placement rates anywhere.

TAC Department

Minors

Customize your degree with minors that deepen your musical interests or expand your skills across disciplines.

Academics

Explore music theory, history, humanities, and interdisciplinary coursework that broadens your perspective as both a musician and a scholar.

Ensembles

Perform in recitals, ensembles, orchestras, opera productions, chamber music, and more than 500 concerts each year.

Professional Development and Engagement Center

Develop skills in entrepreneurship, finance, marketing, contracts, and career planning.

The Bowes Center

Live, learn, rehearse, and connect in a residence designed to bring artists together in one creative community.

Life on Campus

Find community through student organizations, wellness resources, campus traditions, and life in the heart of San Francisco.

Emerging Media

— RICKY KEJ, GRAMMY-winning composer

Beyond Your Major