The Conservatory of Recording Arts & Science’s “Director’s List” Includes Three Levels of Achievement in Gold, Platinum, and Diamond Categories
Gilbert, Ariz., June 14, 2016 – The Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences (CRAS; www.cras.edu), the premier institution for audio engineering education, is proud to announce the one year anniversary of issuing its “Director’s List” awards to top graduates. Three levels of achievement recognize a graduate’s tenure at CRAS based on academic performance, attendance, and certifications gained.
“Our Director’s List is recognition of overall academic success at the Conservatory,” explained Kirt Hamm, CRAS administrator. “Students who meet and maintain certain criteria are presented with a certificate of achievement. This level of excellence is something that every student is urged to strive for in order to better position themselves for even greater success upon graduation.”
Director’s List criteria are as follows:
Gold List: 3.8 GPA; 96 percent attendance; no more than four tardies
Platinum List: 4.0 GPA; 100 percent attendance; no more than two tardies
Diamond List (the highest level of achievement a student can receive at CRAS): 4.0 GPA; 100 percent attendance; no more than two tardies; and must receive every certification offered at CRAS, which includes:
- Pro Tools Tiers 1-6
- Logic Pro
- AutoTune
- Melodyne
- Reason
- Waves
- T.C. S6000
- T.C. M3000
- SoundVision
- Smaart
As of this most recent graduating class since the Director’s List’s inception one year ago in May 2015, only five students have met the Diamond List’s criteria, including Michael Fong, Michael Kocheran, Joseph Albanesi, Matthew Pflug, and Ryan Wiltbank.
In all, there have also been 49 Gold List recipients and 47 Platinum List recipients. Director’s List recipients are currently employed at leading studios nationwide, including Firehouse Recording Studios (Pasadena, Calif.), Chez Boom Audio (Austin, Texas), Robert Lang Studios (Seattle, Wash.), Rocky Mountain Recorders (Denver, Colo.), Sound Image (Nashville, Tenn.), Westlake Recording Studios (Los Angeles), Rockwood Music Hall (New York), and more.
“As you can see, achieving the highest level of achievement is no easy task,” Hamm continued. “We are incredibly proud of all of our graduates, and adding a Director’s List award to their resume will show potential employers and clients their true dedication and knowledge of their craft.”
Earlier this year, two CRAS graduates won 2016 Grammy Awards. In addition, 13 graduates received credit for their work on 17 Grammy-winning categories. Overall, 38 CRAS graduates worked on numerous 2016 Grammy-nominated albums and songs across 36 categories.
The Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences is composed of two nearby campuses in Gilbert and Tempe, Ariz. A CRAS education includes broadcast audio, live sound, film and TV audio, music, and video game audio, all taught by award-winning instructors who have all excelled in their individual fields, including sound reinforcement, audio recording and production, digital recording, troubleshooting/maintenance, and music business.
“[CRAS’] structured programs and highly qualified teaching staff provide a professional and supportive atmosphere, which is complemented by our small class sizes allowing for individual instruction and assistance for students in engineering audio recordings,” Hamm concluded. “CRAS has been providing quality vocational training in audio recording for more than three decades. The curriculum and equipment are constantly being updated to keep pace with the rapid advancements in the music and sound recording industries. CRAS’ course offerings and subject matter have always centered around the skills and knowledge necessary for students’ success in the audio recording industries.”
The 11-month program is designed to allow every student access to learn and train in all of the Conservatory’s studios which are comprised with state-of-the-art audio recording and mixing gear, the same equipment used in today’s finest studios and remote broadcast facilities, including Pro Tools 11, API Legacy consoles, SSL AWS consoles, Studer Vista consoles, and much more. All students must complete a 280-hour industry internship to graduate from the Master Recording Program II that may ultimately lead to industry employment.
