By This new major is designed for students whose musical practice is grounded in electronic and digital technologies, fostering both artistic and technical fluency in areas such as electronic music production and performance, sound design, recording and editing, DJing, and the development of software and hardware. The program will blend hands-on experimentation with engagement in a variety of musical styles and practices.
In addition to technical coursework, the curriculum addresses the cultural, historical, and social contexts of music technology. Students learn to analyze and interpret electronic music from multiple perspectives, collaborate effectively in creative and professional environments, and contribute to inclusive artistic communities.
Guided by a vision to develop technologically curious musicians into leaders in their field, the program prepares graduates to navigate—and shape—music’s ever-evolving landscape.
The new program in Music Creation and Technology will be led by Associate Professor of Music and Technology Dennis DeSantis ’05E (DMA), who is currently recruiting for the program’s inaugural class, commencing study in fall 2027. “This program invites students to explore new ways of creating and experiencing music with technology,” shares DeSantis. “Students will make music using a range of modern tools, while also learning to think critically about those tools and to make new ones that push at the boundaries of what’s currently possible.”
DeSantis is a composer, percussionist, sound designer, author, and former Head of Music Learning at Ableton, one of the world’s leading music software companies. At Ableton, he led the creation of the interactive websites Learning Music and Learning Synths, and contributed to the design of Ableton products Live and Push. He is the author of Making Music: 74 Creative Strategies for Electronic Music Producers, a widely used resource in music production education.
“Dennis’s broad experience across the music industry—alongside his work as a performer, composer, and educator—makes him especially well-suited to lead this program,” states Kate Sheeran, Joan and Martin Messinger Dean at Eastman. “With this major, Eastman is taking a progressive approach to the intersection of music and technology, positioning our students to engage thoughtfully in a rapidly evolving field and to lead the future of musical innovation.”
The Music Creation and Technology program will be housed in a newly constructed, state-of-the-art collaborative center spanning 6,000 square feet of repurposed and modernized space on campus. The facility will consist of labs, creative spaces, classrooms, teaching studios, and a recording studio.
This program is part of the recently established Department of Sound Arts and Engineering—an interdisciplinary academic branch between the Eastman School of Music and the Hajim School of Engineering & Applied Sciences—and represents an expansion of Eastman’s Beal Institute.
For more information about this program, and to learn about applying for its first class of students, visit Eastman’s website.
Current high school students who are interested in learning more about music creation are invited to apply to the Eastman Summer Music Production Institute. This week-long summer intensive, running July 19-24, 2026, provides clear insight to the collegiate program, giving prospective students the chance to experience life at Eastman and work directly with DeSantis prior to applying. The deadline for Summer applications is May 31, 2026.
