pointblank Music School Los Angeles
We are excited to announce that we are expanding our partnership with pointblank Music School for the 2026-2027 academic year! This year, we have collaborated to offer 1 full scholarship to the Associate of Science Degree in Music Production & Audio Engineering based in Los Angeles, as well as 1 full scholarship to the BSc (Hons) Music Production & Software Engineering Degree program based in London.
From our partners at pointblank:
Step into the music industry with pointblank LA’s new associate degree program, the Associate of Science degree in Music Production & Audio Engineering. This 2-year program will give you all the skills you need to begin your career in the music industry, whether it be as a music producer, audio engineer, film/TV composer, sound designer, or recording artist. Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music, this unique degree is designed and taught by professional musicians who have worked with the likes of Lorde, Jay-Z, and Moby, among many other well-known artists. Plus, unlock the chance to study abroad in London for 1 or 2 terms and immerse yourself in the UK's iconic music scene and nightlife!
Throughout this associate degree, you'll learn how to create high quality professional tracks in our state-of-the-art studios. You'll gain knowledge in key areas such as audio engineering, sound design, composing for film and TV, vocal production, and remixing, and you'll get to study mixing and mastering on our 32-channel SSL Origin console. All degree students receive the Ableton Live Suite software and Native Instruments Komplete included with the program, as well as the chance to submit your music to our in-house label pointblank recordings and receive industry mentoring sessions from our Music Business guru Marko DeSantis, who has a gold record for his work in the band Sugarcult. At pointblank, we make it our priority to connect you to the music industry through masterclasses, events, and networking opportunities with industry professionals.
Applications Close July 12, 2026
Program Details:
Award notifications will be sent on August 14, 2026.
Program Start Date: October 5, 2026
Program Duration: 2 years
This is a full-time program with students expected to attend 4 classes per week.
Location: pointblank music school in Los Angeles, California.
Housing: pointblank does not offer housing, but they have partnerships that aid in finding housing.
pointblank Music School is unable to sponsor visas for international students at this time. Applicants to this program must be U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents. International students are encouraged to apply for the London pointblank Music School scholarship, details can be found here.
In addition to the scholarship, each recipient will also be paired with a mentor from We Are Moving The Needle’s world-class network of mentors.
Scholarship Requirements:
We Are Moving The Needle is proud to offer one (1) scholarship for this program.
This scholarship will be awarded in alignment with We Are Moving The Needle’s mission to empower women, trans, and non-binary creators in the music industry with a demonstrated commitment to production and engineering.
Scholarship applicants will be reviewed for: 1) Overall fit with the pointblank program and demonstrated learning goals, 2) Alignment with We Are Moving The Needle’s scholarship qualifications (stated above), 3) Clearly defined goals and demonstrated commitment to work in the field that would benefit from this opportunity.
In compliance with industry standards, We Are Moving The Needle expects that written materials and work samples have a meaningful contribution from the applicant. Any usage of generative artificial intelligence in work samples must be disclosed in your application.
Questions about applying for a We Are Moving The Needle Professional Scholarship? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions below!
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Scholarship applications are reviewed by We Are Moving The Needle’s scholarship committee, which is composed of leaders across the industry (from both the creative and business side) and mentors. Applications are evaluated using a qualitative and quantitative rubric that assess candidates’ preparation for success in their particular program, their articulation of career goals and commitment to production and engineering, and how this scholarship will meaningfully impact their stated goals.
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Thorough and thoughtful written responses. Successful candidates make the fullest use of the suggested word counts, provide clear and compelling answers, and demonstrate an overall thoughtfulness to the written components of the application as well as the portfolio and supplemental materials. Reviewers can tell if you write your application using Chat GPT: we want your voice, not the bots!
Clear articulation of goals that include growing skills and leadership behind the board. We Are Moving The Needle drives equity for producers, engineers, and those working in technical roles in the recording industry. Many successful alumni are multi-faceted creators and also work as songwriters and artists, but they maintain a commitment to learning, growing, and leading behind the board as well as in front.
Clear understanding of the scholarship or grant program and why you believe it will help you further your goals. Successful candidates have clearly read and researched the MicroGrant details in full and are able to share a clear understanding of why this particular opportunity is important to this phase of their creative journey. Strong candidates demonstrate a clear need for funding and how this will meaningfully shape their journey within the context of their given program or goals.
A comprehensive portfolio that clearly highlights skills behind the board. Applicants are always evaluated in accordance with the skills required for the relevant program: for an engineering masterclass, successful candidates have clear strengths and skills required as an engineer at the appropriate level for that course, for a songwriting camp they must have acumen as a songwriter, etc. Entry-level programs are tiered towards entry-level applicants. A strong portfolio tells the candidate’s story as a creator: highlighting strengths, goals, and even areas of growth as they align with the program in question.