CRAS Grads Make A Mark at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards

In Total, 39 CRAS Graduates Worked on GRAMMY-Nominated Albums and Songs Across 40 Categories

The Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences (CRAS; www.cras.edu), the premier institution for audio engineering education, is proud to announce that 39 CRAS graduates worked on GRAMMY-nominated albums and songs across 40 categories during the past year. Six of these CRAS graduates have been nominated for a GRAMMY Award. The 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards show is scheduled for Monday, January 31 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

“Our industry has worked hard to get back to where we were pre-pandemic,” said Kirt Hamm, CRAS administrator. “We may not be completely there yet, but one thing is for sure is that our graduates work incredibly hard and continue to be recognized for their contributions to the music industry year in and year out. We could not be more proud of our grads, and soon-to-be grads. All of our GRAMMY-nominated graduates, as well as all of our graduates that are living their dream in this business, are fine examples of where hard work and dedication can take you, especially during these trying times.”

This year, the following CRAS graduates have been nominated for a GRAMMY Award:

  • Jeff Ellis; mix engineer; Album of the Year for “Planet Her (Deluxe)” by Doja Cat
  • Omar Loya; engineer; Album of the Year for “Back of My Mind” by H.E.R.
  • Cory Bice; engineer; Album of the Year for “Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe)” by Justin Bieber
  • Sam Holland; engineer; Album of the Year for “Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe)” by Justin Bieber
  • Jonathan Pfarr; engineer; Album of the Year for “Donda” by Kanye West
  • Todd Monfalcone; engineer; Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical for “Dawn” by Yebba

Last year, six CRAS graduates worked on six 2021 GRAMMY Award-winning nominations by numerous artists. In total, 25 CRAS graduates worked on 28 GRAMMY-nominated albums and songs.

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 its small class sizes allowing for individual instruction and assistance for students in engineering audio recordings. 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 12, 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.