Samples, Loops & Beats

Music Production

Ages 8+

3-6 students

75 min

Thurs 5:00-6:15 PM

About This Course

Ideal For

This course is perfect for anyone who wants to dive into beatmaking and explore genres like hip-hop, trap, R&B, and funk. You’ll get comfortable in Ableton while learning how to generate ideas quickly and create samples and beats for yourself or other artists.

At a Glance

What to know before enrolling

Thursdays 5:00-6:15PM

Join Samples, Loops & Beats at any point during the term, as long as space is available. Tuition is prorated automatically at checkout based on your enrolment date.

Prerequisites

No experience required.

Bring With You

Headphones (over-ear recommended), A notebook or journal for session notes. A laptop with Ableton is preferred, but only required for at home work.

What You'll Learn

SAMPLE Schedule · 75 Minutes per session

01

weeks 1-2

Music Appreciation + Remixing

Share favourite music and inspirations
Break down song stems to understand how tracks are built
Begin remixing existing stems into new creations

02

weeks 3-4

Samples, Loops + Idea Generation

Create original samples as a group
Make creative production decisions collaboratively
Develop and expand ideas independently at home

03

weeks 5-6

Beatmaking + Arrangement

Turn samples and loops into full beats
Explore song structure and arrangement
Build dynamics within a track

04

weeks 7-8

Individual Projects

Develop and refine personal projects
Receive feedback from instructor and peers
Complete and present a finished track

What You'll Walk Away With

01

Use Ableton, MIDI, recording, and sound design to generate ideas and navigate production tools

02

Explore how to evoke different emotions through creative production choices

03

Create original samples, beats, and remixes by combining existing and new audio into full compositions

After this course: After completing this program, students can continue their development through private or semi-private sessions, or advance into the next level of the program offered in Fall 2026 or Winter 2027.

Meet Your Instructors

Alisa Erlikh

Music Production Instructor

Classically trained in the oboe and piano at the Royal Conservatory of Music, Alisa pursued an Audio Engineering Diploma from Trebas Institute after graduating University of Toronto. She has been DJing and producing music since the age of 13, and doing sound for Film and TV since 2016.

Developing workshops for various colleges and programs across the city, Alisa eventually settled into the instructional role at Toronto Film School, as well as offering audio for film education to young talent at the Muskoka Film Camp.

Alisa’s teaching style is very experiential – she invites the students to operate the equipment as she instructs them step by step, allowing the students to learn by listening and discovering the motions intuitively.

Featured Work

IMDb Alisa Erlikh

Ready to start?

No experience needed. Just show up – we’ll handle the rest.