Peoria, IL, April 15, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
Music is a universal language, able to introduce and connect us to a wider world and its inhabitants. Business blends art and science to bring people and ideas together. Combine the two, and you have the prospect of a dynamic, fulfilling career.
Awards shows like the Grammys, competitions like The Voice and American Idol and recording artists like Beyonce, Ed Sheeran, and Kendrick Lamar are one side of the industry. But the $130 billion worldwide industry also needs technicians, managers, web designers, publishers and instrument makers.
Bradley University’s music business program is the nation’s oldest, dating to 1948. Carl Anderson, a 1986 graduate of Bradley University, is the instructor in residence who directs the Music Business and Music and Entertainment Industry programs at Bradley.
Students who plan to enroll in Music Business must go through the audition process for admission to the music department and have the ability and interest to perform, either vocally or instrumentally, at a high level. It combines traditional courses in both areas with classes specifically focused on music business, “where all this blends together,” Anderson said. “We’re going to teach them the business of music.”
There also is a capstone internship in some area of the music industry. Many of these tap alumni connections at cutting-edge companies in the industry. “We have a pretty strong alumni connection from New York City to Los Angeles,” Anderson noted.
While newer, the music and entertainment industry major targets students interested in a career in music but without the performance component. For these students, Anderson said, the traditional music courses, such as performance, theory or composition, are replaced with communication classes. “They take classes in interactive media, audio, video production and journalistic writing,” he said. Students also take business courses and music-focused classes.
With 65 majors between both disciplines, there’s a variety of backgrounds and interests represented, and Anderson noted four major career areas in the music and entertainment industry with hundreds of potential jobs for students. He said while the right-brain functions of music and creativity are tapped, there are plenty of opportunities for left-brained thinkers in areas like accounting and contracts.
Major career areas:
Production: An estimated 90 percent of the students in this major nationwide are involved with this.
Music licensing: Record labels, publishing, and video work are the major focus. “Taking intellectual property and monetizing it,” Anderson said, adding the expansion of technology, along with digital and online platforms means the field “is growing in a lot of ways.” Because of the intensive study of contracts, it’s also helpful for those wanting to go into entertainment law.
Live events: Work as a talent agent or personal manager for a performer or on the nonprofit side in management, marketing, development and sales for fine arts groups and venues. “Or they can be on the other end of the equation as a promoter or working for a venue that does live events.”
Music products – Not covered widely in other programs, this $17 billion a year industry covers the instruments, sheet music and accessories musicians use. “One of our biggest strengths is we don’t ignore the music products industry,” said Anderson, a finance major and accomplished trombonist who plays professionally and spent 28 years in the products industry.
Another strength of the Bradley program is the faculty’s industry experience. Anderson, who majored in finance, wrote a textbook about the music products part of the industry.
Another instructor, Doug Frank was a composer and president of music operations for Warner Bros. Pictures, supervising the music for more than 500 movies like the Harry Potter series, the Matrix films, the Batman trilogy, and Happy Feet.
“One of our strengths is the people who teach this program come from a background in the business,” Anderson said. “They didn’t just read it in a book about the music business – they wrote the book.”
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