Music Industry faculty members and students.
A new Music Industry minor, developed to complement the educational experience of students at Fredonia who are studying music, communication, business or economics, will be in place when the 2020-2021 academic year begins in August.
The Music Industry minor is housed in Fredonia’s School of Business, which established SUNY’s only Bachelor of Science in Music Industry program four years ago. Already a popular major at Fredonia, it currently enrolls nearly 150 students and has attracted interest from students from other disciplines.
“For many years, students from the School of Music and Department of Communication were taking courses offered in the Music Industry major and asked whether we had a minor in Music Industry,” explained School of Business Associate Director Reneta Barneva.
“We think it will be really attractive for music students, especially, because it will offer them insight into the business part of the industry,” Dr. Baneva said.
The Music Industry minor has potential to appeal to a wide pool of students, those majoring in Music programs (Education, Performance, Composition or Sound Recording Technology), Communication (Audio/Radio Production, Video Production, Media Management, Public Relations, Communication Studies or Journalism), Business Administration or Economics, Barneva suggested.
Moreover, having a Music Industry minor, Barneva noted, will help to distinguish Fredonia from similar schools that have strong music programs.
Areas covered in Music Industry courses include legal matters as well as marketing and organizational skills necessary for people who want to work in the industry as their own agents or production managers, as tour agents, media managers, industry or consumer researchers, entertainment managers, marketing representatives or program directors.
“A minor in Music Industry will be important for Fredonia music majors, especially performance majors, because it is becoming increasingly evident that musicians must adopt sustainable business practices in their work, engaging the public in innovative ways and thereby creating a market for their musical services,” said School of Music Director Melvin Unger.
Practical topics such as copyright and contracts coupled with an internship will prepare School of Music graduates for the realities of music in the marketplace, Dr. Unger noted.
The 18-credit-hour curriculum was developed in consultation with Music Industry Coordinator Armand Petri, an award-winning independent producer, and faculty member Stuart Shapiro, a Buffalo-based attorney who has represented songwriters, performers, authors, recording studios, record companies and film companies.
