<p>If i'm interested in a career producing/managing in the music industry- the business aspect, NOT singing etc, what would i major in? for instance if i wanted to own a record label/be a producer or manager, that sort of thing
also do you know schools with this major in the northeast/midatlantic region?
thanks!</p>
<p>Others know more than I do about this, but I will just start by mentioning Berklee, Northeastern, and UMass Lowell.</p>
<p>There are lots of variations on the “Music Business” degree, just start looking for colleges that offer something similar. It’s more or less like a business degree with a minor in music and a few business classes that are specific to the music industry.</p>
<p>I agree with imagep if you are looking at schools that focus on the business aspects of music in a generic business way. If you are talking about producing music or specifically owning a record label, then you want to focus on schools that focus on music as a skill (i.e. audition based on your knowledge or skills in music and an instrument or voice or composition) with music industry wrapped around that skill. At a school like Berklee, you still audition to get in to the school, regardless of major, but the benefits of majoring in music business at a school like Berklee (or similar schools) is that you are already working with musicians in your coursework, so your network for your future is already growing, but you also specifically learn about the legal aspects of the music business, concerts and tours promotion, record company operations, and specifics about music publishing. </p>
<p>At my D’s school, they seem to believe that in order to own a record label or to respectfully produce, you have to be proficient in music and the actual technical aspects of what a great recording sounds like when you hear or so you know what sells. As musicians, they want to work with a musician who just happens to know the business aspects of their work … they don’t want to work with corporate types that don’t know anything about music. (BTW, I work for a large corporation as an engineer, so I have nothing against corporations myself.)</p>
<p>other options…</p>
<p>My son’s college also offers a “music entrapanureship” minor which is open to all majors. It requires a couple basic business classes taught by the school of business, and the other four classes are specific to the music industry and are taught by the school of music. The focus is on actually starting your own music industry business, as opposed to managing someone elses music business.</p>
<p>You could major in business (management or whatever), and minor in music. At my son’s college the music minor is an 18 credit hour program, just like the music entrapanureship minor, but it is more focused on developing performance and music theory skills.</p>
<p>And like Snowflake mentioned, most performers would feel more confident if they were working with other performers. You might not have to be a professional level musician to be successful in the music business, but you definately have to be a musician. My son’s applied music professor stresses to all of his students that no mater what type of music job they end up getting (performance/recording/producing/conducting/teaching etc), they have to be a muscian first. </p>
<p>There is a lot of technical stuff in music, you need to be able to speak and understand the lingo, and even more importantly, understand and intepret and listen to what you HEAR. Listening is one of the most valued skills in the music industry - not just being able to play air guitar, but actually understanding what you are hearing. Personally, if I turn on the radio, I just hear a song. Muscians hear much more than that - they hear time signatures, they hear key signatures, they hear harmonies, they hear melodies, they hear the chorus, they hear diction, they hear dynamics, and a bunch of other stuff that has little meaning to me other than the fact that I know what I like when I hear it.</p>
<p>Imagine having a client ask you “what do you think of my rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic dictation, and should I adjust my triads and inversions”. If you can’t respond approriately, you have lost that client.</p>
<p>As far as being a top level performer manager, you may want to consider law school after college. Managers have to deal with things like contracts, copywrite issues, licensing, and negotiations, as well as promotion and marketing.</p>
<p>sorry, one more option…</p>
<p>My son’s college offers a BS in Sports and Entertainment Management. It’s a basic business core (accounting/finance/management/marketing etc), plus entertainment specific classes such as “Computer Applications in Sport and Entertainment Management”; “Sport and Entertainment Business and Finance”; “Sports and Entertainment Event Management” and a bunch of electives from classes like “The Live Entertainment Industry”; “Resort and Club Recreation Programming”; “Integrated Marketing Communication in Sport and Entertainment”; “Risk Management in Sport and Entertainment”; “Sales in Sport and Entertainment Business” (the list is really long). This major is specifically targeting people who want to be involved with sports (my best guess is it was created for jocks), but it’s curriculum is fairly flexible with an amazing variety in coursework in the entertainment industry outside of sports. There’s even a class on “The Business of NASCAR”.</p>
<p>Combine that curriculum with a music minor, and take your minor electives in music recording/production and I would think that would be near ideal for what you want to do.</p>