As part of the curriculum, each year’s junior class members (Music 393 & 493) assume operation of the major’s own recording label, the MIS Music Group.
The MIS Music Group opens the year by selecting the project’s two co-producers. The co-producers then interview class members and assign them to various teams according to project needs and their interests and abilities.
The A&R (Artist & Repertoire) team’s job is to find the “talent” they want to produce. They do this by running radio, magazine and newspaper ads. This talent search reaches far beyond the boundaries of the school’s property. It has drawn participants from as far away as Washington state and Oklahoma…along with a few entries each year from Europe and Asia! As an example, the 1997-1998 artist was a Washington state-based female pilot for Alaska Airlines.
After A&R has selected the year’s artist, the Production team takes over. The artist is taken to a professional recording studio where he/she/they record several tracks.
While all this is going on, the Marketing team is busy conceptualizing the marketing approach which involves designing of a professional-quality Media kit. Simultaneously, the Artistic Design team prepares artwork to be used on the CD and the jewel box.
The Publicity team is busy all year long publicizing and promoting the particular artist and keeping the news media aware of the program’s activities.
And finally, the class assembles the press kits and mails them to major and independent labels, music supervisors, TV and motion picture music departments and others in the music industry.
What is the goal of the project? This is a case where the journey is more important than the destination. The students learn about all facets of the music industry with a yearlong hands-on project. And they learn to work as a member of a team, a highly valued quality in the music industry.
Of course, it would be an added bonus if the artist were to be offered a recording contract…or if his music was used in a television or film production. And that’s bound to happen. Maybe this year, maybe next. But it will happen!
The students aren’t the only ones who benefit. The artist benefits as well by having a class of 35 dedicated college students working hard for nine months to promote his/her career. And it costs the artist nothing. He/she retains all rights and walks away with a professional quality demo and a press kit of such high quality that even major labels have expressed their admiration!
