Music Industry Higher Education
Several schools across the United States provide training and formal degrees in music business. These programs have recruited top industry professionals to teach, lending their real world expertise and advise. These programs face the challenge of helping steer the future of the music industry through research and critical thought, while providing an environment where students can get jobs in a competitive and changing field. Hear from industry experts/academics and their assessment of education and the music business.
Presenters
JUSTIN SINKOVICH is full-time faculty in the Arts Entertainment Media Management Department at Columbia College Chicago. He is also the Manager and Senior Partner of File 13 Records and the newly resurrected Epitonic.com. Previous experience includes New Media Manager at Touch and Go Records, US Label Manager of Southern Records, and Managing Editor of betterPropaganda.com. As a musician he was a member of Thumbnail, Atombombpocketknife, and currently The Poison Arrows.
After graduating from DePaul University with degrees in Accounting & Marketing, Megan Davey became General Manager at Pitchfork handling the accounting and human resources functions for the company as Pitchfork has grown to over thirty full-time employees. Prior to Pitchfork, Megan worked in the promotions department at Schubas, a venue in Chicago. She's currently adjunct faculty at Columbia College, teaching a course in e-commerce.
After graduating from the School of The Art Institute of Chicago with a degree in Film & Video, David Lewis founded the PR company Riot Act Media handling public relations for a slew of indie artists including Minus The Bear, Maps & Atlases and David Bazan.
In 2008 David moved into higher education and has since been featured on All Things Considered, PBS, Time Out Chicago and New City discussing the virtues of arts and music careers. David brings the same entrepreneurial spirit and passion to McNally Smith College of Music, providing workshops, guidance, advice, dialogue, seminars, and encouragement to the school’s burgeoning talent.
Yvonne is part-time faculty in the International Events, Music & Entertainment at Fontys Academy of Creative Industries in Tilburg, The Netherlands. She is also head marketing & pr of Roadburn Festival Europe’s leading underground festival for psychedelic, avant-garde, doom or any other variation of leftfield sonic pleasures that push the boundaries of music.
Previous experience includes Head of Marketing & PR for Relapse Records Europe, live music production for numerous venues, festivals and tours and freelance artist marketing for Europe.
Darren Walters is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Music Industry Program at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA. Darren is responsible for core Music Business classes including History of the Music Industry, Recording Industry II, Marketing & Promotion for the Music Industry, Music Industry E-Commerce and the student-run artist services company, Bantic Media.
In addition, Walters is co-founder of the independent record label Jade Tree. In operation for over 20 years and with more than 130 releases, Jade Tree has released records from artists such as The Promise Ring, Jets to Brazil, Lifetime, Pedro the Lion, Strike Anywhere, Kid Dynamite and many more.
Thursday, March 15
