Music Management

What it’s about:

This major provide a broad understanding of the fields of music and management. You take courses in music history, theory, and performance. In addition, you explore the methods, concepts, and principles of management, with specific focus on the music business.

What the study of this major is like;

The music management major prepares you to enter the music business world. You learn about issues such as patronage, copyright laws and musician’s union regulation, as well as fund-raising , grant-proposal writing, and advertising techniques.

There are two main approaches to the music management, expecting you to learn only a minimal amount about music. In these programs, you generally take a core of courses that teach methods, concepts, and principles of music management and business. A number of other programs have strong offerings in music, with only a smattering of business and management courses. Industry experts have come to demand a greater balance between the two aspects of the major. Ideally, you should choose a program that provides maximum opportunities to study both music and business/management.

For a comprehensive or music-oriented program, you may be asked to demonstrate (through an audition) the ability to play an instrument or sing, and to take a music theory placement examination. To prepare yourself, you’ll need some previous music training. Such colleges also require you to enrol in a sequence of music history and theory courses, in addition to the business and management courses. In all programs you, must participate in activities promoting music and art on campus and in the surrounding community (such as campus concerts and local civic organizations) to test out the concepts and strategies you study in class. Additionally, most colleges expect you to take 30–40 percent of your total courses work in humanities, mathematics, and the sciences, to ensure that you receive a well-rounded education.

Upper-level courses often require at least two internships at off-campus establishment. These internships, often in cooperation with recording studios music publishing houses, arts organizations, symphony orchestras, or television studios, provide a unique way for you to explore the professional field under the guidance of college mentors. The biggest challenge most student encounter involves time management – balancing the development of academic skills with pratical fieldwork. You also need to cultivate good “people skills”.

Career options and trends:

Business manager*; recording industry promoter or producer*; orchestra manager; booking agent; artist representative or manager; music publishing executive or editor*; television and radio promoter*; A&R (artist and repertories) administrator or coordinator; studio production manager; entertainment lawyer.

The field is becoming highly international, so knowledge of a foreign language (such as Spanish, French, or Japanese) is a big plus. Also, knowledge of digital technology and intellectual property rights is essential. As in all art-related fields, there is plenty of competition, but the business end of music is varied enough to provide greater opportunity. Internships experience, which is expects of job applicants in all music-related business, is an invaluable way to develop networking contacts and, sometimes, to receive job offers.

Source: CollegeBoard 2012 Book of Majors