Music Marketing & Music Industry Studies

The Music Marketing program at UTSA provides a unique and exciting learning experience to serious musicians who are interested in the business of music. Our program is distinctly different from most college music industry programs in several ways. First, and possibly most important to students, it’s a full Bachelor of Music degree, with all the advantages, opportunities, and requirements of other areas in the BM degree. Our graduates are excellent, well trained musicians that can flourish in the highly competitive professional music world. Second, we have a rigorous business core requirement. These courses, which include economics, marketing, communication, and management courses, provide Music Marketing students with the basic skills and concepts they need to understand the business environment apart from the constantly changing and unpredictable music industry. Third, we emphasize a broad range of activities that offer practical experience in diverse areas of music that correspond to students’ interests. We work on arts administration projects, live music promotion and production, audio recording and internet distribution projects, music products sales and marketing, and entrepreneurial activities that help prepare students to meet the challenges of forging a career in music.

The specific Music Marketing courses include Introduction to the Music Industry, which is a survey of music industry concepts, structures, and the primary issues that have shaped our modern music industry. Another course under development is Entrepreneurship in Music, which delves deeply into innovations and trends in the music world, including a detailed look at intellectual property and contractual issues that have endured throughout a rapidly changing music business environment. American Music and Culture and American Roots Music examine popular and commercial music from a cultural, historical, and economic perspective, and the Seminar in Music Marketing provides juniors and seniors in Music Marketing the opportunity to work directly on projects of their own choosing as well as work directly with music industry professionals who regularly visit our program. Recent projects have included organizing and producing concerts, a battle of the bands, building websites for music store e-commerce, producing print and online newsletters, and even working on a guitar festival. These projects prepare Music Marketing students for success in their Internship in Music Marketing. The internship provides an intensive, off campus experience in the professional music world. UTSA students have interned for symphony orchestras, record companies, radio stations, live music venues, opera companies, church music programs; a wide variety of organizations that match individual student’s interests with potential employers.

The MOB, or Musicians Organization for Business, is our student activities group focused on music marketing. Joining is a great way to get to know other Music Marketing students and get involved with some fun projects around campus and around town. Last spring the MOB was heavily involved with a battle of the bands at one of San Antonio’s hottest venues.

The UTSA Music Marketing program attracts ambitious, dedicated music students that are not afraid of a challenge and are looking for a program that will prepare them to be competitive in a tough business. We’re definitely not a “fantasy camp” program for would-be record producers or studio engineers. (Although, we have an excellent music technology certificate program!) Our graduates have an impressive record of finding good jobs and building good careers in real-life situations in the music world. Meet some of our students:

	Music Marketing rounded out my interest in the whole music world, the art, the instruments, and the people. I've always loved music but my musical horizons have expanded immensely here at UTSA. My professors have helped me to focus my interests and apply me to them to the music business. Through the music marketing classes, I have learned managing techniques and the business aspects of my passion. Not many appreciate how much it takes to keep music in everyone's lives. I want to knock down these barriors. UTSA's music marketing degrees will help me develop my interests and allow me to give back to the art, the business, future students, and the people I love so much.   MaryCatherine Sughrue, UTSA Music Marketing student class of 2011
	The Music Marketing program allows students to learn the the business aspect of the music industry. The program serves a wide array of courses such as arts administration, music publishing and recording industry. What sets this program apart is you get an actual music education along with higher level business courses. Another benefit is the internship, where you can take what you learn and apply it to real world working conditions. If you have a passion for music and what it takes to make a career in the field, Music Marketing is an excellent program. Nicholas Garcia, UTSA Music Marketing student, class of 2009
	I chose Music Marketing as my degree because I love music, I love great concerts, and I love doing what it takes to put on a great performance, both onstage and behind the stage. I have had the chance to work with many different artists and I love doing behind the scenes work and helping to make the show a success. I am excited to see a huge crowd and know that all of the advertising, promoting, and hard work have paid off in ticket sales.  My degree in Music Marketing at UTSA is a great way to help me find the work I want in this field. Norma Perez, UTSA Music Marketing student, class of 2011
	The Music Marketing program at UTSA was a great experience. The program balanced music, music industry, and business studies very well. Music Marketing majors have the opportunity to do projects outside of school, and are required to get an internship that prepares them for real world music industry jobs. Music Marketing majors get to learn valuable information from music industry professionals that speak to the music marketing classes. They also get to network with people who have had years of experience in the San Antonio music scene and elsewhere. One of my projects was to create a battle of the bands with a small group that turned out to be a great success. The project taught me how to plan, promote, and produce a large event. My internship was with ARTS San Antonio, during which I got to work with acts such as Aretha Franklin, Randy Travis, Crosby Stills and Nash, and the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra. The program quenched my thirst for musical knowledge with intense music theory courses. My principal instrument was guitar and Dr. Dunne’s guitar studio was the best an aspiring guitarist could ask for. After graduation I will have the skills to be a guitar teacher/performer, work in the music industry, or pursue business related work. Zach Keen, UTSA Music Marketing student, class of 2009
	The Music Marketing program at UTSA is one of the few programs within the country that combines both classical music and music industry curriculum. Very few other graduates from similar programs will be able to say they are familiar with late 17th century music in addition to the mechanics of record companies. As I approach my fourth year, the most vital component of my education has been the constant advising from not only the Music Marketing faculty, but all Music Department faculty. One of the things you’ll often hear a faculty member tell a potential student is that one will never feel like a “number” within the program. It is that promise in addition to the relationships built within the Department that has made my undergraduate education as successful as it has been. Roxanna Tehrani, UTSA Music Marketing student, class of 2010, winner of the UTSA Outstanding Achievement in Music Marketing Award

Here’s a link to the current Music Marketing course requirements:

http://www.utsa.edu/ucat/chapter6/BMus.html#markt

If you think the UTSA Music Marketing program might be for you, and you’d like to know more, please feel free to email me.

Dr. Matthew Dunne
Coordinator, Music Marketing
UTSA Department of Music
Email: matthew.dunne@utsa.edu

The University of Texas at San Antonio Department of Music
6900 North Loop 1604 West, San Antonio, Texas 78249
210.458.4354
Questions & Comments
©2003-2004 University of Texas at San Antonio