The Future of Music Could Soon Be Found Here

There are many lessons that can be learned from the entertainment industry, the first—and perhaps most widely known—being not everyone ends up a finalist on American Idol. However, not making the cut on American Idol doesn’t spell the end of one’s career in entertainment.

California State University Channel Islands will soon offer its students— and American Idol runners up—an opportunity to learn about the music business and parlay that knowledge into an entertainment industry career.

Earlier this year, California State University Chancellor Charles Reed announced an Entertainment Industry Initiative to create industry partnerships that could prepare students better for careers in the entertainment industry. The initiative addresses the need for a skilled workforce for the entertainment industry of the future. Academic
Affairs and University Advancement officials at CSU Channel Islands recognized that need and responded with the concept of the Future of Music Program.

Prior to the announcement of the CSU Entertainment Industry Initiative, CSU Channel Islands had already been in discussion with music industry veteran Mark Hartley regarding University facilities. The connection with Hartley gave the University an opportunity to bring in other interested entertainment industry executives and celebrities to help establish the academic program at CSU Channel Islands that could strengthen the entertainment industry workforce.

“I am delighted to help make a connection between the music and media community and CSU Channel Islands. This program will educate the future generations of music industry professionals who will be instrumental to the integration of music entertainment and society,” Hartley said. “Technology is advancing at incredible speed and the innovators of the future will have a firm knowledge of new media and all of its potential.” Hartley manages country stars Vince Gill and LeAnn Rimes and blues star Robert Cray. He also owns the Watermark Restaurant in Ventura.

Hartley’s endorsement brought several other members of the entertainment industry to the table to form an advisory committee including Dann Bowley, a former Sony executive; Victor Rodriguez, Music Director, THQ; Steve Schnur, music executive, Electronic Arts; Gary Haber, Haber Corporation; Budd Carr, Music Producer of several Hollywood blockbusters; and Ken Caillat, music industry veteran. They unanimously supported the possibility of an academic program centered on the music and entertainment industry. Since September, with their guidance, the Future of Music program has begun to take shape.

“We are still in the very early planning stages of this exciting new program. In the coming months the advisors Mark has brought in and CSU Channel Islands faculty members will work on the details,” said Dawn Neuman, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at CSU Channel Islands.

Hartley and the advisory committee will be working with Jack Reilly, Chair of the Art program and Professor of Art; Jacquelyn Kilpatrick, Chair of the English program and Professor of English; and William P. Cordeiro, Senior Associate Dean and Director of the Martin V. Smith School of Business & Economics to create a program of study that encompasses all aspects of the music industry. Specifically, the program will focus on the areas of art, business, and science — hosting a curriculum that supports the University mission to be interdisciplinary and experiential, student focused, and global and multicultural in its perspectives.

It has not yet been determined whether the Future of Music will be a certificate program or will be offered as an academic minor. The intent of the program is to produce students with the performance, business, and technology skills needed to prepare them for entrance into the music marketplace. These courses will be taught by those who have excelled in their craft in the music industry along with CSU Channel Islands faculty.

In addition to developing the academic side of the program, funding must be secured to make the program a reality. Julia Wilson, Vice President for University Advancement at CSU Channel Islands, said the University is seeking an initial $300,000 to design and create the curriculum. Once the program is established, the University will seek additional funding to endow the program and to sustain the program’s operations as well as to provide scholarship opportunities for talented students.

A firm timeline has not been established for the program, but officials from both the Academic Affairs and University Advancement divisions hope to move the program forward in the coming months with the possibility of offering it to students as early as 2010.