SAEM Department Offers New Course Focused on the Recording Industry Friday, December 6, 2013
Country music artist Sarah Marince talks to students in the SAEM Recording Business class.
For sports, arts and entertainment management majors like Max Kovalchuk, a course on the recording industry fits perfectly with his career goal to work for a management company or record label.
"In class we talked about the recording process and went into the studio to see how the information translates from the book to real life. The course has really helped me learn about the recording studio," explained Kovalchuk. "Even though I have been in studios to record, I didn't know much about the business side of how to operate and maintain a studio."
According to Associate Professor Ed Traversari, many of the courses in the SAEM department are chosen based on the students' interest level and career goals.
"It's important we listen to our students and provide them with specific classes in which they show a real interest. We also make sure to select instructors who have worked in the real world and can talk about their job experiences," said Traversari.
The Recording Business course is co-taught by Jesse Naus, president and head engineer of Red Caiman Media and Mark Fritzges, vice president of promotions for Atlantic Records. It covers a wide variety of areas - from showing students the process of recording, mixing, producing and promoting an album - to working with artists, producers and radio programmers.
"Most of my teaching revolves around my day-to-day work as a producer, engineer and studio owner," remarked Naus. "My recording studio is only a short walk from campus which has allowed me to bring the students into a working facility and see what the business is like first-hand."
Fritzges' teaching style also focuses on his day-to-day work experience in the music industry.
"We talk about how music is being consumed by listeners, how Pandora and Spotify are playing a role in the exposure of new artists and anything else that's a hot topic in the music business," said Fritzges.
Both instructors have brought radio programmers and music artists into the classroom as guest speakers.
Additional industry-specific courses are being offered in the upcoming spring semester. Greg Joseph, bass guitarist and vocalist for The Clarks and Amy Cooper, director of marketing for Stage AE, will be co-teaching a course on talent management while Dick Roberts, president of New Perspective Communications, will be teaching the New Media Management course.
"With more than 30 years in the music industry, my class will incorporate both the successes and failures I have seen in the business. Sometimes funny, sometimes tragic, they are the basis for making good decisions in any business," explained Joseph. "It's important to understand there is a business side to being an athlete, performer or artist."
Photo by Chris Squier, senior photojournalism major