The Greatbatch School of Music’s tradition of musical excellence at Houghton has recently expanded to include a degree in music industry. The Bachelor of Science degree was approved by New York State and the National Association for Schools of Music in December of 2015. Kevin Jackson, Director of Technical Arts and Music Industry, explained that the goal of the degree is to open opportunities for students while maintaining high standards of musical excellence, applied knowledge, technical facility, and spiritual growth. Dean of the Greatbatch School of Music Armenio Suzano, commented, “The B.S. in music industry brings Houghton College to the edge of what is being offered nationwide in terms of technical arts, commercial music, sound production, lighting, and recording.”
The major’s coursework is built on four main cores. The first core ensures foundational knowledge in music theory as well as experience in performance. Students are required to take advanced theory classes and participate in an ensemble each semester which reflects the grounding in classical training for which Greatbatch is known. The second core focuses on involvement in music technology, business, management and the completion of an internship. One way students gain experience is by being a part of the on-campus tech team that handles events such as big concerts like TobyMac and Tenth Avenue North and weekly Chapel services. Additionally, students receive instruction in economics and business which provide a strong background in that side of the industry.
Students in the major also have the opportunity to specialize according to their skills and interests. Classes such as Introduction to Pro Tools and Pro Tools Production 1 provide hands-on experience with Avid Pro Tools, which is the most widely used recording software in the professional audio world. Such a track would be attractive to someone interested in mixing and audio engineering. Other courses such as Sound Design and Processing for Film, TV, and Video Games and Introduction to Lighting and Design are essential for those going into film scoring or stage management. This autonomy allows students to take classes that best fit their career goals.
In fact, a degree in music industry can prepare a student for a plethora of jobs. Some possible specializations are music technology and production, music business, worship arts, music industry, recording and broadcast engineering, label marketing, artist booking, songwriting, music publishing, tour management, live sound engineering, tour support, concert promotion, film and video game composition, and performance law. The versatility of the music industry is echoed in the components of the major which provide in-depth understanding of the industry as a whole.
Houghton students preparing for such careers have access to some of the top instructors and equipment currently available. The college has invested about $80,000 in a new music technology lab. This lab is equipped with twenty student stations and a teacher station equipped with the latest Mac computers, M-Audio controller keyboards, PreSonus recording interfaces as well as the latest recording and composing software — Pro Tools 12, Sibelius 7.5 and Ableton Live 9. Professor Jackson said of the Houghton music studio, “If you visited a top-notch studio in Nashville, Los Angeles, or New York City, you would find that same equipment here at Houghton. This allows the students to practice their craft on the same gear that professionals are using every single day in professional recording and post-production studios worldwide.” Music industry student, Chelsea Lee ‘16, is studying to become an audio engineer with a specialization in editing, a skill she practices here at Houghton in the music technology lab.
The combination of education and access to top of the line educators and technology is what makes this degree so special. Armenio Suzano concluded saying, “Under the leadership of Professor Kevin Jackson and with the support of the Houghton College administration, the newly approved music industry major will train and empower the next generation of music producers, sound and recording engineers, and music managers that will impact this world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and for the Kingdom of God.”