The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music has established a Bachelor of Arts in Music History & Industry. The major, which builds upon the existing bachelor of arts in Musicology and the highly successful Music Industry minor program, combines practical, hands-on training with study of the sociocultural and theoretical contexts of music-making. The program includes a year-long capstone course that allows seniors to develop projects with an industry focus under faculty guidance. Students are also required to complete at least one internship that takes advantage of L.A.’s prime position as a hub for global media companies, music production houses, and independent record producers/artist managers.
“We’re proud to offer a degree that is designed for ambitious, motivated students who have a strong interest in deeply studying music while also preparing to meet the real-world challenges of the music industry,” said Eileen Strempel, inaugural dean of the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.
“The feedback we have received from industry professionals is that they are looking for more than just technicians: they’re looking for well-trained, culturally-literate students with strong leadership potential,” adds Robert Fink, chair of the Music Industry minor program and vice-chair of Musicology. “For example, music supervision, which is one of the most popular areas of the industry, demands more than just a practical education. It demands wide-ranging music literacy and awareness of the cultural contexts of diverse sonic environments. This is the holistic education we aim to offer students admitted to the Music History & Industry major.”
Music Industry is among the most competitive minors at UCLA. With a capacity of 60 students in the minor and many more interested in applying, it’s a consistently popular draw. Current Music Industry course offerings include Music Industry Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Audio Technology for Musicians, Rock/Pop Studio Ensemble, D.I.Y. Punk as Organizational Practice, Songwriter’s Workshop, and Forensic Musicology. These courses are taught by active industry professionals.
With the addition of the new Music History & Industry major, the Herb Alpert School of Music will be prepared to deepen its work with and impact on the global music industry, which has a significant presence in Los Angeles, and tap the deep wells of musical creativity and innovation on the UCLA campus.
In addition to Music History & Industry, the school of music also offers degree programs in Music Composition, Music Education, Music Performance, Ethnomusicology, Global Jazz Studies, and Musicology.