Courtesy of Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern students will soon have new opportunities in the music industry with the university's new program.
This fall, Georgia Southern University’s Armstrong Campus in Savannah will offer a brand-new music-industry degree, growing Savannah’s music scene and giving fresh opportunities to local students.
Students working towards a Bachelor of Arts in Music with a concentration in music industry will have the option of declaring an emphasis area in music technology or the music business. The program will provide students with hands-on experience in 21st-century industry technology including recording-studio applications, live sound reinforcement, and music-industry software, all taught by faculty members with professional experience.
“We could not be more excited about this program,” said Steven A. Harper, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Music. “For many years, the music program has been itching to expand its reach and regional impact. Savannah is perfectly suited for a degree of this type, and we couldn’t be more pleased to have this degree come to fruition.”
Steve Primatic, a music professor at Georgia Southern who teaches percussion, theory, jazz, and music technology, says the new music-industry program – which is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music – will open many doors for students who may not have been previously interested in earning a music degree.
“We wanted to offer a degree program for somebody who wanted to make music their career, but didn’t want to do the traditional route, didn’t want to be a band director, didn’t want to be a choir director, or train to be a classical performer,” Primatic said.
Courtesy of Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern students will soon have new opportunities in the music industry with the university's new program.
The music-industry program includes courses in music management, live sound, recording studio techniques, digital audio workstations, and music entrepreneurship. These courses prepare students for a variety of jobs ranging from artist manager or event planner to concert promoter or audio engineer.
“We’re trying to get students prepared for the jobs that are there, so that they can do music and have a path to employment,” Primatic said.
“We’re really looking for the students who sit in their room and make music who don’t necessarily play in the band or sing in the choir,” he added.
Primatic says that Savannah is a perfect city to offer the music-industry degree because of its rich music landscape.
“Outside of the greater Atlanta area, there is no other city in Georgia that has the offerings of music and music industry that we have,” he said.
Courtesy of Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern students will soon have new opportunities in the music industry with the university's new program.
Primatic emphasized that the university wants students to have access to internships and jobs. He says Armstrong students have opportunities in their own backyards, citing connections with the Savannah Music Festival, the Savannah Philharmonic, and the city’s film industry.
Primatic says Savannah’s music scene has grown over time thanks to the addition of venues like Plant Riverside District, Victory North, and other live-music spots around town. He says he expects Georgia Southern’s music-industry students will help the local music community flourish even more.
“There will always be thriving arts in Savannah,” Primatic said.
Visit
programs.georgiasouthern.edu/musicindustry for more information or to apply for the program.