When someone talks about music marketing, and what disciplines it would entail, most individuals would simply imagine an integration of business with various musical studies. In coming to interdisciplinary studies a little later than most, I have taken the time to explore the logistics of finding a way into the music industry from the bottom; for bands and industry employees alike, it all works through knowing the right people, and word-of-mouth. Spreading information is something that spreads far
outside of the singular discipline of business. It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes a marketing team and a street team to raise a band or musician onto stages.
Through combining courses from the music and business departments, I reveal a way to understand the music industry, bridged by Seminar in Music Business. In attending photography, journalism, and marketing courses, I learn how to effectively sell music and events through pithy writing and images, tethered by Special Topic: Build Your Professional Blogging Skills. None of these combinations are offered by the university at the moment, and they are meticulously entangled.
Understanding Statistics I (QRCO) is essential in understanding marketing and financial data. Strictly understanding marketing while paying no attention to how it is influencing the flow of money in the company, sales, or the entire industry is counter productive. To understand the effectiveness of marketing, one must understand how to interpret the changes that occur in response, which I have learned in Financial Accounting.
Being one among three classes included in this contract with marketing in the title, Event Marketing is a huge part of the music industry. Without efficient marketing, there would be no one to attend events or buy any new products.
Seminar In the Music Business neatly ties together the business aspect of this contract and the musical half. In interacting with musicians and other individuals involved in the production side of the industry, it is important to have a firm grasp on music theory. I will gain these skills
through the piano and musicianship courses I will be taking. Global Jazz offers a more expansive knowledge of music that currently exists, and how it has come to be. This will allow for further conceptualization of musicianship courses and what sounds are at our disposal in the studio itself.
The best form of marketing in the music industry, or any industry, really, is word-of-mouth. The best way to motivate momentum about events, bands, albums, or new merchandise, is a good story or an interview. Journalism (WRCO) in tandem with marketing, photography, and an understanding of musical concepts would be an invaluable asset to a company in the music or music media industry.
Digital Photography (TECO) will professionalize my skills in photography, enabling me to attend music-
related events specifically for photography purposes, and later, write about the experience, as Photo Documentary and the Artist ties together the photography courses, creative writing, and journalism together neatly.
Tangentially related to journalism and marketing, businesses of all shapes and sizes have clamored to social media to bolster brand recognition and reputation through interaction with customers. Social Media Strategy will introduce me to supplementary ways I can use social media platforms as a marketing tool.
In tandem with creative writing, the Piano II, and Musicianship IV courses I will be taking, Advanced Poetry Workshop will develop my skill in songwriting. This will expand my abilities in creating my own musical product, and understand other artists’ journey to a meaningful and enjoyable finalized product.
Having knowledge from Special Topic: Build Your Professional Blogging Skills readily available will be useful for binding all aspects of this contract together. At this moment, I have a blog-based website which I plan on continuing to use as a professional portfolio. Further professionalizing the website and the posts I make will only add to its value.
I engineered this program to be expansively interdisciplinary by taking courses from the music, business, communications, English, and art departments of Plymouth State. I may even
consider this contract to be transdisciplinary, as marketing in the music industry largely includes enticing fans to be involved, as the industry heavily relies on spreading information by word-of-mouth about new events and products.
Through expanding my abilities and knowledge in business, English, interdisciplinarity, music, and photography, I will have received a wealth of intellectual and skill-based tools. The breadth of these tools allows for an understanding of the functionality of not only the industry’s perspective on music marketing, but also how a product is created, how to interact with a musician or band, and how the entirety of the business relies on the fans.
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