Develop your musical talents while learning how to showcase your performance skills, foster your career in composition, and collaborate with other artists.
See the benefits.
Music is powerful. It makes us listen, think and feel. If you count beats in your sleep, or dream of producing music, you may want to consider an education in Music Industry.
Business of Music
If your passion for music and business are inseparably intertwined, Villa’s Music Industry program can help you forge your path. By focusing more on the behind-the-scenes aspects of the music and entertainment industries, students can learn more about the business and production sides of music. Our faculty can work with you to develop your skills and choose a career path within the multi-faucets of the music industry, such as recording or business. Many graduates of Villa’s Music Industry programs go on to become successful freelance musicians or apply to graduate school for performance or composition.
Career Potential
Our experienced faculty has set one goal for all students: to experience, explore, and gain knowledge in all areas of music. This means that Villa’s Music Industry program can prepare students for a career in a number of relevant fields.
A degree in Music Industry will prepare you to enter the 8th largest industry in the United States: the music business. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall employment for musicians, singers, and related workers is expected to grow by 10% from 2010 to 2020.
See for yourself.
Musicians belong at Villa. If you’re serious about music, you don’t pick it—it picks you. At Villa, you won’t be limited by traditional paths of study. Pop, jazz, hip-hop, rap: Here, all genres are welcome. Practice your craft and get the business acumen to make a career out of it, whether you’re a practicing musician in the music industry program or ready to focus whole-heartedly on the recording industry.
Recital Seminar
All Music Industry students must complete a Recital Seminar course during their tenure at Villa. The class aims to create well-rounded musicians, capable of success in any situation by teaching musical artistic preparation, professional performance etiquette and stage demeanor. The importance of selecting the appropriate genre, audience, purpose and venue are all explored in this class.
Senior Recital
As a testament to the hard work Music Industry students put in during their time at Villa, each graduating senior develops, prepares for and presents a senior performance recital. Created under the guidance of a faculty mentor, and in collaboration with a student’s applied music instructor, students are expected to deliver a professional-level performance as a program capstone course.
Internships
Over the course of their 4 years at Villa, all Music Industry students are required to complete a set amount of internship hours. This helps you learn to apply what you are learning in the classroom in a professional setting and prepares you to work in the entertainment business after graduation. Past internships have been completed at:
- Deep Thinka Records
- GB Audio
- Al Hemer Music Corporation
- Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
- World of Noise Recording Studio
- Sonic Farm Studio
- Mark Custom Recording
- Chautauqua Institution
- Indigo Productions
- Riviera Theatre
- Rapids Theatre
- O’Connell and Company Productions
- Art Services Initiative of Western NY
- WYRK
- WUFO
Concert Attendance
Whether you’re a die-hard pianist or a passionate vocalist, it is important to develop an appreciation for many other forms of music. As a graduation requirement, all Music Industry students are required to attend 5 concerts per semester. Villa hosts several weekly concerts that are free, but students are welcome to check out concerts in other places in order to fulfill this requirement.
The Requirements
You must attain a minimum grade of C in all music courses, fulfill recital seminar and concert attendance requirements, and complete four semesters of performance ensemble.
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Music Industry Curriculum Requirements
Our Faculty.
Listen to Villa Students
Our students perform in ensembles, which can qualify you for special scholarship talent grants. Take a listen to the talent while learning more about our program below. All Villa students, not just music industry students, are welcome to explore their musical talents by joining an ensemble.
Join the family.
There’s a lot of pressure to know what’s next. We’re here to say, it’s OK if you’re still figuring it out. In fact, it’s great. Villa is a place where that kind of continual discovery is prized. Because going to college isn’t about having it all figured out. It’s about inventing who you’re going to become. You’ll see.
