Music Industry Major

music studio
music studio
music studio
Audio production studio
music studio
music project

About the Major

Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music, SUNY Oneonta’s Music Industry program will prepare you for a career in a variety of fields in the music, media and entertainment industries. Such fields include management, marketing, promotion, merchandising, publishing, production and performance.

Curriculum

The curriculum includes specialized music industry studies in the recording industry, entertainment industry, business affairs, intellectual property law, music products, and music theory, performance and history/literature. You can also take business courses on topics such as business law, marketing, management and accounting. Internships, field experience and several related minors — audio production with Pro Tools certification, performance, music theory and music literature — allow you to tailor the program to your interests.

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Contact Us

115 Fine Arts Center
E-mail: moira.rouggly@oneonta.edu
Telephone: 607-436-3415

Department Website

Course Topics Include

Some Music Industry courses include:

  • Basic Musicianship
  • Music Theory
  • Music for Listeners
  • Learning About Music
  • History of Rock Music
  • Jazz Improvisation
  • Pop and Jazz Piano Styles
  • Applied Music
  • Music Ensemble
  • Contemporary Issues in the Music Industry
  • Music Industry Communication
  • Music Marketing and Merchandising
  • Legal Issues of the Music Industry

Special Talent Admissions

Auditions are not a requirement for acceptance into the Music Industry program. However, prospective music industry majors who wish to have their talent considered during the admissions process may submit a special talent application as a supplement to the regular application.

Billboard Magazine Recognition

SUNY Oneonta is one of 42 colleges and universities in the United States, England and Spain featured in Billboard magazine’s 2023 list of “Top Music Business Schools,” which recognizes programs whose graduates ""will be solidly positioned to pursue careers in an increasingly complex music industry." Billboard has included Oneonta on the list for four consecutive years.

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Featured Article

Music Industry Major: Gideon Dean

Music Industry Major

Facilities

Music Industry majors gain hands-on experience with recording hardware and software used by professional recording studios all over the world including:

  • Four studios for recording and post-production
  • A fiber optics system that allows simultaneous recording from multiple spaces in the Fine Arts Center
  • Two digital keyboard/MIDI/theory labs equipped with sequencing and recording capabilities
  • A large library of sampled sounds. Software includes Pro Tools, Reason, Live, Garageband and Practica Musica

Learn More About our Facilities

Key Links

Internships

Music Industry Club

Student Clubs

  • Audio Production and Engineering Club (APEC)
  • Apollo Music Club
  • Drag’n Rolls Drum Line
  • Jazz Appreciation Society
  • Oneonta A cappella Council
  • Pitch Slapped
  • Music Industry Club (The MIC)
  • Songwriters Club

National Association of Music Merchants Show

The Music Department has a long-running tradition of taking students to Los Angeles every winter for The NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) Show—the largest music products show in the world. Students get special access to see the latest products, attend demonstrations and panel discussions, and network with professionals in the field. The cost to attend is minimal, thanks to support from the college’s Caroline (’67) and David D’Antonio Student Travel for Excellence Fund. Internships You’ll get resume-worthy experience through a required internship in the field you want to pursue. Oneonta students have put their classroom learning into practice at internship sites all over the country, including Paradigm Records, The Royalty Network, Pearl Drum Corporation, Zenbu Media, ObliqSound, Wonderlous Music, Chung King Studios and many more!

Learn more about NAMM

Profiles

Luke Mock
One of the biggest lessons senior Luke Mock has learned in college is that being successful in the music industry is all about who you know and how those people know you. SUNY Oneonta has been the perfect fit for him because of the connections he’s been able to make.
Hannah Goldberg
The program for Music Industry is unique at SUNY Oneonta. It is an umbrella of a lot of different avenues of the industry, which is interesting to me because I was interested in audio production, and I’m also a song writer and I love playing my saxophone as well. I think that being at a college that doesn’t just focus on one avenue when they talk about music is important - so this program was perfect for me.
Gideon Dean
Growing up in Maryland with parents who loved country music, Music Industry major Gideon Dean became a fan of the genre at an early age and soon began dreaming of a career in country radio. As one of just 41 college students from across the country selected for a yearlong mentorship program offered by the Country Music Association (CMA), he is one step closer to that goal.
Julia “Goolia”
If you’ve ever wondered how to cook spaghetti inside a meatball or wanted to see a giant Cheetos mozzarella stick being made, SUNY Oneonta alumna Julia “Goolia,” Class of 2012, is your girl.
Noah Rakoski
Noah Rakoski’s love affair with music began as a 3-year-old clanging pots and pans. By about age 13, he knew he wanted to be a record producer. And after stints as a SUNY Oneonta Funk Band saxophonist, talent manager, marketer and entrepreneur, that’s exactly what he became.
Scott Harris
The most important lesson for any aspiring songwriter is networking. You might meet someone in college who’s a freshman when you’re a senior, and that might end up being the most talented person you’ve ever met. I have a friend I graduated with who works at Columbia Records now, and we work together. Never count anybody out.

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