On any given day, some UCLA students will gripe about the
endless amounts of reading and papers assigned to them by their
professors. But then again, most of these assignments do not
include a mandatory viewing of the Grammy Awards or selecting two
articles to read from Billboard magazine on a weekly basis.
At least one course offered at UCLA actually does require this
kind of study ““ Ethnomusicology 182: “The Music
Industry.”
Taught by Anthony Seeger, a music industry veteran and professor
of ethnomusicology, the course focuses on developing an awareness
of music as it is shaped by the industry and understanding the
important role the industry can play in students’ lives.
Seeger designed the course based on his own experience as head of
Folkways, a record label associated with the Smithsonian
Institution, and hopes to prepare students for what to expect
following graduation.
“The course is aimed at students who are studying to be
musicians who would greatly benefit from learning something about
the basic nature of the industry, as well as at
musicologists,” Seeger said. “I don’t think you
can understand what is being produced today unless you understand
the music industry of which it is a part, because the laws, the
contracts and the economic structures of it actually shape the
music itself.”
Seeger centers his course on a comprehensive study of all
aspects of the industry, from a business and marketing perspective
to a historical understanding of its significance to its
implications for musicians. Throughout the quarter, he plans to
invite several guest lecturers with industry experience to instruct
students in their individual areas of expertise. Besides reading
Billboard magazine, students have the option of completing a final
project that incorporates every concept they study throughout the
quarter ““ creating and marketing their own album.
“They’ll be putting everything from the course
together by actually trying their own hand at it,” said
Seeger.
Although the course has just started, it already has begun to
alter students’ perceptions of the music industry.
“You already know, when you’re stepping into the
industry, how cutthroat it is, so learning the breakdown of how
record labels operate is critical,” said Kevin Gilliland, a
third-year philosophy and ethnomusicology student.
“I’ve learned more in three days of class than in three
years of community college.”
The class has even started to impact students’ awareness
in ways Seeger did not initially intend.
“I’m learning from Seeger just by his
demeanor,” said third-year jazz studies student Stefan
Litrownik. “The way you interact with people is really
important in the music industry.”
The class ultimately teaches students by directly applying
important theories and practices utilized within the music
industry, which likely accounts for its popularity.
“The best courses that I took gave me a chance to do
something original,” said Seeger. “That’s what I
strive to do with this course.”