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BA Music Industry

Saint Mary’s University is a beautiful place to get a degree and start your career in the music industry. We have many great things going for us including a very personable faculty, a beautiful performance center, world-wide tours, and attractive programs, performance opportunities and guest artists. Also, we have several scholarship programs for music students including the St. Miguel Talent Scholarships and the SMU Jazz Scholarship. Saint Mary's University is a member of the Music Entertainment Industry Educators' Association and SPARS (The Society of Professional Audio & Recording Services). We've been offering music business degrees since the department started over twenty five years ago and our music technology track began in the mid 1990’s. We have alumni in the music business spread throughout the country doing everything from playing and recording to running their own music stores. If you'd like to contact one of these people, we can put you directly in touch with them.

Music Industry Mission Statement:

The music industry program at Saint Mary's University is designed to deliver relevant educational programs in music business and music technology, which include current trends in contemporary culture and recognize the traditions of our liberal arts context.

Music Industry Programs:

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota offers two unique Music Industry degree program tracks leading to B.A. These include Music Technology or Music Business. Both of these programs share a common core of required music courses that are constantly updated to reflect the needs of today's musician in an often, complicated high tech world. New courses reflecting these changes include courses in Music Business and Electronic Music/MIDI and World Music. In addition to this unique and non-traditional core, students specialize in either Music Technology or Music Business. By completing a 4 year B.A. degree, students have the advantage of getting a Liberal Arts education from Saint Mary's University and technical training in music.

Music Technology

In addition to a B.A. degree, Music Technology majors will gain an understanding and working knowledge of basic recording techniques as well as learning how to do live sound. Students in this program will take 6 Music Technology courses and labs as well as other courses pertaining to music technology including courses in other areas like The Physics of Music and computer science. Music Technology students also complete a 3 credit practicum project utilizing the knowledge and experience gained from their course work. Note: there is a $600.00 per semester fee for Music Technology courses. This fee helps with instruction, the purchase of equipment and studio rental time. We run the most current versions of professional hardware and software like Pro Tools, Digital Performer and Finale. Students also gain from our partnerships with audio professionals like Grammy award wining Brett Huus of Soundstrations Studio inLaCrosse, WI) and Chad Wenzel, owner and CEO of CW Sound in Winona, MN.

Music Business

In addition to a B.A. degree, Music Business majors take 19 credits of courses in the business department at SMU as well as gaining invaluable job experience by completing a six credit internship in the professional world of music business off campus. Saint Mary's University has been offering music business degrees for over twenty years. Examples of recent internship sites include major music distribution centers like Warner, Elektra, Asylum in Chicago, The Universal Music Group in Minneapolis, and the Wenger Corporation.

Please call us directly for further information on the program or contact admissions at www.smumn.edu/admission or (800.635.5987) for application and scholarship information. We would encourage you to arrange for a campus tour, which can be coordinated with an audition. Note that this is done through the admissions department.

Come and visit us soon or contact:
Dr. John C. Paulson, professor of music
Music Industry program coordinator
jpaulson@smumn.edu
personal web site: www.paulsonjazz.com
university web site: www.smumn.edu

Mailing Address:
#1473 St. Mary's University Winona, MN 55987