The Music Industry (MIND) program at the Frost School of Music has once again been selected for Billboard Magazine’s prestigious list of the country’s top music business schools. This is the tenth time that MIND has earned a coveted spot on the music industry bible’s list, which has honored the Miami program every year since the list debuted in 2011. (It was not published in 2012, 2013, or 2015.
The placement is a tribute to how the MIND program continues to set new standards, growing to match the transformation of an increasingly complex, competitive music world.
“Being included on the Billboard Top Music Business Schools list all 10 times that it’s been published is a significant accomplishment that should be celebrated by our students, alumni, and faculty,” said Professor Serona Elton, director of the MIND program. “To be included once would indicate the program’s strength at one point in time. To be included ten times shows we are continually meeting the demands of an industry that is constantly evolving.”
In 2011, according to the RIAA, people still got two-thirds of their music from physical sources like CDs. Last year, listeners got 87% of their music online, primarily via streaming. Social media and digital marketing now dominate how music is promoted. The ways music generates revenue and how it is tracked and credited have changed profoundly. “Revenue flows are much more complicated and very different today than in 2011,” said Elton.
Billboard noted the MIND program’s two undergraduate degrees, a bachelor of music for musicians and a bachelor of arts for non-musicians, and faculty with extensive industry experience and connections. Last year, the MIND program expanded its faculty to include Olga Cardona, a former top Latin music executive with three decades of experience in performing rights and music publishing. Other pluses are the many opportunities in Miami, a music capital, and a speaker series that exposes students to top music executives and successful alumni. And students can now complete the on-campus Master of Arts in Music Industry in just 12 months (instead of 21 months.)
Top MIND alumni include Rell LaFargue, president and COO of Reservoir Media; Randall Foster, chief creative officer of Symphonic Distribution; Jessie Allen, senior director of GRAMMY U at The Recording Academy; and Pablo Ahogado, VP of A&R at Concord.
“So much of the program’s reputation comes from the success of our alumni,” Elton said.
Elton notes that, although there are numerous resources for learning about the business of music online, they don’t replace the depth and comprehensiveness of a program like MIND. “Now more than ever, it’s become increasingly challenging to navigate the music industry without a solid educational foundation, real-world experiences, and a strong network and community,” Elton said. “A music industry degree teaches students how the entire ecosystem works and how everything fits together. You learn why we do what we do now, how we got here, and how it all connects. And that sets you up for the future.”
