Music industry leaders join SU’s London Center to celebrate launch of Bandier Program

Music industry leaders join SU’s London Center to celebrate launch of Bandier ProgramFebruary 01, 2007Daeya Malbouef and Christine Heckman

Thursday, Jan. 25, marked the official London launch of Syracuse University’s Bandier Program for Music and the Entertainment Industries. Dozens of London’s top music industry executives and recording artists gathered at the SU London Center to share their knowledge and experiences in the industry with SU students.

The Bandier Program — made possible by a generous gift from music publisher and SU trustee Martin Bandier ’62 — will premiere in fall 2007. As one of the first undergraduate, multidisciplinary music industry programs in the United States, the Bandier curriculum will span four SU colleges: the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA), the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, the Martin J. Whitman School of Management and The College of Arts and Sciences. SU faculty and administrators will draw on the University’s diverse academic and industry resources to give students a multidisciplinary look at how music intersects with the ever-evolving media world.

The bachelor of science degree will combine study in New York and London and give students the opportunity to work with leaders of some of the world’s largest and most respected entertainment companies. It will serve as an alternative to music degrees with strict performance requirements, which tend to limit participation to composers and performers. “We want everybody who works at our company to love music,” Bandier says. “But a good cello audition will not get you a job in the A&R [artist and repertoire management] department. Playing an instrument is not a prerequisite for being an excellent music industry executive, but loving music is.”

The Bandier Program launch brought together many of London’s top music executives with the hope that the connections made will lead to future collaboration through guest lectures, work experience placements, class visits and other opportunities for SU London students.

“We are celebrating the support of Martin Bandier and EMI Music Publishing. Their vision and generosity enables our students to experience the global dynamics of London,” said David Rezak, Bandier Program director. “London is often referred to as the ROW (rest of world) music capital, the center of the worldwide music industry outside North America. Bandier students will be immersed in a music industry curriculum that introduces them to a wide-screen view of music as an art form, as well as the global music marketplace. With help from Martin Bandier and EMI MP, students will benefit from a well-developed internship network and a community of London-based music business experts.”

In opening the event, Peter Leuner, SU London director, emphasized the importance of the London component of the Bandier Program: “It’s rare to see a semester abroad integrated into a major in this way. The innovative Bandier Program makes it easy for students to benefit from all that London can offer by way of exposure to global aspects of this industry. This is a truly smart curricular concept for the 21st century.”

The New York program launch took place last April at MTV’s Total Request Live Studios and included multi-platinum recording artists Jay-Z and Alicia Keys. The London version featured a discussion panel with Bandier; Guy Moot, managing director of EMI Music Publishing UK; Mike Smith, managing director of Columbia Records; and Jamie Cullum, British singer, songwriter and pianist. Students spent the first part of the evening engaging in a question-and-answer session with these four industry leaders. Immediately following the panel, students attended a reception with other London-based music executives and recording artists.

“The Bandier Program is unlike any other at the University by virtue of its multidisciplinary nature, hands-on learning opportunities and the large number of top industry professionals who serve as founding advisors and visiting lecturers,” said VPA Dean Carole Brzozowski. “The London experience is an incredibly important part of the program’s commitment to giving students a world view of the entertainment business, and we are grateful to Martin Bandier, EMI Music Publishing and SU Abroad for working with us to provide it.”