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William Paterson University Announces Summer Pop Music Institute for Songwriters and Performers

--Innovative Six-Week Program Immerses Participants in Popular Music Production and Business

A revolutionary new music industry institute designed to provide songwriters and performers of all ages in the latest tools for marketing, distributing, discussing, recording and selling music in today’s industry will be offered this summer at William Paterson University in Wayne.

The Popular Music Summer Institute will run from June 4 through July 20, 2012. Participants may register for select topics or complete the entire six-week institute and receive a certificate. Each weeklong course begins with a three-hour, in-person seminar; the remainder of each course will consist of online content and interaction. The Institute will conclude with a Music Industry Mini-Conference on Friday, July 20 at William Paterson University.

The Institute curriculum includes: Music and Social Media, The Art and Practice of the Music Producer, Entrepreneurship for Musicians, Legal Issues for the Music Industry in the New Millennium, Audio Production for Songwriters, and Arranging for Songwriters. Taught by music industry leaders and professionals, this unique program offers participants an in-depth immersion into the cutting edge of contemporary popular music.

“Social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Linkedin, YouTube, and MySpace are now the center of the music industry,” says David Kerzner, associate professor of music at William Paterson and one of the Institute’s instructors. “Music-related professionals need a comprehensive understanding of how these portals function and how to use them in an effective way.”

Music producing and audio recording courses will cover the art of mixing, trouble shooting, playback systems, the creative tools used in production, client relations, self-producing, budgeting, hardware selection, digital audio workstation selection, composition software selection, and plugin selection, as well as acoustical treatment of a room. Participants will record, mix, edit, and upload their audio for discussion and critique by instructor and peers.

The Institute will also address all areas of self-promotion and marketing including print media, the Web, social media, public relations, and networking. Legal issues relevant to songwriters and performers and successful song-arranging techniques also will be covered in depth by industry experts.

The Popular Music Summer Institute is offered through William Paterson University’s Office of Continuing and Professional Education in conjunction with the Department of Music. For more information on individual courses or to register, participants should visit www.PopMusicInstitute.org.

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