Students gain insight into music industry

by Jennifer Conlee, feature editor

 

Commercial music students at South Plains College had the unique opportunity to learn from four of the music industry’s leading business men in conjunction with the recent Creative Art’s Advisory Board meeting.

According to Cary Banks, who serves as the chairperson for the Creative Arts Department and is an assistant professor of commercial music, the four men who presented their skills are all members of the Commercial Music Advisory Board.

The “SeminarFest”, as it was titled, was held on Oct. 22 – Oct. 23, and featured seminars and private lessons given by Dave Stroud, Jerry Goolsby, Ricky Showalter, and Chuck Myers.

Vocal students participated in Stroud’s Speech Level Singing Master Clinic.  Stroud is the CEO and chief educator for SLS International, a vocal training company that he began for Seth Riggs.

“While I am here, I am also training SLS teachers,” said Stroud. “I am working with the teachers and giving them information they need.”

Stroud, who is from Los Angeles, also provided private lessons during his visit. SPC boasts three of the nation’s few SLS teachers, who have all had the privilege of having lessons with Stroud.

Bass guitar players looked forward to Showalter’s seminar.  Showalter, who is originally from the Washington, D.C. area but who now calls Chicago home, offered a free bass guitar clinic on Oct. 23. 

Showalter has played with the Grammy-nominated contemporary jazz group Liquid Soul.

“I attended North Carolina Wesleyan College,” said Showalter, “and I fell in love with jazz because of a piano teacher there.”

Showalter’s clinic included lessons on “slapping” and “funk,” two different bass guitar methods.

Goolsby, a Lubbock native, is the head of the Music Business program at Loyola University in New Orleans.

“I like to tell people I’m a recovering musician,” said Goolsby, who holds a PhD in marketing from Texas Tech University.

“I played in bands until I graduated,” Goolsby added.

Goolsby has served as a consultant for 40 Fortune 100 companies.  While at SPC, he presented a seminar on the future of music business.  He said he enjoys being back in the South Plains region.

“I have a real strong affinity to this area,” said Goolsby. “I’ve played with most of the people who work here (in the commercial music department).”

Myers, who traveled to Levelland from Salt Lake City, Utah, is a music producer who owns and operates Big Idea Music Productions, Inc.  Myers has produced music for the Mountain Dew Initiative and for Fuse TV on MTV, as well as for Sparta, a Texas-based band, Fallout Boy, and Simple Plan.

“I’ve had the opportunity to see how things work and don’t work,” said Myers, speaking of his work in the music industry.

Myers is also the director of A&R for the Seth Riggs Entertainment Group, the same company that has Stroud at its CEO.

Myers’ seminar was titled “Focus: Maximizing Your Career Potential.”

“Musicians need to focus as artists,” said Myers. “A lot of artists don’t have a solid focus.  I want to help them get an edge, so they can stand out in a crowded field.”

Another of Myers’ objectives was to help musicians connect their music and the business industry. 

“They need to combine Hollywood and Madison Avenue,” said Myers. “They need to have a combination of art and business.”

The SeminarFest was primarily held in the Tom T. Hall Recording and Production Studio in the Creative Arts Building.