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Music Business

B.M. in Music Business

The Bachelor of Music degree in Music Business program works closely with the Crane Institute for Music Business to provide the most comprehensive preparation for employment in the music industry. The program is designed for students who want to earn a place in the music business industry. We provide the preparation for employment in the music products industry, arts administration, the recording industry, and other fields.

The degree combines the elements of our strong Bachelor of Music with coursework tied into the Department of Business Administration. We provide you with a solid foundation both in music and performance as well as knowledge about what makes the industry tick. Our faculty are true experts in audio technology, music retail, music production and music product development.

Department Page Faculty Audition Info

Outcomes

Students will be able to:

  • notate a newly encountered melody accurately and efficiently.
  • demonstrate competency in musical performance.
  • demonstrate knowledge of pivotal historical events, societal attitudes, aesthetic and artistic trends, and to identify their interrelationship with music.
  • demonstrate the ability to communicate about both business and musical concepts in a professional setting.

Career Outlook

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“The faculty are so incredible! I could just walk into Dr. Douglas McKinnie and Denis Martin’s offices and ask them every question that I had, and they were so patient and kind, and generous with their time. I would say that about any of the faculty here. They want their students to succeed.”

Kelley DiPasquale ’20 Music Business Alumna
Musical Connections

From classrooms and performance halls at Crane to the stage of the Lake George Music Festival, Alexander Lombard '07 & '09 is connecting the next generation of musicians with real-world opportunities. After more than a decade of festival success, he's giving back to his roots, offering music business students an exclusive internship to experience the magic behind the scenes.

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Tuned for Success

Hustling past a rack of ukuleles and a row of cymbals, Holland Goddard '25 restocks music books at Brick & Mortar Music in downtown Potsdam. As customers enter the store, walking past a beautifully exposed brick wall featuring a mix of acoustic and electric guitars, she greets them with a smile, answers questions, and restrings instruments at the beloved local music shop. The SUNY Potsdam junior, who is pursuing a double major in music business and music performance at Crane, is gaining valuable real-world experience this semester at the community-centric music store, owned and operated by SUNY Potsdam alumni Jeremy '99 and Allison Carney '99.

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Lights, Camera, Action

During her final semester at Crane, Erika Murata ’22 lined up the internship of a lifetime, working on the set of the Late Show with Seth Meyers in New York City. Leaning on skills from her music business degree, she has been assisting audio engineers and the house band as they prepare the music for the show.

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The Perfect Balancing Act

Pursuing a degree at SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music is a daunting task in and of itself, but Natalia Buitrago ’21 went the extra mile, recently graduating with a double major in music performance and music business. Over the past four years she has not only continued to refine her abilities as a musician, but she learned valuable entrepreneurial and communication skills.

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Love and Music

As an alumnus of SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music, Drew Coles ’12 has come full circle, and is now leading Crane’s music business program as an assistant professor and program director. Leaning on the experience he’s acquired as a musician and entrepreneur through the Metropolitan Players—a highly successful wedding band business he launched with his wife Erin Coles ’12—he is sharing his real-world experiences with his students, and preparing them for successful music business careers.

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Kelley DiPasquale '20

Set high in the Rocky Mountains, Banff, Alberta, is known for its world-class skiing and prestigious film festival. But for Kelley DiPasquale, a non-traditional student in the music business program at SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music, it was something else entirely that drew her to the snowy mountain town. DiPasquale is in the middle of a six-month-long audio recording internship at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. The hands-on practicum has allowed her to oversee professional audio recordings for bands like the Rapidgrass, a Colorado-based bluegrass quintet, and work with jazz drummer Jerry Granelli, best known for recording the “Charlie Brown Christmas” album with the Vince Guaraldi Trio.

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