West Texas A&M University Brings “Music City” to the Panhandle
CANYON, Texas — A collaboration between West Texas A&M University and one of the country’s premier music business schools, Belmont University in Nashville, has caught the attention of music industry leaders in Texas.
Brendon Anthony, the director of the Texas Music Office, and Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp recently traveled to Canyon to learn more about a new agreement that allows WTAMU students to participate in and complete courses offered by Belmont’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business.
A video of that visit can be viewed here: http://chancellor.tamus.edu/videos/
Through this new agreement, students from WTAMU will have access through distance learning to Curb College classes in music business, audio engineering technology and entertainment industry studies. Curb College faculty also will assist with course content development and ongoing program review of the offerings at WTAMU. Additionally, students from WTAMU will have the opportunity to complete up to 18 hours of coursework alongside a Nashville-based industry internship through summer programs hosted by Belmont.
“I am proud of WTAMU for seizing this opportunity,” Chancellor Sharp said. “This will help us strengthen the offerings at WTAMU, set our students up for success, and serve the state by laying the groundwork for increased entrepreneurship and business activity in an important Texas industry.”
The Texas Music Office is a state-funded business promotion office and information clearinghouse for the Texas music industry. Anthony, who has served as the director of the office since 2015, has extensive experience in the music business, including as a touring musician, a producer, and as the head of business development and e-commerce for a major online entertainment sales and marketing company.
According to Anthony, the state currently loses many students interested in publishing, production, management, and many other aspects of the music industry to places where those networking, educational, and professional opportunities are more established and abundant.
“This is a really solid step to keeping those kids here, giving them the opportunity to learn those parts of the business here, and hopefully keeping them engaged in the music business here in the state,” he said.
WTAMU President Walter Wendler and Belmont President Bob Fisher signed the educational affiliation agreement in a ceremony at the Belmont-owned Ocean Way Nashville studios on March 24.
Currently, there are 20 students in the WTAMU music technology program. School officials signaled that this arrangement with Belmont is expected to generate interest and lead to significant growth in the program.
For more information about how to be a part of this opportunity, call 806-651-2840 or email dbledsoe@wtamu.edu.
About The Texas A&M University System
The Texas A&M University System is one of the largest systems of higher education in the nation, with a budget of $4.2 billion. Through a statewide network of 11 universities and seven state agencies, the Texas A&M System educates more than 148,000 students and makes more than 22 million additional educational contacts through service and outreach programs each year. System-wide, research and development expenditures exceeded $972 million in FY 2016 and helped drive the state’s economy.
Contact: Laylan Copelin
Vice Chancellor of Marketing and Communications
(979) 458-6425
(512) 289-2782 cell
lcopelin@tamus.edu