I am the first-year teaching assistant in the University of Miami’s Music Business and Entertainment Industries Program department, and one of my major responsibilities is to promote the program.
Our goal is to be recognized as an important preparatory program for aspiring industry professionals by both the music industry community and the greater community. Miami’s MBEI program was the first of its kind, and prides itself on keeping current with today’s trends in the music industry and in preparing students for careers through in-class teaching and practical, real-world experience.
You can visit our website. I’m working on a newsletter to send to members in our alumni database. But beyond that, I’d love to hear some creative ideas for promoting our college program, inexpensively or free if possible. In today’s competitive music industry market, we’d love to help the program’s graduates in getting a leg up.
Since you are working on an alumni newsletter ask them what they are doing and how the program helped them succeed. Then use their stories and testimonials to promote the program on your website, future alumni newsletters, and ads (print, radio and video). You might find you have some well-known artists and celebrities who would love to help promote the program. You might even get them together to do a benefit concert, take Miami interns, etc.
Set up a series of luncheon conferences with big time music industry personnalities(not necessarily alumnus who are retired-they have time to attend…throw in 3 days hotel and airfare Miami is the place to be in winter! Call the series A CLASS APART-charge 5$ to attend to cover travel expenses Once you have your first big name(lets say someone from Motown’s grandiose past, leverage that with other personnalities…Once a year throw in an honorary degree award celebration by your faculty.Of course make it a media event send out press releases!
Have a talent contest. The winner either gets a prize or contract from a major music company or the
college. Naturally, invite professionals to judge.
Sponsor a regular series of outreach events–get music execs to speak at a “what it’s like in the biz” program, maybe once a month. Invite the media and the public, start and end with a brief talk about how the school trains people to do this work and the contacts you have to help graduates get jobs, include handouts about the program, and capture attendees’ e-mail addresses for a monthly e-mail bulletin
Noticed your school has a record label. That story needs to be told more. What can your record label do for budding new artist? Does it get them access to a professional recording studio? Can they get a full length album recorded there? Who’s recorded there already and now is a working professional artist or a working professional in the industry? Is your record label unique for a unversity? Is your recording equipment unique compared to other universities? Are the instructors of the program artist that have worked for major labels, cut their own albums and actually sold them, made albums with famoust artist, friends with Tommy Mottola, i.e. What famous artist have visited your record label and can comment on it? Miami is ripe with famous artist you can’t get them to visit you? Your website needs to be plastered with photos of your relationships in the industry? Artist want to know you have access to the industry players and shakers.