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New Program Innovates Study of Music and our World

Ohio State will connect with music in a whole new way, thanks to a new program of study in the School of Music. The Music, Media and Enterprise program, starting this quarter, is an interdisciplinary study of music for the 21st century, examining the theory and practice of music in the media and as a commercial, social and cultural enterprise. That’s how David Bruenger describes the new endeavor; he was named to direct the program last fall.

“We’ll be looking at music and media, music and people’s lives, music and business,” he says. “The music business itself has been revolutionized in recent years—just look at the impact of MySpace, YouTube and iPods.”

This quarter, Bruenger is teaching the first two classes in the program—an introduction to the music industry and a course on protest in American music and media. Ultimately, the program will offer a bachelor’s degree and a minor, and will include study from a wide range of disciplines at Ohio State including music, film studies, arts policy, law, business and psychology.

Music, Media and Enterprise is funded by an Ohio State Targeted Investment in Excellence (TIE) grant, and is one of only 10 TIE grants funded university-wide in late 2006, according to Mellasenah Morris, director of the School of Music. It will be one of just a handful of programs of its kind in the country.

“I’m genuinely excited about being here to build this program,” adds Bruenger, who previously directed a music industry program at the University of Texas San Antonio. “Ohio State is the perfect place for this enterprise—the university is a striking mix of enormous tradition combined with a huge openness to innovation. That’s a great combination.”