KSU hires music industry veterans to head new music business program
Songwriter Bruce Burch named director of innovative new program KENNESAW, Ga. (July 6, 2010…
Georgia (Jul 6, 2010) — Songwriter Bruce Burch named director of innovative new program
KENNESAW, Ga. (July 6, 2010) — Kennesaw State University has hired some of Georgia’s most renowned music industry
veterans to launch its new certificate program in music and entertainment business.
Bruce Burch, a successful songwriter and publisher who founded the music
business program at the University of Georgia, has been named director of KSU’s new
Music and Entertainment Business (MEBUS) Certificate Program. Keith Perissi has been
named the program’s associate director. Heather Malcom has been named as director
of development. All were formerly with the UGA music business program.
“We are excited to have Bruce, Keith and Heather on board to launch and
manage our new music and entertainment business program,” said Joseph Meeks, dean
of KSU’s College of the Arts. “Atlanta’s increasing prominence as a music and entertainment
center affords our students the opportunity to access and learn the nuts and bolts
of this growing industry, and to be well prepared to succeed.”
KSU officials announced the new certificate program on June 28, and acknowledged
a major gift from prominent Atlanta entertainment attorney Joel A. Katz of Greenberg
Traurig LLP to launch the program. The multidisciplinary program –– a joint effort
between KSU’s College of the Arts and the university’s Coles College of Business ––
will allow business, music and other majors to become proficient in areas such as
financial accounting and music theory, as well as the fundamentals and emerging trends
in the music and entertainment business. KSU’s College of the Arts is one of only
three fully accredited arts colleges in the state and the Coles College is one of
the top business schools in the Southeast.
KSU students will have access to top faculty in the field. Burch is a
30-year music industry veteran who served as creative director at EMI Music Publishing
in Nashville for almost a decade, working with songwriters such as Kris Kristofferson,
Tony Joe White, Dolly Parton and others. As president of his own music publishing
company, Burch wrote or co-wrote two No. 1 songs, “Rumor Has It” and “It’s Your Call,”
both recorded by Reba McEntire, and other songs recorded by top artists such as Faith
Hill, George Jones, Wayne Newton, Barbara Mandrell and the Oak Ridge Boys.
Perissi is a professional musician who has produced concerts, collaborated
in the creation of five albums and performed with a popular touring band. Malcom is
a development veteran who worked at UGA for almost a decade.
“KSU is a particularly good fit for the new music and entertainment program
given its location in metro Atlanta, one of the top music and entertainment centers
in the country and among the fastest growing,” Burch said. In addition, KSU has exceptional
concert venues, such as the new, state-of-the-art, 624-seat Dr. Bobbie Bailey & Family
Performance Center –– which hosts more than 100 performances a year –– and the brand-new
KSU Soccer Stadium, which can accommodate up to 15,000 people for concerts.
Burch said he is excited about coming to KSU, where he will have the chance
to work closely with Katz and longtime KSU trustee and benefactor Bobbie Bailey.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to work with Joel Katz and Bobbie
Bailey, two of the architects of the Atlanta music and entertainment scene,” he said.
“It means so much to be a part of a university with a visionary like President Daniel
Papp at the helm, coupled with the enthusiasm his team brings to the table.”
Unlike other music and entertainment business programs in the state, KSU’s
certificate program will focus not only on the music industry but also will include
studies in the film, TV and video game businesses, Burch said. Program participants
will not be required to play an instrument.
A key component of KSU’s new certificate program is that students will
get real-world, hands-on training in the music and entertainment industry. Program
faculty and staff will be highly focused on providing “externships” for the students,
securing valuable job placements for them with Atlanta-area businesses that will expand
their learning opportunities outside of the classroom.
“The most important thing about being located in close proximity to Atlanta,
and in the state of Georgia, is that there are so many opportunities for our students
to learn from, and work with, some of the top professionals in the industry. We are
looking forward to KSU becoming a part of this thriving, creative entertainment center,”
Burch said.
A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers more than 150 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 35,000 students. With 13 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia and the third-largest university in the state. The university's vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the region and from 92 countries across the globe. A Carnegie-designated doctoral institution, it is one of the 50 largest public institutions in the country. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.
