Necessary Factors for the Creation of a Master’s Degree in Commercial Music

Chapter 1: Introduction

Drucker (1995) writes, “In the next 50 years schools and universities will change more and more drastically than they have since they assumed their present form more than 300 years ago. . . every organization has to prepare for the abandonment of everything it does” (p. 79). The present economy is driven, and it is predicted will be driven in the future by knowledge, the knowledge our students must have to be successful in their chosen career paths and lives (Oblinger & Katz, 1999, p. 302). According to Glazer (1988) the music institutions of today must provide not only music degrees but also job-oriented skill training, which is exemplified at the Master’s Degree level. Institutions react to the pressures from external demands resulting in a wide diversity of program options (Glazer, 1988).

The call for change, according to Drucker, has led to a plethora of master’s degree programs with no strategic plan evident for their creation or to address future needs. Many programs are reactive rather than proactive concluding that changes must be made to the degree program based on responses from external sources (Jay & Smith, 1974). The infusion of reactive changes with “. . . the absence of explicit program goals or objectives creates a major stumbling block to the program’s development and evaluation” (Steele, 1999, p. 79). This phenomenon has resulted in a lack of “cohesion” (p. 80) within the program. The eventual assessment of the program’s success is impossible due to the lack of a vision, a mission statement, or goals. Additionally, funding for changes or new programs is often left unaddressed when reacting to external sources.

It was reported that six new programs were created at a university without concern for funding (Fross Pothering, 1998). This resulted in a significant financial impact on existing programs. Because of this, consideration for new programs is based upon any possible impact they may have on existing programs. Planning in advance will alleviate the chance for mistakes such as those made at this university. Examining the factors necessary in creating a master’s degree program, and creating a strategic plan based upon those factors identified will help avoid the mistakes made by other institutions.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the study is to determine what are the necessary elements and important factors in a plan to plan for the creation of a Master’s Degree in Commercial Music that will lead to eventual accreditation by the National Association of School of Music (NASM).

This paper is a mixed method study whose central phenomenon is to discover the factors necessary for the creation of a master’s degree program in commercial music at Belmont University. It poses the following research questions: (a) What are the essential elements that are required to obtain plan approval from the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM)? (b) What factors are considered important by Music Industry Leaders for the creation of a Master’s degree in Commercial Music? (c) What factors are considered important by Academic Music Executives for the creation of a Master’s degree in Commercial Music? (d) What factors

1 are considered important by previous Commercial Music Graduates for the creation of a Master’s degree in Commercial Music? In addition, the study will utilize a concept by Corey (1953) called action research. “Action research is the process by which practitioners attempt to study their problems in order to guide, correct, and evaluate their decisions” (¶ 2).

To gain information pertaining to the research questions, this study will determine what are the necessary elements and important factors in a plan to plan for the creation of a Master’s Degree in Commercial Music as identified from input by the four groups specified in the research questions; the accrediting body for schools of music, NASM; Music Industry Leaders; Academic Music Executives; and previous Commercial Music Graduates (see Figure 1).

Music Industry Leaders’ Input

Factors Academic For Previous Music The Commercial Executives’ New Music Input Master’s Graduates’ Program Input

Accrediting Body Input NASM

Figure 1. Input Flow Chart for Factor Discovery

The identified factors will be coded and built into the plan to plan based on at least six basic categories including, (a) course content, (b) faculty experience, (c) adequate facilities, (d) industry internships, (e) fiscal resources, and (f) possible barriers for the creation of this new degree program. These categories are identified as important for plan and final approval leading to accreditation by NASM as shown in Figure 2.

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Identified Factors

Course Faculty Adequate Industry Fiscal Possible Other Content Experience Facilities Internships Resources Barriers Categories

Figure 2. Categories for Factor Coding and Description

Key Outcome of the Study

The key outcome of the study is the creation of the plan to plan designed to lead to accreditation and eventual creation of a Master’s degree in Commercial Music in the United States. The study documents the process for creating a new program in this area.

Significance of the Study

The significance or importance of the study is four-fold. The primary significance is that this new program will be the first degree of its kind in the United States. There is currently no Master’s of Commercial Music recognized by NASM. The secondary significance is the documentation of the process for creating the program, i.e. “How do you do this?” may be of value to others who would choose to create a similar study or use this study for further research. Additionally, the examination of the categories utilized by NASM for accreditation and the consensus, or lack of consensus, by the research subjects may allow opportunity for presentation of this information to the accrediting body. This presentation could lead to changes or reinforcement of current policy to eliminate some of the chaos currently shown to exist in the literature review of this study. Finally, this study will be the first electronic dissertation created at the University of Memphis1.

Scope and Limitations of the Study

The Plan to Plan

The lack of communication, absence of clearly defined program goals and objectives, and unclear educational values (Steele 1999) must be addressed no matter what factors are discovered and described, through research, as necessary for the new Master’s degree program. If the move from the previous reactionary creation of a new program to a strategically created

1 Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD) are electronic documents that are similar to their paper predecessors. They include all of the research information included in a paper thesis or dissertation. The difference is the use of advanced technology to express ideas including the addition of multimedia files that include, but are not limited to, sound and video clips, as well as color simulations. In addition, online access to the research by committee members is immediate. Eventual access by the public following the committee authorized completion of the study through the World Wide Web is also immediate (ETD, 2003).

3 and well communicated plan for program development is to be successful, a plan to plan must be created and implemented.

Strategic planning is defined as “a disciplined effort to produce fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what an organization (or other entity) is, what it does, and why it does it” (Bryson, 1995, p. x). The creation of the new Master’s degree program using strategic planning can result in many benefits. The move from the reactionary method of program creation is one. Others include, the growth of strategic thinking and action; a better decision making process that considers the future not just the present or the past; “enhanced organizational responsiveness and performance”; and finally, improved relations and communication between the organization’s personnel and key decision makers resulting in strengthened teamwork (Bryson, 1995, p. 7). “Strategic planning aims to exploit the new and different opportunities of tomorrow while minimizing any negative aspects of the unexpected challenges that will surely occur. This is in contrast with long-range planning, which tries to optimize for tomorrow the trends of today” (Penrod & West, 1989, p. 118). Universities today compete for students more than ever before (Drucker, 1993; Shirley, 1988). The use of strategic planning can position an institution with a competitive advantage by addressing and aligning the purpose and vision of the program with that of the institution (Shirley, 1988, p. 8).

Through the communication of a clear vision that is strategically created, a program or institution can inspire not only the internal constituents through open communication and valued input, but external constituents as well. Donors today must be assured that their funding is not wasted and a clear vision that is presented by a program to these corporations or individuals can increase their level of confidence resulting in greater responsiveness to funding needs (Shirley, 1988, p. 12).

The establishment of a clear vision and mission are essential steps in the creation of the plan to plan for the new program. Shirley (1988) mentions eight issues, called operational standards by NASM, which must be addressed in the plan to plan stage. These issues will be used as parameters for the creation of the new program and are aligned with the necessary categories identified as important for plan and final approval leading to accreditation by NASM. The issues include; (a) basic goals and purpose of the new program; (b) unique attributes of the program including size, geographical area, and industry affiliation; (c) the makeup of those who will interact with the new program including all constituencies that will be effected by this relationship such as students, faculty, administration, and alumni; (d) the area the program plans to service, i.e., local, regional, or national; (e) the graduate status of the new program and any requirements for admission and residency for students; (f) philosophy of the new program regarding academic freedom and professional standards; (g) the form of leadership and the policy making entity that will govern the program; and (h) the nature of service and interaction with the external community (Shirley, 1988, pp. 6-7). The plan to plan sets forth the creation of a mission statement that includes inspiration for those involved and a vision of the new program to guide its development in a way that looks toward the future not the present or the past.

4 Demographics of Belmont University School of Music

Belmont University was selected for this study for several reasons. The author serves as the Director of Events Administration/Coordinator of Commercial Music for the school, and has been heavily involved in the work regarding course content and accreditation with the undergraduate commercial music program. His work in this program since 1987 has given him a broad overview of the needs for a commercial music program.

The school’s geographic location provides access to the music row population for study. The author has created a panel of music industry experts called the Commercial Music Advisory Panel that advises him on real-world progress of Belmont’s students. In addition, there are 122 Commercial Music graduates from the program over the last five years that may be accessed for participation in the student graduate portion of this study.

The Belmont University School of Music is part of the College of Visual and Performing Arts, of Belmont University and is located in Nashville, Tennessee. Nashville based on census figures from 2000 provided by CensusScope (2002), has a population of approximately 1.2 million. Belmont University (2002) is a private university with a population of approximately 3,500 undergraduate and graduate students, located in the heart of Nashville, just 2 blocks from Music Row (2003) where many of the recording studios, record companies, and publishing companies in the music industry reside. Music Row (2003) “was developed in the 1950s as a center of the recording industry”. Artists such as Elvis Presley, the Everly Brothers, Chet Atkins, Owen Bradley, amongst others were instrumental in making the area internationally known as the capital of country music and the center of “Music City U.S.A.” (Music Row, 2003).

The School of Music (2002) has an enrollment of 498 undergraduate and 45 graduate students; and 75 full-time and adjunct faculty members. The Commercial Music (2002) program is an undergraduate program, the first of its type to be accredited by NASM. It has an enrollment of 347 majors with a ratio of 60% vocalists (207) to 40% instrumentalists (140). The program contains four emphasis areas: performance, composition and arranging, music technology, and music business. The Commercial course of study culminates in a Bachelor of Music degree with an emphasis in Commercial Music. The completion timeline is four years. The success rate for graduates, based on alumni survey results conducted by the school of music, is over 88% employment in there respective emphasis areas. The nature of the degree builds upon a foundation of Jazz and Blues. This foundation then leads to study in all commercial musical genres including Rock, Pop, Jazz, Contemporary Christian, Gospel, Alternative, Country, Blues, and others. Because the program concentrates on the entire commercial music genre rather than one individual area such as Jazz, the program is very unique among universities with similar programs of study. More information regarding the Commercial Music program can be examined in the appendixes (see Appendix B).

Participants in the Study

This study summarizes and analyzes the responses of 10 Music Industry Leaders; 12 Academic Music Executives; 39 previous commercial music graduates from the undergraduate commercial music program who graduated between spring 1997 (May graduation) and fall 2002

5 (December graduation); and utilizes standards published by NASM for the creation of Master’s in music degree programs.

Music Industry Leaders. This study includes five “veterans’ for the interview process; Hazel Smith, Ray Stevens, Ralph Emery, Jim Foglesong, and Jimmy Bowen2. Each industry leader has a variety of characteristics that place him/her in this category and all have rich credentials and history as leaders in the music industry in Nashville. This study also includes five industry leader “newcomers” for the interview process; Pam Lewis, Michael Omartian, Ronn Huff, Mike Curb, and Donna Hilley3. Each leader in this category has extensive credentials that show the use of advanced training in a variety of applicable fields and each is a true leader in the “newcomer” category for this study.

Music Industry Leaders Interview Procedures. Individual industry leaders were interviewed and videotaped for a half-hour time period at their homes or offices according to their preference. The interviews conducted with each of the ten music industry leaders were described based on their spoken word and the information conveyed through video tape. All audio recording information was transcribed into the non-numeric unstructured data with indexing, sorting, and theorizing (NUD*IST) platform for sifting information that was examined based on the categories for accreditation set forth by NASM. Each individual was asked the exact same six questions and all responses were transcribed after the taping4.

The interview with the music industry leaders and the follow-up description of the interviews examined the question: What factors are considered important by Music Industry Leaders for the creation of a Master’s degree in Commercial Music?

Academic Music Executives. The term Academic Music Executive, is defined for this study as an individual who is chiefly responsible for the administration of the Master’s degree program in jazz studies. Academic music executives from colleges and universities with enrollment of 10 or more in a Master’s degree program in jazz studies were chosen for use in this study. There are 12 higher education institutions that meet this criterion (HEADS, 2003).

Academic Music Executives participated in an asynchronous discussion room using the Quickplace (IBM, 2003) web-based communication format. The academic music executives were asked ten questions. These questions were different than the questions asked of the industry leaders. All information received in the study was extracted from the Quickplace program following the asynchronous discussion. This information was coded into the NUD*IST program and utilized as described earlier5.

The asynchronous discussion with the academic music executives and the follow-up description of this discussion examined the question: What factors are considered important by Academic Music Executives for the creation of a Master’s degree in Commercial Music?

2 Additional information about these Music Industry Leaders can be found on pp. 31-33. 3 Additional information about these Music Industry Leaders can be found on pp. 33-34. 4 Additional information about the Music Industry Leaders interview procedures can be found on pp. 34-35. 5 Additional information about the Academic Music Executives can be found on pp. 35-39.

6 Previous Commercial Music Graduates. Students who have graduated from the Belmont University undergraduate commercial music program between spring 1997 (May graduation) through fall 2002 (December graduation) were asked to respond to an 11 question survey. There are 122 such students. There were 11 questions on the survey. It contained nine questions with varied rankings and two open ended questions. Seven of the questions had rankings from 1 to 5 with 5 the higher rating and 1 the lower rating. Recipients were given the opportunity to write in additional comments and this was labeled 10 and 11 on the questionnaire. Responses from the nine ranked questions were analyzed using descriptive statistics (i.e., means, standard deviations) and chi square generated by SPSS for Windows© v.12.0. These results and any responses to the open ended questions were then coded and added to the NUD*IST data analysis platform. This information was sifted, as with the other groups, based on the NASM categories6.

The completed survey by the previous commercial music graduates and the follow-up description of the survey results examine the question: What factors are considered important by previous Commercial Music Graduates for the creation of a Master’s degree in Commercial Music?

Limitations

There are two limitations to the study. The study utilizes small numbers for the research. The number of Music Industry Leaders utilized was determined by the availability of individuals and their willingness to participate in the study. The number of Academic Music Executives utilized was limited by the number of institutions with enrollment in the Master’s of Jazz Studies programs that included or exceeded ten. The number of former Commercial Music graduates utilized was limited by the availability of current addresses and ultimately by the individual’s choice whether or not to participate in the study.

The second limitation is that the research contains direct implications only to the target population which is Belmont University. While some generalizations could be made to other similar populations, the significance would be suspect. Opportunities for future research by others in this area could build upon this work and further the possible generalization of the study.

Definitions of Terms

There are several key words in the study that it will be helpful to define. They are; (a) “Accreditation, a process by which an institution or disciplinary unit within an institution periodically evaluates its work and seeks an independent judgment by peers that it achieves substantially its own educational objectives and meets the established standards of the body from which it seeks accreditation” (NASM, 2002b, ¶ 1); (b) Action Research, “Action research is the process by which practitioners attempt to study their problems in order to guide, correct, and evaluate their decisions” (Corey, 1955); (c) Alignment, “When a group of people function as a whole” (Senge, 1990, p. 234);

6 Additional information about the Previous Commercial Music Graduates can be found on pp. 39-40.

7 (d) Camera Icon . This icon designates a link to a video clip pertaining to the subject discussed in the immediate body of the text. Click on this icon to view the video. (e) DACUM, Develop a Curriculum, the DACUM process identifies duties, tasks, and skills that are used in specific occupations or professions (DACUM, 2003a); (f) Element, the word element [for this study] comes from the Latin word elementum meaning "the basic parts that are the foundations of something" http://en2.wikipedia.org/wiki/Element , i.e., the category ‘course content’ which is one of the expected program objectives required by NASM for plan approval; (g) Factor, anything that contributes causally to a result (example: “A number of factors determined their outcome”). http://www.onelook.com/?w=factor&ls=a, i.e., the inclusion of ‘internships’ as part of the new Master’s degree program. The inclusion of this factor will create a successful program, and prepare students for employment after graduation. This factor was discussed by Music Industry Leaders in the interview research; (h) Honky-tonk, a nightclub or dance hall that typically features Country Music; (i) IT, information technology; (j) Jam Session, an informal musical performance where musicians play songs that are familiar to all participating and no formal rehearsal takes place to prepare for this performance; this performance is played at many diverse venues such as clubs, barns, restaurants, schools, churches, homes, etc.; (k) Learning Organization, “A learning organization…is one in which all people are “fully focused” on a common vision and work together to achieve that vision through a lifelong commitment to the five principles articulated by Peter Senge (1990) in his book The Fifth Discipline” (p.206); (l) Mental Models, “. . . deeply held internal images of how the world works, images that limit us to familiar ways of thinking and acting” (Senge, 1990, p. 174); (m) NASM, National Association of Schools of Music, the accrediting body for schools of music in the United States; (n) NUD*IST, Non-numerical Unstructured Data with the process of Indexing Searching and Theorizing platform, this combines efficient management of Non- numerical Unstructured Data with the process of Indexing Searching and Theorizing (NUD*IST); (o) Operational Standards, criteria set forth by NASM to assure the fundamental purposes of the program are educational; (p) Personal Mastery, a phrase used by Senge (1990) “for the discipline of personal growth and learning. It means approaching one’s life as a creative work, living life from a creative as opposed to a reactive viewpoint” (p. 141); (q) Plan to Plan, sets forth the creation of a mission statement that includes inspiration for those involved and a vision of the new program to guide its development in a way that looks toward the future not the present or the past; (r) Shared Vision, “. . . is the answer to the question, ‘What do we want to create?’ They create a sense of commonality that permeates the organization and gives coherence to diverse activities. Shared vision is vital for the learning organization because it provides the focus and energy for learning” (Senge, 1990,

8 p. 206). This vision also creates a foundation for long-term “commitment and action” (p. 210); (s) SPSS Inc. (2003) for Windows© v.12.0, a statistical software program version 12.0 that originally was called Statistical Package for the Social Sciences http://www.spss.com/corpinfo/faqs.htm; (t) Strategic Planning, “a disciplined effort to produce fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what an organization (or other entity) is, what it does, and why it does it” (Bryson, 1995, p. x); (u) STEEP, a type of analysis that examines the social, technological, economic, environmental, and political influences that impact an institution. This allows for external analysis on a macro level that examines the “big” picture and encourages systems thinking; (v) SWOT, a type of analysis that examines the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that impact an institution. This allows for internal analysis on a micro level that encourages organizational alignment with its internal environment; (w) Systems Thinking, “the art of systems thinking lies in seeing through complexity . . . it means organizing complexity into a coherent story that illuminates the causes of problems and how they can be remedied in enduring ways” (Senge, 1990, p. 128). The true “essence of mastering systems thinking as a management discipline lies in seeing patterns where others see only events and forces to react to. Seeing the forest as well as the trees . . .” (p. 126); (x) Team Learning, “. . . the process of aligning and developing the capacity of a team to create results its members truly desire. It builds on the discipline of developing shared vision. It also builds in personal mastery, for talented teams are made up of talented individuals. The discipline . . . involves mastering the practices of dialogue and discussion, the two distinct ways that teams converse” (Senge, 1990, pp. 236-237).

Organization of the Study

The first three chapters of the study address the purpose of the study and the research questions. The introductory material presents the purpose and research questions as well as supporting information that was discussed fully in chapters two and three. Basic information concerning the chaotic state of music program development is presented followed by solutions to be examined in the study. These solutions include the creation of a plan to plan based on learning organization principles by Senge (1990), management planning by Shirley (1988) and Bryson (1995), and a planning model by Penrod and West (1989). The conclusion of the study should result in a plan to plan which leads to accreditation and eventual creation of a Master’s degree in Commercial Music.

The second chapter relates the status of music units from the literature review to the purpose of the study. This is followed by in-depth looks into learning organization principles that are then related to management planning and a planning model. All six phases of planning are examined followed by a plan to plan in detail.

9 Chapter 3 examined the research and development methodology. The four groups used for research are described and the questions as well as methods for obtaining information are examined. Quantitative statistical procedures used with the research are presented. The development of analysis and interpretation is explained. Finally, the main field tests are explained including revisions from preliminary field tests as necessary.

Chapter 4 presented the research findings. All analysis and interpretation of all data are presented in this chapter. This includes all analytical use of NUD*IST and SPSS for Windows© v.12.0.

Chapter 5 summarized all activities from the previous chapters. Conclusions based on the research were presented. The potential benefits of the study were presented as well as implications of the study. Possible future studies based on this research are presented. Any additional comments or thoughts were presented at the conclusion of this chapter followed by a summary of the chapter.

Summary

The model used for many years in higher education was the bureaucracy. The bureaucratic system moves too slowly and is inflexible. Flexibility and the new mental models described by Senge (1990) must be created if any new program is to be successful in the future. The organizational culture must be carefully crafted and a plan to plan as described by Shirley (1988), Penrod and West (1989), and Bryson (1995) must be created to aid in development. According to Francis Hesselbein (1997), editor-in-chief of Leader to Leader, you should “define success before you start”. This study follows Hesselbein’s advice and discovers the factors needed for the creation of the Master’s degree in Commercial Music before the program is created.

The use of the operational standards set forth by NASM to secure plan and final approval will be used as criteria to categorize information gained through research with the four groups that will be involved in various ways with creation of the new program. These four groups are NASM, Music Industry Leaders, Academic Music Executives, and former Commercial Music Graduates. In addition, Senge’s (1990) “Learning Organization” concepts will be used to help develop the principles related to management style and implementation. These concepts and the planning model set forth by Penrod and West (1989) will help form a foundation that will eliminate the chaos currently found in establishing new graduate music curricula, allow for the necessary operational standards set forth by NASM, and create a vision for the new Master’s degree in Commercial Music that will lead to eventual accreditation of the new program. The organization of the study can be seen in figure 3.

10 National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) Program Objectives

Course Faculty Adequate Industry Fiscal Possible Other Content Experience Facilities Internships Resources Barriers Categories

Status of Music Units from Literature Review

Learning Penrod Organization Management Principles and Planning Model Plan to Plan

Music Chaos in Planning

Penrod Management and Planning Model All Six Phases

Data – Data – Data – Video and Asynchronous Student Interview Discussion Questionnaire

Statistical and Quantitative Analysis (SPSS 12.0 for Windows and NUD*IST)

Plan to plan which leads to accreditation and eventual creation of a Master’s degree in Commercial Music

Figure 3. Flow Chart for this Study

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