Click above for info about the 2024 MEIS Keynote & Panelists.
Music Entertainment Industry Studies (MEIS) Concentration
Learn about the exciting world of Music Entertainment Industry Studies (MEIS)!
At Five Towns College, MEIS is a concentration in both the Business Management and the Music Performance degree programs. It provides students with an in-depth opportunity to learn about relevant and important trends in this exciting and fast-growing segment of the economy. Students pursuing either a Business or Performance degree who opt for the MEIS concentration study the legal, production, management, marketing and merchandising aspects of this industry. They are prepared to pursue careers as an artist or talent manager, band/tour manager, booking agent, concert promoter, music licensing coordinator, music marketer, music publisher or other related positions.
Over the past years, the College has hosted several Music Entertainment Industry Conferences on campus. Invited guests included famous artists, musicians, business leaders, and multi-media communication specialists. They shared all types of experiences-both challenging and successful-with students. The MEIS Conference is always an exciting time on campus. The chance to meet industry professionals, gain insight, and hear interesting stories creates interest and excitement on campus!
In 2023-24, the College celebrated its 50th year of excellence in higher education and also the 25th anniversary of the first Music Business Conference in 1998. Similarly, Hip-Hop music is celebrating its 50th anniversary. To acknowledge this, the 2023 MEIS Conference focused on the successes of the Hip-Hop music industry and invited Keynote speaker Erick Sermon of EPMD. Erick Sermon is a Multi-Platinum Producer, has had solo songs in the Top 40, and he founded the group EPMD when he was just a teenager growing up in Brentwood, Long Island. Other notable panelists include musicians, producers, and business managers, Keith Shocklee of Public Enemy and Haas G of the group UMC’s. The MEIS Conference offers students an exciting and educational forum to learn more about the industry and to network with professionals. Learn more about the 2023 MEIS Conference here.
Feel free to review some of the topics, panelists and information shared at some of the recent MEIS Conferences below.
FTC MEIS Conferences
Keynote
T.H. White
Music Producer / Founder of Sky Council Recordings
T.H. White, Manhattan-based musician and producer Tim White (T.H. White) recently launched his own record label, Sky Council Recordings. White also produces his own records and remixes, and recently released his split 12-inch EP “Scene & Modify.”
He has created his unique sound and White said, “My style of music is in the same world as Massive Attack and Portishead. It’s very groove-based and sort of cinematic in nature. Electronica is what I naturally gravitate towards.”
While White has been trained in traditional guitar and piano, he enjoys producing a truly unique sound with his collection of microphones, synthesizers and other non-traditional devices. Among his collection are Universal Audio 6176 and Avalon 737SP compressors, an R-Rack 2x and Korg MS2000 synthesizers.
“The word producer has been morphed into more than what people consider a traditional producer,” said White. “It’s more than the turning of knobs. You have to play around with the right instrument and find the right combinations. To me, that’s the same concept as writing a song. In the traditional sense, the producer of an album is the director of the film. But for me, I’m more of a writer, screenplay adapter and the actor, too.”
Sky Council Recordings, Award-winning, globally distributed boutique record label / Original music for film, television, advertising / Music branding for corporations / Music supervision / Artist development / Mixing services / Executive production.
Brief Client List: HBO, SHOWTIME, FX Network, BMW, Fox Network, Tommy Hilfiger, Mercedes, Terrorbird Media, BBDO
Panel #1
Barry J. Heyman
Company: Heyman Law
Title: Attorney
Adjunct Professor at Five Towns College
Email: [email protected]
Consuelo Sayago
Company: CribNote Entertainment
Title: CEO and Founder
Howard Grene
Company: MNRK Music Group
Title: Vice President – Royalties, Licensing, & Rights
Thomas Hutchings
Owner – Artists Without Labels
Independent Musician
Panel #2
Lou Plaia
Founder / EVP Artist & Industry Relations – ReverbNation
Founder / CEO – Hot Rats Records and Hot Rats Management
Adjunct Professor at Five Towns College
Email: [email protected]
Jordan Kugler
Senior at Five Towns College
Company: ONErpm
Title: Direct-To-Fan Coordinator and YouTube Specialist
Mark Carpentieri
Company: M.C. Records; Assistant
Professor at Five Towns College
Title: President and Founder
Fiona Bloom
Company: The Bloom Effect
Title/Position: Founder / Publicity, Marketing Guru
