The Development of Distance Education in Commercial Music: A Comparison of Current Commercial Music Programs

Boston, Mass., September 9, 2007 - "Distance Learning in Commercial Music"

Training in Commercial Music is highly specialized and only a handful of institutions with music programs even attempt it. According to USSCM Director, John Amaral, "We can understand why traditional (conservation-based) music schools tend to steer clear -- analytical tools taught by traditional music schools are more suitable for classical music.

"Classical music is often acoustically different from commercial music. Classical and commercial music styles have almost completely different 'time feels', which is no surprise to the 'man on the street'. For this reason, it can be a losing battle to train at most music schools and then expect to get along in the commercial world (translation: "make a living")."

Faculty at Berklee from 1950 to 1990, such as Herb Pomeroy, Robert Share, John LaPorta, Ted Pease, Bill Leavitt and Michael Rendish, developed a new language and approach that was designed to apply to commercial music. During that time Berklee's unparalleled success and the proliferation of Berklee graduates has spread this language far and wide among professionals, but almost not at all among classical musicians.

While there are only a few schools that successfully teach commercial music, still fewer are those schools which train commercial music at a distance. While Berklee itself is taking some steps in distance education, careful comparison may show that it's online courses do not compete with the scope of its residential courses. More limited programs such as the legacy of the Dick Grove School serve little more than an unfocused pastime for its instructors. The US School of Commercial Music is the premier distance-learning commercial music school, offering complete college-level Diploma programs. The concentrations which students use to construct their diploma programs are comprehensive. The material and methods are the newest or best available; course materials are updated twice yearly, with no departmental requirements to use older materials.


According to Professor Amaral of USSCM, "Choice and flexibility are great reasons to choose USSCM for your commercial music education." He continued,

"USSCM has an approach unlike any other:

• It mixes proprietary materials with the best of published materials, which are evaluated and upgraded twice yearly.
• There are no distracting ' {non music} academic' subjects, such as English or History.
• There is no competition for resources between a 'bricks and mortar operation' versus 'online'; USSCM has only one agenda: a student's rapid progress on a "microsemester" pace, rather than keeping him or her in a too-lengthy "semester" program.
• Students work in all four rhythm section instrumental areas each microsemester.
• Students record homework in every subject.
• Feedback about homework is greatly facilitated by online communication and often seems immediate.
• USSCM tuition is realistic.
• USSCM programs offer students a level of choice and customization very difficult to achieve and manage with a 'classroom' model of course delivery."

About the US School of Commercial Music
First founded in 1915, US School of Commercial Music continues a rich tradition as the oldest, most trusted name in distance music learning. Beginning in 1995, USSCM was the first institution to offer a college-level commercial music Diploma Program via online technology. Today, USSCM offers programs in every major category of commercial music, as well as unique proprietary Certificate Courses with content unobtainable elsewhere. Recognizing that each music student has unique needs, USSCM's Matriculation™ software technology gives students the unparalleled flexibility to design online, the exact program they need in six areas: Perfomance & Improvisation, The Schillinger System, Advanced Improvisation, SongWriting & Linear Counterpoint, Arranging & Orchestration and Music Production. USSCM is also the most economical way to acquire the knowledge and skills which a commercial musician needs to compete and collect a paycheck in today's noisy musical environment. USSCM students save considerable money by studying at home, anywhere in the world, and they actually get a better education than at typical bricks and mortar schools. While there is no substitute for working with fellow students shoulder to shoulder, peers are seldom professionals. USSCM exposes each student to a higher quality of music information and more professional material, because it upgrades materials on a semi-annual basis, the only criteria being that it be the best, most timely information, with the best presentation available.

For more information, please contact
Registrar, US School of Commercial Music
www.usschoolofmusic.com.
info@usschoolofmusic.com
617-666-4839