Set on the island of Martha’s Vineyard off of Cape Cod, Mass., this interdisciplinary off-campus study program provides a community for young musicians and aspiring music executives to plumb the depths of their creative souls and test the waters of a career in popular music. Designed as an artists' community, the program seeks to develop artists and music executives with a Christ-centered vision for music content, production and delivery. The mission of the CMC is to prepare students academically and creatively for potential careers in the music industry.
Though the program debuted only four years ago (Fall 2001), the results just one semester can have on students are already clear through the successes of CMC alumni. “The CMC clearly served as a launching pad for our career and afforded us the time, space and means to pursue our faith and our business in all their intertwined intricacies. . .Thanks to you we just finalized an exclusive management agreement with Logical Entertainment. It’s a bit surreal being managed by the same people who work with superstars like LL Cool J and Elvis Costello. We’ve got interest from five major labels including Columbia, Arista and Lava, and in the mean time have sold nearly 1,000 copies of the custom CD we made while at the CMC,” wrote William Gray and Jason Hamlin, Union University (CMC Spring ’02 and Spring ’03).
To date, 13 CMC alumni are currently working in the industry from New York to Nashville to L.A.; four alumni are recording artists and 32 are touring artists; 12 are record producers/recording engineers; two work with film and TV; two are entertainment writers; six are ministers of music; and two are involved in music education.
Warren Pettit, director of CMC, spent 14 years as associate professor of music at Greenville College (IL). There, he created and managed the degree program in contemporary music while teaching courses in studio recording, digital media, sound reinforcement, and philosophy and ethics of contemporary music.
Tom Willett, creative director for the CMC, brings a wealth of music industry experience to the program, having served as musician, agent, manager, executive producer, marketing executive and label head for more than 20 years.
“[Tom] and Warren left an indelible mark on me (and plenty of others, as well). [They] gave me a comprehensive perspective on the music industry, artistry and faith identity. Now that I'm working in Nashville, I find I have the tools that I need—both in music and in life—and I’m so thankful. I got an amazing job working with Nickel Creek and Gillian Welch at Q Prime Management. I hope I might come back to the Vineyard someday and contribute something to the CMC community from my own experience,” wrote Jewly Hight, Palm Beach Atlantic University (CMC Fall ’01).
To learn more or apply for the Spring 2006 semester at the Contemporary Music Center, go to www.BestSemester.com.
The Contemporary Music Center is one of 12 semester- or summer-long student programs offered by the CCCU, all of which are categorized as either culture-crossing programs or culture-shaping programs. Included in the culture-crossing programs are: Australia Studies Centre; China Studies Program; Latin American Studies Program; Middle East Studies Program; Programmes in Oxford; Russian Studies Program; and Uganda Studies Program. Culture-shaping programs are: American Studies Program (Washington, D.C.); Contemporary Music Center (Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.); Los Angeles Film Studies Center (L.A., Calif.); and Washington Journalism Center (Washington, D.C.), which is scheduled to launch in Fall 2006. All programs undergo regular site visit evaluations by the Student Academic Programs Commission (SAPC).
The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities is a higher education association of more than 170 intentionally Christ-centered institutions around the world. There are now 105 member campuses in North America and all are fully-accredited, comprehensive colleges and universities with curricula rooted in the arts and sciences. In addition, 71 affiliate campuses from 24 countries are part of the CCCU. The Council’s mission is to advance the cause of Christ-centered higher education and to help its institutions transform lives by faithfully relating scholarship and service to biblical truth.
