Miami University Students Learn About the Music Industry from a Gold Certified Recording Artist
Eron Bucciarelli talks to the Introduction to Music Business class at Miami University.
Recording artist, entrepreneur, and technology professional, Eron Bucciarelli, visited students in the Introduction to Music Business class for a behind-the-scenes look at the music industry, creative entrepreneurship, and technology startups. The course is part of the Arts Management and Arts Entrepreneurship curriculum, a new primary major in the College of Creative Arts.
Bucciarelli was the drummer for Hawthorne Heights, an alternative rock band from Dayton, Ohio formed in 2001. The group rose to popularity in the early to mid-2000s with their hit single, Ohio is for Lovers, which certified gold on June 1st, 2004. Their follow-up album, The Silence in Black and White, was certified gold in July of 2005. He has toured all over the United States as part of numerous tours such as the Vans Warped Tour, South by So What, Stripped Down to the Bone Tour, and Bled Fest. As an accomplished percussionist, Bucciarelli has been featured in predominant music publications including Modern Drummer, Remo, Drummers Zone, and more.
After leaving Hawthorne Heights in 2014, Bucciarelli transitioned into the technology sector and began working as a product manager for Kroger Digital Technologies. Bucciarelli launched several technology startups in the creative and music industry sectors including Tixxy, a concert recommendation chatbot designed to notify users when artists in their iTunes or Spotify playlists are performing within a specified geographical region.
The Introduction to Music Business (CCA 202) is taught by Willie Caldwell, a Visiting Assistant Professorof Arts Management and Arts Entrepreneurship (AM&AE) at Miami University. A new degree and major was recently approved for the AM&AE program. There are plans to develop a music business track. “Creating opportunities for our students to see all the ways they can be successful in the creative economy is such an important part of our program. Having Eron share his story as a musician, tech guru, and creative entrepreneur opens a world of possibilities for our students to explore and connect with,” said Caldwell.
Ashley Hess, a business major and student in Introduction to Music Business, said that “interacting with Eron was refreshing because I gained a new perspective about an individual’s internal experiences within the industry.” She wanted to learn more about the music industry because, “with being a business major, the business side of the industry specifically intrigues me. I took the class to see if it would be an ideal career path for me post-graduation.”
The Arts Management and Arts Entrepreneurship program has become one of Miami’s fastest-growing academic programs with an interdisciplinary focus on connecting artistic practice, business, and entrepreneurship. The program now offers a major, co-major, and multiple minors for students seeking to connect with the creative economy. The music business track will allow students to explore the business side of the music industry including commercial songwriting, record label operations, music publishing, copyright and legal issues, as well as distribution and delivery systems ranging from physical album sales to streaming and digital downloads. “The music industry has been changing and evolving in front of our eyes over the past several years. Exposing our students to an artist of Eron’s caliber and seeing how platforms like Tixxy are contributing to new business models and new revenue streams for the music industry is a critical part of empowering our students to be successful in this field,” said Todd Stuart, Director of Arts Management and Arts Entrepreneurship.
For more information on the Arts Management and Arts Entrepreneurship Program, visit www.miamioh.edu/artsmanagement or contact Todd Stuart, Director of the Arts Management and Arts Entrepreneurship program at [email protected].
