Advocacy

Advocating for a Music Technology program can be a challenge considering the resources required to begin this program. In addition to paying a teacher to teach the class, it also requires investing resources to purchase equipment. software and hardware.  Nevertheless, there are compelling reasons and data available to present to administrators and stakeholders on the impact of the program to student learning and future careers that make for a compelling case for having a music technology program. 

Careers in one of the fastest growing job markets in the country

Strong growth in music technology and related industries can be found in the State of Georgia, the southeast region, and the entire country. Georgia has long been a hub for the music industry, with 20,000 jobs, a statewide economic impact of $7 billion annually, and millions in state and local tax revenues (http://www.georgia.org/industries/entertainment-industry/music-industry/Pages/default.aspx). Atlanta is also rapidly becoming the center of innovation in music technology in the Southeast, with a growing community of music technology startup companies, such as ZooZ Mobile, Tovbot, Mowgli Games, Museaic Labs, Free All Music, and Neurotic Media – all creating the next generation of disruptive technologies in the industry. Music technology is also at the core of Georgia’s film and TV production activities at places like Turner and Pinewood Studios. Georgia is now one of the top five production destinations in the country, with 333 productions shot in the state in 2012 (http://www.pinewoodgroup.com/our-studios/usa/filming-georgia).

Since the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Georgia Department of Labor do not specifically track jobs in music technology, data from Burning Glass Technologies, a labor analytics company that pulls from thousands of sources of job postings online, provides additional perspective on labor trends in emerging fields (such as music technology). Data from Burning Glass tracked changes in numbers of job postings in Georgia and nationally from 2007 to 2012 requiring a bachelors degree with core skills tied closely to music technology. Nationally, there was a 225% growth in postings from 2007 to 2012. Within Georgia, there was an even stronger growth of 250%. These numbers strongly suggest that the industry demand for individuals with bachelor’s degrees in music technology is growing quickly, with growth in Georgia outpacing the national average.

Sources for funding: Government, Private and Community Grants