Billboard magazine has named the Mike Curb Institute for Music at Rhodes College to its 2026 list of Top Music Business Schools, which includes programs selected on factors including curriculum, industry connections, and alumni success. This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the Curb Institute.
On Oct. 5, 2006, then Rhodes College President William E. Troutt announced the establishment of the Curb Institute, made possible through a generous gift from the Mike Curb Family Foundation. The institute was designed and continues to provide programming that foster awareness and understanding of the distinct musical traditions of the South and the impact of music on its culture, history, and economy.
In celebration of these milestones, the college will host the “Mike Curb Institute for Music 20th Anniversary Concert” on campus during Rhodes Homecoming Weekend on Friday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m. The event will feature sets by the Rhodes Jazz Ensemble, Marcella Simien, and the Unapologetic music collective and will highlight many of the community partnerships the institute has forged over the years, including the Overton Park Shell, whose Shell on Wheels will be on campus Nov. 13.
“It is hard to believe it has been 20 years since the Mike Curb Institute was founded at Rhodes. We remain grateful to Mike and Linda Curb for their vision and generosity and are excited to celebrate with everyone at the 20th anniversary concert,” said Dr. John Bass, director of the Curb Institute. “Curb Fellows have done so much for the program over the years and are doing amazing things in their careers as alumni, and I can’t wait to have them back on campus and to introduce them to our current fellows.”
The Curb Institute has used Rhodes’ strong liberal arts focus as a foundation for music and entertainment-based education. This allows students from diverse backgrounds pursuing various majors and minors to gain insights into working in the music industry with a broad worldview, preparing them to become the next generation of leaders.
The Curb Institute oversees the college’s Certificates in Music Industry Studies and offers innovative courses such as “Music and Community in Memphis,” “Music Urbanism,” and “Songwriting in Memphis” which offers students the opportunity to engage with top professionals such as Jason Isbell, Alan Reynolds, Sons of Town Hall, and even Mike Curb. Class discussions focus on larger questions of the how and why of songwriting and are always centered on the history and music of artists from Memphis.
Beyond courses, the Mike Curb Institute for Music Fellowship Program has provided paid opportunities for students to collaborate on projects with local music professionals and organizations such as Goner Records, Royal Studios, the Overton Park Shell, Music Export Memphis, the STAX Museum of American Soul Music, and Grammy and Emmy award- winning author and filmmaker Robert Gordon.
The Curb Institute has a long history of collaborating across campus, as well as with community partners in Memphis, to host a wide array of concerts, speakers, and events. More recent highlights include the “Sons of Town Hall” presented by Crosstown Arts; “Rhodes Night at the Shell featuring Muneer Nasser and the Rhodes Jazz Band,” presented in partnership with the Overton Park Shell; “A Conversation with Ann Powers;” and “Freedom First featuring Keith Lamar and Albert Marques.”
The Curb Block Party is an annual event hosted every spring semester. This on-campus, outdoor music festival is entirely produced by Curb Fellows, who apply what they have learned in their classes and fellowship experiences to celebrate music and community.
Rhodes graduates who have taken part in the Curb Institute’s music fellowship programs have received competitive graduate school placements and experienced noted successes in the music and entertainment industry.
The “Mike Curb Institute for Music 20th Anniversary Concert” is free and open to the public. However, attendees are asked to register using this link:
https://fs22.formsite.com/webmanagerrhodesedu/k4xo51ulew/index
Those with specific inquiries about the event of Curb Institute, can contact Dr. John Bass at bassj@rhodes.edu.