Rhodes College’s Mike Curb Institute for Music, which involves students in the inner workings of the music business from sound editing and video production to marketing and community engagement, has landed on Billboard’s annual list of Top Music Business Schools for the fourth time in a row.
The 2024 Top Music Business Schools list is not ranked but includes programs selected on factors including industry recommendations, alumni success, and information requested from each school.
“It is an honor to be included on the Billboard list of Top Music Business Schools again this year among so many wonderful programs and a validation of our unique approach to industry-based education through the liberal arts,” said Dr. John Bass, who serves as director of the Curb Institute.
The Curb Institute was founded in 2006 through a generous gift from the Mike Curb Family Foundation to foster awareness and understanding of the distinct musical traditions of the South and builds upon Rhodes’ strong liberal arts focus as a foundation for music and entertainment-based education. This approach encourages graduates to not only learn how to work in the industry but also to think broadly about the world and become the next generation of leaders.
The foundation also gifted 1034 Audubon Drive—the first home Elvis bought in Memphis—to the college as space for Curb Institute fellows to explore their own creativity, like Elvis did at their age. This past year, students relaunched a house concert series called the Audubon Sessions, which has featured local and renowned artists such as Rosanne Cash, Charles Lloyd, Valerie June, and Bobby Rush in performance and conversation.
Curb Fellows record and produce music on campus in the Harris Lodge and gain experience at some of Memphis’ historic studios while in school, including Royal Studios, where Al Green, Ann Peebles, and Bruno Mars recorded hits, and Easley McCain Recording, which recorded artists ranging from Rufus Thomas to Jeff Buckley to the White Stripes. They also develop and manage other projects, such as Dredge, an arts-focused zine and social media platform, and produce the on-campus music events Respect Fest and the Curb Block Party.
Through the Curb Institute, Rhodes offers Certificates in Music Industry Studies as well as innovative courses such as Songwriting in Memphis; Music Urbanism; and Audio Engineering: History, Theory, and Practice. During the Spring 2023 semester, the Curb Institute helped bring Grammy Award-winner Jason Isbell to campus for a public discussion and songwriting clinic with students.
Learn more about the Curb Institute.