The creation of the Austin Community College Commercial Music Program
compiled by Martin Theophilus
The program was recently known as the ACC Music Business Performance Technology Department,
however effective in July 2023, the name was changed to the ACC Audio Technology and Industry
The founding of the Austin Community College Commercial Music Management degree program • view video
In mid 1986 I received the 1986 MIX magazine Education Directory for the Central US including Texas. It surprised me that there were no music business tech schools in Austin listed in the directory. My wife Chris and I began talking with folks we worked with in the Austin music community. We confirmed there were no schools offering the business of music in the Austin, Texas area. Those courses would include legal aspects of the music industry, publishing, staging, production, marketing and other essential resources, plus the basics of recording technology. We began exploring the possibility that some Austin area college or university might be interested in the creation of such a program.
I met with both the music and business departments at the University of Texas, St Edwards University, Concordia University and San Marcos' Texas State University. Folks said the idea was interesting, however their schedules were full and they passed.
I then sent a letter to ACC President Dan Angel describing our interest in creating the program. Dr. Angel connected me with ACC staff.
At that time I was serving on the Austin Community College's Business Management Advisory Committee as Chairman of the Texas Agency Human Resource Development Network. The ACC Business Advisory Committee is composed of Texas Agency representatives and Austin's larger private employers (TI, IBM, UT) to help identify educational needs and recommend programs to be provided by ACC. So I mentioned the music business program proposal at the next meeting of the ACC Business Advisory Committee. I asked if they thought the program would be a viable option for ACC. It was unanimously recommended and they asked for me to follow-up with more specifics.
To better support this proposal I began to contact and gather information from the existing Texas schools who had active commercial music programs. I wanted to know how they created their programs, their level of success and any information they were willing to share. I travelled to Houston, Waco, Dallas, Levelland and El Paso. All the programs seemed to be doing well and were often placing students into jobs before they graduated.
On July 28, 1986 I sent a proposed outline based on my visits to those Texas schools. I prepared a formal overview and presented it to the ACC Business Management Advisory Committee on October 29, 1986, The group believed the program would best be served by locating it in the Business department of ACC.
This approval resulted in the following questionnaire. The program eventually ended up in the Music area headed by David Jones.
On April 6, 1987 I wrote to local Austin recording studios asking if they would respond to a survey regarding the proposed ACC Commercial Music program. Here is a pdf with the recording studio replies.
I also wrote to other schools in the country that looked to be successful. Here is a pdf of their replies, plus replies received later from schools, individuals and organizations.
Here are some more letters of support for the ACC Commercial Music program. Also Ernie Gammage included the ACC proposed Music Business Program plan in the July Texas Music Association Bulletin.
In July/August of 1987 ACC sent out a survey to the Austin Community to gauge support for a Music Business Technology Associate degree program. Here are the compiled responses and Austin Community Colleges' Draft Resolution of Support.
Austin Community College allowed us to form an ad-hoc "support/planning" group to move the Commercial Music Program forward. As with any large organization, there were lots of folks to include and processes that were required.
On August 8,1987, I released a message to the support group outlining the programs' status. At that time, the persons who were participating were:
• Martin Theophilus - Phantom Productions, Inc. (Chairman initially, then responsibility was shared)
• Ernie Gammage (Austin Music Industry)
• Christine Theophilus (Phantom Productions, Inc/Board Member, Austin Lawyers & Accountants for the Arts)
• John Robert Hood (Bass Performing Arts Center)
• Gilbert Martinez (ACC Board)
• Ted Miller (Office of the Governor)
After months of meetings and with the help of ACC Board member Gilbert Martinez we got traction. In July 1989 ACC released the A.A.S. Commercial Management Program Application for Approval.
By that point the ad-hoc group had grown and included the folks on this page. The Austin Music Commission passed a resolution supporting the ACC program's creation (draft).
It took several years and lots of help from others. ACC said if ten students showed up for the first class, they would continue the program. Thirty-eight registered and additional classes had to be created. It became a reality in the Summer of 1988 and regular classes began in 1989.
Here's some additional ACC Commercial Music management evolution pages.
For several years, I taught Music Music Marketing in the ACC Commercial Music program at ACC's 5930 Middle Fiskville Road classroms.i1990 • 1991 • 1992 • 1992B
Some 1989 Classes
05/01/89 Martin ACC Artist Management
10/0/989 Martin ACC Marketing class - guest Dennis Roland dp Marketing
10/11/89 Martin ACC Marketing class - guest Barbara Kinko
10/16/89 Martin ACC Marketing class John Conquest - music publisher
10/18/89 Martin ACC Marketing class Sandy - Franklin Bank - Rusty Weir
10/23/89 Martin ACC Marketing class Jody Williams
10/25/89 Martin ACC Marketing class Lori Gallagher09/25/89 Peter Butcher begins work for ACC
Later, I was very happy that my good friend and business partner Peter Butcher (left at Ruff Cedar/Cedar Creek Studios) became an instructor for the program when it was housed at the Austin Opera House. Then later at ACC's Northridge campus (right).
Austin Community College - Music Business Performance Technology department
Go to Austin Community College Commercial Music Program web site
2021 update Austin Chronicle
The following is a list of persons who helped create, were instructors or staff in the ACC Commercial Management program, now the ACC Music Business, Performance and Technology degree program.
We will update this list as more information becomes available. Comments may be made on YouTube or contact us at this link.
ACC MBP&T staff and Instructors
Geoffrey Schulman
Music Bus Faculty, Dept Chair (1997-2017)Tim Dittmar
Dept Chair (2017 to present & staff since 2000)Kurtis Machlar - Studio manager
Tammy Blevins
Peter Butcher - Audio Tech Instructor
Scott Cain
Dan Childers, Adjunct Faculty, Audio Eng 2001-present
Fletcher Clark
Robert Davis
Ernie Gammage - Music Business - Austin Chamber
Lori Garrigus - Business
Roanna Gillespie, Music Bus Faculty, 2003-present
Jerry Haba - ACC Business and Technology
John Harvey
John Robert Hood - UT Bass Performing Arts Center
Pete Johnson, Program Specialist 2005-present
David Jones - Music Department Chair
James Kerkoff - Music Makers - Midi
Nick Landis - Nick Landis Mastering - Audio Instructor
L.E. McCullough
Joe McDermott, Adjunct Faculty, Song writing, Performance and Promotion for the Independent Artist 1997-present
Buck McKinny
Charles Medlin Adjunct Professor
Bob Meyers - Austin Music Department
Ted Miller - Office of the Governor
Andy Murphy - Audio Tech Instructor
Charles Nafas - ACC Dept Chair - Humanities
Wayne Nagel
Francis Preve, Digital Composition, Adjunct Faculty, Synthesis, Remixing, Sound Design 1997-present
Cynthia Reed - ACC - Dir Student Activities
Bitsy Rice
Russell Scanion
Robert Skiles
Daniel Skinner who taught recording and acoustic physics.
Jean Spivey, Adjunct Faculty, Concert Promotion, Music Business 1999-present
Spencer Starnes
Chris Theophilus - Founding Group Member
Martin Theophilus - Chair founding Group - Music Marketing Instructor
Mike Tolleson - Music Attorney
Jerry Tubb - Terra Nova Studio - audio instructor
Mark Wilson
Comments:
I was on the ACC staff for a couple years in 1990-91, but then Terra Nova got so busy that i had to choose!
ACC News Interview with ACC President Dan Angel and Martin Theophilus
Go to Austin Community College Commercial Music Program web site
On October 18, 2021 Chris and Martin Theophilus toured the Austin Community College's Music Business, Performance & Technology studios and then interviewed Tim Dittmar and Kurtis Machler • view video • small file
On March 29, 2022 Nick Landis (left below) coordinated the Central Texas Chapter of the Audio Engineering Society's tour of the ACC Music Business, Performance and Technology studios
Martin Theophilus, ACC Commercial Music Management Program founder - 1986; Malcolm Harper, Reelsound Recording; David Hough, Audio Director for Austin City Limits since its pilot sessions in 1974: Andy Murphy ACC CMM Advisory Board Member
Miles Muller, Malcolm Harper, David Hough and Andy Murphy
© 2021 Martin Theophilus
