Monmouth U Celebrates Music Industry Program At Lakehouse
Students Exposed To Hands On, Behind-The-Scenes, & On Stage Learning Opportunities W/ Industry Greats
Music industry veterans, Monmouth University alumni, faculty and students gathered Wednesday night to celebrate the grand opening of the West Long Branch institution’s satellite music industry program at Lakehouse Music Academy in Asbury Park.
“Monmouth University’s partnership with Lakehouse Music Academy is a terrific example of our unique educational approach to get students out of the classroom to do hands on work in the field and to work side by side with industry professionals,” University President Gray Dimenna said. “I have personally played guitar and recorded music here alongside our students with Blue Hawk Records – our student run record label, and I can attest to the Monmouth experience at Lakehouse being first class.”
And in that quintessential rare Asbury Park moment, Vini ‘Mad Dog’ Lopez and Department Chair Joe Rapolla, who also happens to be a veteran industry exec and singer-songwriter and musician, joined Dan Amato and the Sentimental Gentleman in playing a couple tunes. The band is made up in part of current and former Monmouth University students Zack Sandler, Nicole Govel, and Jon Bass.
Five years ago, after Rapolla – a University alum, lended insight to the music program, he was brought in to head the Music and Theatre Arts Department.
“I told them it was a good program but it needed to be brought up to speed with what is happening in today’s business; we have this convergence of music, media and technology,” Rapolla said. “We needed to be in an environment with some technology and a more immersive space.”
That is when the collaboration with Lakehouse owners Jon and Nancy Leidersdorff began; the latter is not only an alumna but a member of the Board of Trustees.
“I started to teach our production classes here and then we started the student run Blue Hawk records,” Rapolla said. “When Jon [Leidersdorff] bought this side of the building it made sense for us to physically be here.”
Rapolla said the University has been running hands on, behind-the-scenes and on stage learning opportunities with industry greats at the Lake Avenue venue for the past year. Grammy-award winning artist Lorde’s Hunger Games: Mocking Jay film closing theme song was recorded at the Lakehouse Studios by one of the department’s adjunct professors Erik Romero, who teaches Audio Production courses at the studio.
The music industry program features production, songwriting, arts administration, and concert promotion courses, as well as internship opportunities. Of the 130 music students, 100 of them participate in the industry program in Asbury Park, one of only a few in the nation, said Ken Womack – Dean of the Wayne D McMurray School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University.
“We have been customizing the space for our needs over the past several months and are delighted to be hosting four classes here this semester; 10 total this year,” said Womack, a celebrated author and authority on the cultural influence of The Beatles. “Our program at Lakehouse is focused on our students’ innovative learning experience; in line with the university’s unique approach to education. Students have the opportunity to study applied music along with the business methods behind music production and distribution. We offer classes on site, hands on training and exposure to a range of industry professionals and the latest technology.”
The second floor studio space will feature Blue Hawk podcasts and a soon to launch public lecture series. Jeff and Mareen Norman donated the historic Upstage sign and Eileen Chapman, head of the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music lended artifacts and an curated an exhibit for the space.
“I tried to include items that were pertinent to the Bruce Springsteen experience in Asbury Park, the Asbury Park City Councilwoman said.
The Leidersdorff’s, who fund a music industry scholarship, have a goal to see a full tuition scholarship for an Asbury Park native come to fruition, Jon Leidersdorff said.
“The thing about having a university present, we look it at it as creating the potential for some of our Asbury Park community,” Leidersdorff said. “It is very much at the top of the agenda for Lakehouse to find more ways to partner with Monmouth; specifically we would like to see a full ride for a student that comes from Asbury Park.”
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