About Us

The Arts, Entertainment & Media Management (AEMM) Department has joined forces with Columbia College Chicago's Music and Television Departments in the production of MusiciansStudio, an hour long television program. Hosted by DownBeat Magazine publisher Frank Alkyer, the show is taped before a live studio audience at the Concert Hall of the Music Center, 1014 S. Michigan Avenue.

Its mission is to produce an educational television series featuring interviews with emerging and prominent musicians and music managers who discuss their artistic and business careers. Conceived as a six-episode series for distribution on broadcast television - specifically WYCC Channel 20 - as well as cable and DVD, MusiciansStudio is currently in the production stage. Production began in March 2006 with the taping of the first episode, featuring punk rock pioneer Bob Mould. Subsequent tapings included interviews with Chicago Jazz Ensemble Artistic Director Jon Faddis in April, Academy-Award nominated singer-songwriter Bird York in August, Chicagocountry music star Robbie Fulks in September, and jazz drummer Paul Wertico in November.

Future tapings are scheduled once a month through April 2008. Although the shows are ultimately being produced for broadcast, it is the live aspect of the shows - the interaction between the host, the guest, and the live audience, that gives them their speak. This makes Columbia students attending the tapings integral to each shows success. The one-on-one conversational format gives the live audience a chance to learn firsthand how these musicians create and earn a living through their art.

Deeper insights are revealed during the audience question and answer segment. "MusiciansStudio works well as a teaching tool. The show engages students and gets them to apply the business and critical thinking skills they are learning. It also heightens their aesthetic awareness of the art form as well as the media production process. In so many ways, it's the perfect example of how art and business come together," explains MusiciansStudio Producer, Mary Filice.

Columbia students are given the opportunity to learn through hands-on experience during the production of the shows. Filice recruits graduate and undergraduate student volunteers from the AEMM Department to assist her in the production and promotion aspects of MusiciansStudio. Student volunteers assist in a variety of ways, from hanging up posters around campus, helping to line up guests, scheduling freelancers such as the make-up artist, obtaining "TV release" forms, to performing house management and marketing duties.

Television Department students also volunteer their services by taping the shows. Under the direction of the TV Department's Operations Manager Chris West, student volunteers assist with lighting, camera work, and other technical aspects of the production. "Its a great way for students to put into practice what they learn in their production and aesthetics classes," explains Filice. MusiciansStudio will be broadcast on WYCC in Spring 2007.

For more information, contact MusiciansStudio - Mary Filice in the AEMM Department at MusiciansStudio@colum.edu.