Global Grooves: Columbia Students Travel to Germany for International Band and Business Camp
Students gather to participate in a simulated music business experience. Photo courtesy of Hailey Carmean. 
Students from multiple countries worked together at the camp and had some fun. Photo courtesy of Hailey Carmean. 
Hailey Carmean takes a moment from her busy day at Popakademie in Hammelburg, Germany, for a photo opportunity. Students also visited a castle and sampled local food. Photo courtesy of Hailey Carmean. 
Claire Hanam and her band, The Gathering. Photo courtesy of Claire Hanam. Two small groups of Columbia College Chicago students recently traveled to Hammelburg, Germany, to take part in Popakademie Baden-Württemberg’s week-long Band and Business Camp — a unique fusion of music and entrepreneurship that brought together students from around the globe.
The camp offered participants the chance to dive deep into songwriting and simulated music industry challenges. Two classes attended, one led by Columbia’s School of Business and Entrepreneurship and the other by the School of Audio and Music. They were accompanied by Jerry Brindisi, interim director of the School of Business and Entrepreneurship and Cassandra O’Neal, an assistant professor in the School of Audio and Music.
Learning About Music and the Business of Music
During the Band Camp students worked on existing songs and wrote new songs with the support of a band coach. The results were presented at a public concert at the end of the week.
“It was amazing to see and hear all the different styles and inspirations while imagining how I might work well with them,” says Claire Hanam, a Music student at Columbia.
On the business side, the camp simulated an intense scenario where students juggled virtual business departments, deadlines, and decision-making under pressure.
Both groups worked with peers from European institutions, learning firsthand what it takes to thrive in a fast-paced, international music industry.
A Chance to Explore
Students also enjoyed some downtime in Hammelburg where they sampled local food and visited a castle.
“It was seriously the coolest place I’ve ever seen,” says Hanam. “As someone obsessed with fantasy and old architecture, it hit the spot.”
Valuable Lessons
For senior Music Business student Hailey Carmean, the class experience fulfilled an important goal.
“I signed up for this class because I had a few friends who went in previous years, and they all said it was a fantastic experience,” Carmean says. “I’ve always been interested in working internationally, and this felt like the perfect opportunity.”
Carmean highlighted forming global friendships, gaining real-world industry experience, and being pushed beyond her academic comfort zone as key takeaways from the trip.
“I was more challenged than I’ve ever been in a class,” Carmean says. “Time management was the biggest lesson for me. Without it, you get lost fast.”
For Hanam, the idea of getting thrown into an environment with strangers was completely terrifying, but knew the experience would prove to be a growth opportunity.
“I learned how to communicate with instrumentalists, collaborate with songwriters, and reinforced the importance of networking and community,” Hanam says.
Trip Earns High Marks
The trip, which Columbia students take every year, provides cross-cultural collaboration and hands-on experiences that will prove incredibly useful for students once they leave Columbia.
“These trips are insanely valuable,” Carmean says. “You walk away with lifelong friends, international connections, and experience that truly prepares you for the real world.”
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