Thursday (January 15, 2009)
From Julie Hill ‘09 and Cody Fiedler ‘10, Music Business majors…
We left our hotel for Burbank at 8:15 a.m., and of course it was sunny; we are in Southern California. The drive was shorter than predicted, and we were able to walk around Hollywood, see the sign in the mountains, walk the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and get a glimpse of the Chinese Theater. Our prime destination was Warner Bros. Studios where we would get on the lot and meet with the President of Operations for the Film Music Division, Doug Frank.
Frank, who received an honorary doctorate from Bradley in 2006, arranged an impressive conference-room meeting with his staff. Included were Darren Higman, the Senior Vice President of Music, and Debbie Streeter, the Director of Music Administration. Darren described to us the process of incorporating movie music into a production and the time commitment required to get music to the screen. He showed us examples of movie sound clips from Win A Date With Tad Hamilton, Shark Tale, and Happy Feet. Darren’s intuitive senses give him a knack for incorporating music that will best enhance the scene. After a quick lunch break during which we discussed current demographic trends and their effect on the music business, we met with Debbie Streeter. She breaks down scripts, analyzes the cost of music for a film, and meets with composers, lawyers, creative executives, and musicians. One of her most memorable quotes was: “I learned my job by doing my job.” Doug Frank told us that in order to do well at Warner Bros., you have to be a “fan” of music and films.
We took a trip down the lot to the Eastwood Scoring Stage for Post Production. While there, we were able to sit in on a live recording for an upcoming video game. It was AWESOME!!!!!!
Doug Frank then led us over to the Warner Bros. Record Label. There we met Xavier Ramos, one of 10 marketing directors for the label. He said that since the Music Industry is in a period of transition, people are always looking for new ideas that help to restructure their business model. He noted that people of our age and education are the new blood of the industry. Ramos took us to their Merchandise Department, which specializes in Artist Merchandise for their signed artists. They do a great job at marketing bands and using high-quality products. Some people in our group are very interested in those programs.
After our day at Warner Bros., we went to the Skirball Cultural Center in Burbank for the Slane College of Communication and Fine Arts Alumni Banquet. We were greeted by BU Alumni in the Los Angeles area, as well as seniors from Fullerton High School who are interested in attending Bradley. As a treat, Carl Anderson, Todd Kelly, and Ed, Janet and Laraine Kaizer performed several selections. President Joanne Glasser gave a speech through a video message. It was so great to have her there in spirit! We missed her.
As we head to bed, we can’t help but think how surreal it was to have spent the day on the WB lot. What an experience! Tomorrow will be our first of two days at the NAMM Show. It will be another great experience!