MEIEA Summit 2025

                  Benom Plumb, Moderator
1:30 - Popular Music, Political Marketing, and Pedagogy
2:00 - Rock Stars: We Teach ABOUT Them, So Should We Teach LIKE Them?

Popular Music, Political Marketing, and Pedagogy
  David Allan, Saint Joseph's University
Popular music has been successfully integrated into curriculum in numerous settings for decades (Kelstrom, 1998). It is being used in the marketing classroom as an “anchor point” (Tomkovick, 2004, p. 111); in the management classroom to “enhance the dynamism and excitement” (Wheatley, 1998, p. 342); and in the sociology classroom for teaching interactive courses (Ahlkvist, 1999). Politics can be a challenge in the classroom (McAvoy, 2024), even though some believe that’s where it belongs (Hess and Gatti, 2010). Popular music and politics have enjoyed a long history together (Dunaway, 1987). From a political marketing perspective, two ways popular music can be used are campaign anthems (rallies and advertising) and artist endorsement. The 2024 U.S. presidential election, especially in Pennsylvania, has provided the perfect case study for the classroom. “Music has played a galvanizing role on the Pennsylvania campaign trail in 2024, providing a soundtrack to the candidates’ rallies, offering high-profile endorsements, and creating spaces to encourage and mobilize civic engagement, including registering young people to vote at recent Philadelphia concerts.”

Rock Stars: We Teach ABOUT Them, So Should We Teach LIKE Them?
  Storm Gloor, University of Colorado Denver
We live in a world of decreasing attention spans where entertainment media pervades our culture more and more. Amidst all of the “noise” of social media, tech devices, and other distractions that our students experience throughout their day. Within their world, and in the classroom specifically, we as teachers are challenged to not only maintain their attention, given all those distractions, but to also assure that the material we deliver in real time is retained and thoughtfully contemplated. Traditional means of presenting learning materials might not be as useful as they once were. Understanding student expectations of what constitutes “good teaching” is key to an adoption of new practices.
One possible approach to consider, especially among music business educators, could involve what we know about a subject we already teach. In many ways, what music fans expect from musicians and artists, particularly those that are successful, relate to what they expect from educators. In their performances, these stars have demonstrated how to engage (or not) audiences effectively. How could those practices also be applied in a classroom?
This research takes into account student observations and expectations of pedagogical practices, generally understood best practices of teaching, and an understanding of current trends within academia. A comparison is then made to the practices of popular music artists to develop practices that might be adapted by classroom instructors of any discipline. For instructors, an understanding of how artists perform, how they are marketed, their fan interactions, and even how they create their content, might have application in their own work. Could success as a “rock star” in the music industry relate to a teacher’s success as a “rock star” in the classroom and within their academic environment?

         Jan-Olof Gullö, Moderator
2:45 - The Capstone Challenge: Re-evaluating Senior Project
3:15 - Navigating Barriers: Enhancing Visibility and Opportunities for Latin Canadian Artists in the Music Industry

The Capstone Challenge: Re-evaluating Senior Project
  Paul Linden, University of Southern Mississippi
This presentation re-evaluates presuppositions surrounding senior project, often called capstone or capstone experience. In particular, the one-semester model warrants closer inspection, given the expectations it is designed to satisfy. As a structured, culminating experience, capstones tend to synthesize all relevant coursework within the major, providing evidence of acquired skills, highlighted portfolio material and in some cases assessment material informing program evaluation and orientation. The challenge of successfully responding to these items in a single semester is compounded by the fact that students may start off without a clear idea of what they want their capstone project to be, with about ninety days to deliver it. This presentation opens the question of how a two-semester model can more adequately respond to the capstone challenge by splitting the project into two major phases of research and production. Topics will include formulating and defending a proposal, student intentionality and values, as well as resource management.

Navigating Barriers: Enhancing Visibility and Opportunities for Latin Canadian Artists in the Music Industry
  Charlie Wall-Andrews, The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University
      This research project was funded in part by a MEIEA Research Grant.
Latin music has had a global economic and cultural impact, but Latin Canadian artists still struggle in the Canadian music industry. This study examines the main barriers to Latin music’s growth and visibility in Canada, how identity and categorization affect Latin Canadian artists’ opportunities and recognition, and how to improve their representation and inclusion. To gather insights from Latin artists and industry members across Canada, we used a mixed-methods survey and focus groups. Despite Latin music’s global popularity, Latin Canadian artists face identity, categorization, and opportunity issues that hinder their domestic and international success. The study emphasizes the need for targeted strategies to overcome these barriers, promote inclusion, and help Latin Canadian artists succeed. Key recommendations include raising industry awareness, building supportive networks, and implementing policies that celebrate Canada’s diverse Latin music community.