Chart-topping, seven-time Dove Award-nominated singer, songwriter and worship leader
Todd Agnew and rock star-turned-college president Ken Steorts (one of the original founding members of the award-winning, Double Platinum-selling Christian rock band Skillet) know a thing or two about music, ministry and the business of making records. Both artists have a long history and strong bond with Memphis-based Ardent Records. So when Ardent Records recording artist Agnew joined the faculty at Visible Music College, it seemed only natural for them to turn the classroom inside out, giving students the opportunity to collaborate with industry pros who have "been there, done that."
Ushering in a paradigm shift in the way college music business programs educate their students, Steorts and Visible Music College recently teamed up with Ardent Records to integrate Visible Music College students into the real work of the recording industry, assigning Student Managers from Visible Music College's Madison Line Records to work on the day-to-day promotion of Agnew's critically acclaimed project,
From Grace to Glory: The Music of Todd Agnew.
Thrust into the deep end of the pool, the Student Managers learned first-hand the challenges and exhilaration of real-life work experience in the music industry, and were able to acquire a wealth of knowledge and experience in the process.
The Student Managers incorporated the project into Constant Attention™, a proprietary system of Visible Music College and Madison Line Records which allows Student Managers to tend to the six sequential areas of music industry for artists (artist development, publishing, audio production, marketing, events, and sales). The system, which is based upon decades of artist development experience and encouragement, allows the Student Managers to plan, execute, and evaluate artists and their products and careers by paying attention to each step along with the artists, thus building a cycle of progress and development. Next, they ran Agnew's social media metrics, established and delivered communication protocols online, answered fan inquiries and booking opportunities, shot video, did interview prep, worked with online marketing, interfaced with Ardent Records and other leaders in the contemporary Christian music industry, and tended Todd's peripheral marketing efforts and fan management. The Student Managers quickly gained a reputation for representing the professionalism of Madison Line Records and the entire recording industry program at Visible Music College.
"We are very pleased with our Student Managers' work on Todd's new album," says Steorts, president of Visible Music College. "It has long been our vision to train and equip musicians, technicians, and business professionals in craft and Christian character, for effective service in the music industry and in the Church. I believe that vision has been realized as our students have gained record deals (Carolina Story), and radio airplay (Luminate), and are touring the world in music (Sarah Simmons). Our partnership with Ardent Records and Todd Agnew (who is also a faculty member at our Dallas campus) has allowed our students to gain real world experience in the industry."
For more information about Visible Music College, visit
visible.edu.
