Music Industry Campus Extension at UCLA's Herb Alpert School, Fueled by $5 Million Gift by Berry Gordy
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is set to launch the UCLA Berry Gordy Music Industry Center, a groundbreaking initiative that aims to establish the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music's new music industry program as a national leader. The Center's mission is to inspire and equip future generations of music executives, artists, and entrepreneurs, building on the legacy of Berry Gordy, a pioneering figure in music.
Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown Records, has pledged a $5 million gift to establish the Center. Gordy's philosophy, which emphasizes the importance of nurturing young talent and holistic thinking about art and careers, guides the Center. Motown's success throughout the 1960s and 1970s was spectacular, with over 110 of the label's records ending up in the Billboard Top 100.
The Center will offer scholarships, such as the Berry Gordy Music Industry Scholarship, supported by Universal Music Group (UMG), to help students pursue music careers. It will also align with UMG's Sounds of the Future campaign, particularly its "Invest" pillar, which advances commitments to schools and community programs to preserve and pass down the creative legacy of Black music.
The Center aims to increase access to education and professional training as a transformative tool for the music business, thereby nurturing a new generation that honors innovation and cultural heritage while driving meaningful change. The Center serves as a bridge between academia and the music industry, cultivating talent that will carry forward musical innovation, cultural influence, and inclusivity within the global music landscape.
Graduates and faculty members of the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music have received prestigious accolades, including MacArthur fellowships, Grammy Awards, and Emmy Awards. The school, founded as a stand-alone school of music in 2008 with a naming gift of $30 million from Herb Alpert, originally comprised the departments of ethnomusicology, music, and musicology. It now includes interdisciplinary programs in global jazz studies, music industry, and the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance.
The school offers an education that values all musical traditions and emphasizes active engagement in the greater Los Angeles community. It boasts over 40 musical ensembles performing music from around the globe. The Center will support the development of new courses and specialized curriculum in songwriting and production.
The Center will also enrich the school's music industry program, focusing on career support and opportunities for students from underrepresented backgrounds. It will provide funding for the building of partnerships with primary and secondary schools to foster awareness of music industry careers.
The UCLA Berry Gordy Music Industry Center is set to launch in the 2024/25 academic year. Smokey Robinson, a renowned singer and songwriter who was nurtured by Gordy's mentorship, has expressed appreciation for Gordy's generosity. Motown became one of the most influential independent record companies in American history, launching the careers of numerous legendary artists.
Research sponsored by the Center will investigate the intersection of technology and streaming algorithms with the concerns of social justice. The Center's launch marks a significant step towards shaping the future of music education and career opportunities, embodying Gordy's philosophy of nurturing young talent and holistic thinking about art and careers.
For more information about the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, visit their website.
[1] UCLA Newsroom. (2023). UCLA announces the establishment of the Berry Gordy Music Industry Center at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. Retrieved from https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/ucla-announces-the-establishment-of-the-berry-gordy-music-industry-center-at-the-ucla-herb-alpert-school-of-music [2] Universal Music Group. (2023). Universal Music Group and UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music announce the Berry Gordy Music Industry Scholarship. Retrieved from https://www.universalmusic.com/news/universal-music-group-and-ucla-herb-alpert-school-of-music-announce-the-berry-gordy-music-industry-scholarship [3] UCLA Newsroom. (2023). UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music celebrates 15 years of excellence in music education. Retrieved from https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/ucla-herb-alpert-school-of-music-celebrates-15-years-of-excellence-in-music-education [4] Motown Museum. (2023). Sounds of the Future: A Campaign for Motown Museum. Retrieved from https://www.motownmuseum.org/sounds-of-the-future/
- The Berry Gordy Music Industry Center, established at UCLA's Herb Alpert School of Music, promises to nurture a new generation of music industry professionals, blending education-and-self-development with entertainment, such as music, to create a holistic programme aligned with Universal Music Group's Sounds of the Future campaign.
- The Center, instigated by Berry Gordy, the visionary founder of Motown Records, aims to equip students with scholarships for their music careers and promote access to education, thereby fostering a diverse and innovative music industry, enriched by cultural heritage and social justice concerns.
