Q&A: Music in Action provides an unusual look at music industry

Local News

December 21, 2008

By Joe Olenick<br><a href="mailto:olenickj@gnnewspaper.com">E-mail Joe</a> The Lockport Union-Sun %26 Journal Sun Dec 21, 2008, 10:42 PM EST

Bob James knows a little about the music industry and would like to pass that knowledge on.

James is involved with “Music In Action,” a program that introduces students to a different side of the music industry. Lockport High School is in its second year with “Music In Action,” which puts students through the business side of music by producing and releasing an album. The program is run by Music Is Art, an organization founded by Robby Takac of the Goo Goo Dolls. Founded in 2004, the organization promotes music in communities and schools.

With a long career of playing and recording for multiple bands, James and Takac began Music In Action in 2006, starting with the Buffalo Academy for the Visual and Performing Arts. The school put out a CD of student-performed songs called “Be True, Be You.” In February of this year, Lockport joined the program. Wednesday, James met with a group of Lockport students to prepare for this year’s program.

QUESTION: How did Music In Action get started?

ANSWER: Robby Takac and I drafted a plan during the summer of 2006. I got a chance to go on the road with the Goo Goo Dolls a little bit. And our inaugural team happened in Buffalo that fall. That was with the Buffalo Academy for the Visual and Performing Arts. So this is, like, our third season this year.

•••

Q: How many schools are participating?

A: We have Lockport, the Academy and a couple of other schools in Buffalo. There was a school we didn’t have a chance to return to last year, but there are kids there who were working on new materials. We’re also adding a single-day event called Music In Action Career Day. It’s a series of workshops where we mix in about 75 students into three groups of 25. We have workshops throughout the day with industry specialists. It’s not the Music In Action program, so we’re trying to draw other schools.

Q: So you visit all of the schools?

A: Yes, I do. But we bring in outside speakers, too. Last year, we had Anthony Casuccio, a Grammy-nominated producer. We had Grace Strumberg, who was on our original team. Now she is having a music career develop and going to Villa Maria College for music business. She’s a singer and a songwriter — amazing what she learned and the contacts she made. She’ll be in sometime to talk to these guys about songwriting. She’s not much older than some of them.

•••

Q: In your own words, how would you describe the program?

A: It’s a career education program about the music industry. They’ll understand the different jobs in this business, some they may be interested in, some they may not be interested in. Hands-on experience, looking for artists, managing the artists, producing the CD, coming up with a design and doing some promotional work. It’s something that’ll be on a personal resume.

•••

Q: Anything else you’d like to add?

A: We’re really dependent on outside funding. The Music Is Art organization is pretty young, it doesn’t have a big trust fund. So with any programs operating, outside funding is needed. The Grigg Lewis Foundation, Leadership Niagara and Villa Maria College — we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them supporting us.

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