Delta State University DMI
Entertainment Industry Studies
deltastate.edu/artsandsciences/delta-music-institute
Billboard Top Music Business School: Located in the small town of Cleveland, MS, Delta State University is a public institution offering dozens of undergraduate programs in Business, Education, in the Robert E. Smith School of Nursing, and the College of Arts and Sciences, which includes the independent Delta Music Institute (DMI). Selected as one of Billboard’s Top Music Business Schools for 2022, DMI’s Entertainment Industry Studies Bachelor of Science program is designed to develop a broad range of skills in audio engineering technology and entertainment industry entrepreneurship, giving students the foundation to pursue careers in various aspects of the recording and entertainment industry.
In addition to generally lower tuition costs, Richard Tremmel, Director of DMI Entertainment Industry Studies, says a major difference between DMI and other comparable programs is that students enroll in hands-on industry-oriented classes from day one as freshman; other schools often make them wait until they’ve had two years of general ed. Another advantage is an average enrollment of 75 students per year, allowing for smaller classes and more intensive instruction and interaction—which is especially important for those focused on the audio engineering and tech side of the program.
Two Main Degree Programs: The Audio Engineering Technology concentration is for the student who seeks a career as a recording engineer, live sound engineer, audio editor or production assistant. Advanced courses include Computer Audio Skills I and II, Recording Studio Theory & Practice I and II, Live Sound Reinforcement, Critical Listening and Audio Monitoring and Mixing. The Entertainment Industry Entrepreneurship concentration is for those who want to pursue songwriting, performing, artist management, promotion or owning a music related business. Courses range from The Craft of Songwriting, The Business of Songwriting and Audio Production to Entertainment Product Marketing, Concert Promotion & Touring and Entertainment Business Copyrights & Contracts. All students are required to fulfill a 120-hour internship; some choose to do these regionally, in Jackson, Memphis and Nashville, while others have chosen Los Angeles and even Japan. DMI frequently hosts high-profile guests, including Hootie and the Blowfish drummer Jim Sonefeld and Grammy-winning producer Boo Mitchell.
State-of-the-Art Studios: One of Tremmel’s goals when he took over the chair of the department in 2019 was to focus on creating state-of-the-art studio environments that would simulate those that students would encounter in the real world. Featuring a 48 channel SSL Duality Delta console, Studio A is a large-format studio able to accommodate orchestras, concert bands, choirs and wind ensembles. It has pairs of Genelec 1238A, Barefoot MicroMain27, and Yamaha NS10 monitors for referencing. DMI Studio B’s control room features 24 channels of Neve 1073 preamps, Pro Tools Ultimate HDX, a 40-channel AVID S6 M40 modular control surface, ATC SCM150ASL, CLA10, and ADAM Audio monitors. Studio C’s just arrived Neve Genesys Black 32 console will be available in August 2023, while Studio D features a Genelec outfitted Dolby Atmos setup.
Contact DMI Entertainment Industry Studies, 662-846-4579
