Music Resources

Oklahoma is known for a prolific musical heritage deeply rooted in the folk, country, and bluegrass genres, but that was just the beginning. Over time, our Americana roots blossomed into a diverse talent base that spans across every genre imaginable, and the state’s music education opportunities have paved the way for new voices to be heard. Below is a list of music educational opportunities in the state.

Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma (ACM@UCO) ACM@UCO in downtown Oklahoma City prepares students for careers in the music industry through a focused curriculum and real-world networking opportunities. ACM@UCO’s campus houses four professional recording studios, five large rehearsal spaces, fully-equipped classrooms and practice rooms, performance areas and two technology labs. Along with associate’s degrees/minors in contemporary music business, contemporary music performance, contemporary music production, songwriting and post-production audio, they now offer a bachelor of applied technology degree programs in commercial music and studio production.

Northwestern Oklahoma State University The music program of Northwestern Oklahoma State University prepares students majoring in music to accept the challenge of leadership in music and the arts amid the ever-changing face of society. The dedicated faculty help students experience the highest aesthetic order, thereby empowering graduates to be outstanding performers and dedicated educators.

Northeastern State University NSU’s Music Department has a mission to provide undergraduate education leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree (with options in Musical Arts, Music Business, Performance and Jazz Studies) and Bachelor of Music Education degree.

Oklahoma Arts Institute The Oklahoma Arts Institute (OSAI) hosts the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute, an intensive, two­-week academy in the literary, visual, and performing arts for Oklahoma’s most talented high school students, as well as the Oklahoma Fall Arts Institute, a series of four­-day weekend workshops for educators and adult artists of all ability levels.

Oklahoma City Community College OCCC’s two-year Associate Degree program in music develops skills in important areas such as theory, performance and individual and group applied music, all while enjoying modern facilities, including a Kurzweil Electronic Piano Laboratory with individual MIDI stations, practice rooms and a 250-seat theatre for performances.

Oklahoma City University – Wanda L. Bass School of Music With two undergraduate tracks, Oklahoma City University’s Wanda L. Bass School of Music programs are designed to develop comprehensive musical skills and literacy with subjects such as instrumental performance, music theater, vocal performance, music education, composition, music business and piano pedagogy.

Oklahoma State University – Department of Music The Department of Music at Oklahoma State University is fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music, and is proud to offer a wide variety of degree programs that prepare students as emerging music professionals in a wide variety of career paths.

Oral Roberts University Students who wish to major in music at ORU are preparing for one of three degrees: Bachelor of Music Education; Bachelor of Music with a major in Performance, Sacred Music, Composition or Composition Technology; or a Bachelor of Arts in music with emphasis in Music Arts or Music Technology.

Southwestern Oklahoma State University Southwestern Oklahoma State University is home to one of Oklahoma’s largest music schools. SWOSU offers undergraduate degrees in Bachelor of Music Education and Bachelor of Music; the Graduate Division of the department offers the Master of Music in Performance, the Master of Music in Piano Pedagogy and the Master of Music in Music Education.

University of Oklahoma – School of Music The OU School of Music offers degrees at the bachelors, masters and doctoral levels in all areas of music performance, composition, education, history and theory.

Artists have a variety of resources available to assist with fundraising for music projects. Depending on the nature and scope of the project, the following are offered as a starting point for artists looking to raise funds for their music projects. Please visit the links below for more information.

All successful musicians must market themselves to some degree. Whether promoting a new release or upcoming performance, there are several resources that can be considered. Please note that this is not a complete list, but offered as a starting point.

Electronic Press Kit (EPK)
Creating an Electronic Press Kit is the easiest way to compile all the information you’ll need to pass along to venue owners, promoters, producers and agents. Whether you create your own website or use one of the available online templates, your kit could include the following:

• biography or the history of your band
• high quality music samples / downloadable mp3’s (make sure your metadata is complete and correct)
• high resolution color photos
• album cover art
• poster art
• press release (pdf)
• press quote sheet (pdf)
• one sheet (pdf)
• RIYL (“Recommended If You LIke”) list
• contact information for your label, manager, publicist or other representative
• discography

Some of the most popular EPK sites include:

SonicBids
Reverbnation
UVUMI Press Kits
WIX

Planning a live music event involves plenty of forethought and many communities require permits for such events. See below for permit information in some of Oklahoma’s largest cities. If you do not see your community listed, please contact your local municipality or chamber of commerce for more information.

If you are looking to access or join an organization with ties to the music industry, please visit the links below for more information.