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Music industry professor brings influential speakers to class

Lionel Richie (right) and Quincy Jones (middle) were the most recent guest speakers in music industry professor Ken Kragen’s class “Stardom Strategies for Musicians.”

By Andrea Seikaly

Jan. 31, 2013 11:42 p.m.

Lionel Richie’s career advice for the aspiring musicians of Music Industry 106 drew upon his own experiences – and failures – as a young musician trying to make it as a solo artist.

“I used failure, or people thinking I was going to fail, as my complete model for my success story,” Richie said. “You have to risk losing it all to actually get anywhere in life.”

Through his seminar-style class titled “Stardom Strategies for Musicians,” professor Ken Kragen said his goal is to provide students with the information they need to succeed in their careers in the music industry and in life. Given his extensive connections to a variety of musicians, Kragen is able to invite special guests to his classes. This week’s class featured two world-renowned Grammy winners – producer Quincy Jones  and singer-songwriter Richie, whom Kragen has managed.

Kragen has in fact managed the careers of several other popular musicians besides Richie, including Kenny Rogers and The Bee Gees, in addition to organizing humanitarian music projects such as “We Are the World,”  “Hands Across America”  and “NetAid.”

YouTube sensation Karmin and jazz saxophonist Dave Koz also spoke during the first few weeks of the class.

Life lessons have become a central component of the class, with each guest offering suggestions to the students. Jones, for example, told students not to be afraid to make mistakes or take chances along the way. Richie also stressed the importance of taking such risks and doing the unexpected in his own career.

This type of message resonated with fourth-year French student Josef Gordon, who said he is a singer-songwriter and enjoys being surrounded by the other musicians in the class and interacting with the special guests.

“It’s really great to reconnect to the idea of being a musician … and not getting caught up in the idea of fame,” Gordon said. “I really love the overall life lessons.”

Each week Kragen presents the topic to his students and provides a context for the guest for that class. This week, Kragen told the class about his experience of organizing the recording of “We Are the World”  with a total of 45 musicians, including Jones, Richie, Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder.

The topics of the class include the power of optimism, networking and making the most of every opportunity that students encounter. This week’s theme was “Accomplishing the Impossible,” and students were able to ask questions and hear firsthand accounts from Richie and Jones’ personal lives and struggles to achieve success in the industry.

Kragen said he focuses on ensuring that students understand the importance of balancing a career with their personal lives.

“The very first point that I make with them is that your career is not your life. Your career is one of the tools that you will use to have the best life possible,” Kragen said. “If you make your goals simply your career goals and you haven’t sorted out your life goals and what’s going to give you the most pleasure, the most enjoyment, the most fulfillment, the most excitement and passion in your life, then you may very well end up with a career that works against that, rather than for it.”

Richie and Jones echoed this sentiment by talking about their own struggles with balancing professional success with their personal lives. Second-year communication studies student Sofia Daccarett, an aspiring singer, said she asked Richie and Jones what they did in their careers that set them apart.

“They basically told me that it was 20 years of sacrifice, of studio day in and day out and touring. You have to work better than everyone else in order to be better than everyone else,” Daccarett said.

When choosing the special guests for each class, Kragen said he takes into account what the person will be able to offer to the class.

“More (importantly) … is what do I think they can contribute that will support the teaching that I’m doing. What is it that they can bring to it?” Kragen said.

In the coming weeks, the class guests will include managers, music supervisors and Grammy-winning producer David Foster.

Even with these well-known guests, Kragen said his primary focus is on his students.

“It makes me feel (like) I’m making a difference in their lives, and that’s pretty exciting,” Kragen said. “That’s all the satisfaction I need from this, … knowing you’re having that kind of effect on people.”

Email Andrea Seikaly @
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