School of Music’s “Panther Music Distribution” Proposal Receives RISE Seed Funding

As part of the award announcement of Georgia State's first-ever Research Innovation and Scholarly Excellence challenge, or Project RISE, the School of Music is proud to be among the four promising research and creative undertakings for its "Panther Music Distribution" proposal. They will receive a $50,000 award in seed funding. Professor of Practice Al Thrash will lead the music industry program along with team members Professor of Practice Ben Yonas, Professor of Composition Nick Demos, and Instructor Scott Keniley.

Panther Music Distribution (PMD) will serve as an incubator for artists, creatives, and aspiring music executives looking to jumpstart their careers while still in school. The focus will be on three main areas: Recording & Music Production, Label Services & Distribution, and Sync & Licensing. These focus areas are a collaboration of curriculum currently being taught in Music Industry courses within the School of Music and across the partnership areas included in this proposal with art & design, film/TV, CMII, entertainment law, journalism, and campus media groups WRAS Album 88 and GSUTV.

"With much gratitude, my team and I are honored to receive an award from the RISE Grant initiative to launch an innovative student-run music distribution and sync licensing service here at Georgia State. Our music industry program is recognized for constantly producing some of the top future leaders of the music business in Atlanta and beyond," said Thrash. "Forming a music group on campus that is integrated into our rigorous curriculum furthers our commitment to experiential learning that fosters collaboration within the university, global community, and entertainment industry. I am incredibly excited for the students, and I can't wait to see how they launch careers and build this into an empire. "

Panther Music Distribution will foster entrepreneurship skills while serving as a lab for students to directly apply concepts learned in the classroom to artists, brands, and events. PMD represents an innovative approach to rallying around young talented students to help from college to career. The goal is to introduce students to the fundamentals of business planning and operations, provide students best strategies for project management and teamwork in the music industry setting, and give students basic skills and tools essential for starting and operating a record company and sync business.

"We are so proud of Professor Thrash and team for their vision and commitment to student success. Panther Music Distribution is just the tip of the iceberg for the wonderful and game-changing things in the School of Music. Regardless of the field, whether it's performance, education, composition, or music industry, our students are well trained and supported to succeed in the classroom and the profession," said Dr. Chester Phillips, director of the School of Music.

Project RISE leverages the unique strengths of Georgia State's research community to address complex problems through interdisciplinary collaboration. The lead awardees will conduct research under four dynamic research hubs, and each group will receive one-time seed funding of up to $750,000 over one year to fund their work. Georgia State President M. Brian Blake, who took office last summer, said the initiative is part of a larger plan to double research productivity at the university over the next decade. To read more about Project RISE and the awardees, please click here.