McNally Smith College of Music
From Minnewiki
History
McNally Smith College of Music is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music, offering music degrees and education in Music Performance, Recording Technology, and Music Business. Its main American campus in located in St Paul, Minnesota, and the college operates a European campus in Lübeck, Germany.
Founded by Jack McNally and Doug Smith in 1985 as the Guitar Center of Minneapolis, the school began as a vocational center for musicians with six instructors and 200 private lesson students in a 3,000 square foot space within the Minneapolis warehouse district. In the fall of 1986 The Guitar Center began offering a state-approved full-time program. The first class was made up of 19 students. Percussion and Vocal programs were soon added. A name change to Music Tech and accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Music came in 1989. Recording Technology and Music Business programs were born. By 2000 the little guitar school had become a true music college, with over 250 students pursuing Associate's degrees and diploma certificates. The college purchased and renovated a former St Paul Arts & Science Center building into a 60,000 square foot campus with a 12-studio audio complex, customized classrooms, library, bookstore, café, and 300-seat auditorium with a 20k-watt Midas/EV sound system. A European extension campus was soon opened near Hamburg, Germany. With enrollment at over 450, the school became McNally Smith College of Music and added its first Bachelor’s program in 2005.
Some notable McNally Smith alumni:
• Hans-Martin Buff (producer/engineer – Prince, Live, No Doubt) • Willie Wisely (LA-based singer/songwriter/producer) • Justin Bonhiver (guitarist with Sony/Epic artists Quietdrive) • Victor Broden (bassist – LeAnn Rimes) • Charles Gehr (agent – Vamp Music Source, drummer – Ouija Radio) • David Heuer (producer/engineer - Latin GRAMMY® winner) • Alicia Wiley (keyboardist/singer/songwriter) • Scott Stewart (owner of Unison Studios, Winnipeg) • Andrew Crow (live sound engineer/road manager – Ozzfest) • Ryan Amon (film composer - BMI Pete Carpenter Fellowship winner) • Larry Lucio (UMVD, Twin Cities Celebration of Hip Hop) • Cameron Heacock and Chris Emery (American Head Charge) • Peter Leggett (drummer – Heiruspecs) • James Harley and Matt Kirkwold (World Record Productions, Minneapolis) • Kevin Holvig (drummer – Rebecca St James Band) • Chris Szajko (owner, Grand Master Studios, South Bend) • Pablo (singer/songwriter) • Eric Powers (drummer- Rembrandts, Great White, Reeves Gabrels) • Todd Fitzgerald (owner, Winterland Studios. Minneapolis) • Lasse Lammert (owner, LSD Tonstudio. producer/engineer. guitarist-Subcutane)
Some notable McNally Smith instructor alumni:
Kevin Bowe David J. Russ Mick Spence Gigi Marie Bird-Swanson
Related web sites
http://www.mcnallysmith.edu/ http://www.lsd-tonstudio.de/
Related bands
Smilin Liar
Willie Wisely
Vestals
Four Letter Lie
Steve Miller Band
Hieruspecs
Jill Holly
American Head Charge
Ouija Radio
Greazy Meal
Pablo
Alicia Wiley
Improvised Explosive Device
Musab
Guy's All-Star Shoe Band
Quietdrive
Guy's All-Star Shoe Band
Prince
Leann Rimes band
Rebekka Fisher
Rob Schlette
This Content page is a stub. You can help Minnewiki by expanding it.
