Ken Lopez, assistant professor of clinical music industry and associate director of the music industry program, has been a professional guitarist and audio engineer since 1964. He has owned music and professional audio retail stores, as well as a tour sound and fixed installation companies. For 15 years Mr. Lopez served as vice president of JBL, a world-renowned manufacturer of professional audio equipment. He has an extensive background in professional audio and musical equipment product development, distribution and marketing. His experience in the design and application of audio equipment has included systems for recording, film, touring, theater, broadcast and live music, including installations in many highly regarded venues worldwide. He has worked with artists such as Miles Davis, B.B. King, Ray Charles, Sarah Vaughn, Dr. John, Larry Carlton, Boz Skaggs, Santana, Tower of Power and Chick Corea. He has recorded live performances aired on National Public Radio, many of which are archived at the Library of Congress. He is a member of the Audio Engineering Society and the TEC Awards nominating committee, technical consultant and author for Sound and Video Contractor Magazine and Inside Radio management newsletter, and he continues active participation in public speaking, business consulting and live sound engineering and recording.
Ken Lopez, Clinical Professor of Music Industry at the University of Southern California, talks about his background. Lopez teaches classics on topics such as acoustics, live music production, marketing, and product development. He explains that he used to own music and audio stores, like his Pro Audio shop. Lopez also owned his own tour sound company. His experience at JBL is covered as well. Also in this segment, he shares the value of his experience in the engineering labs of JBL. The significance of marrying practical realities to theoretical aspects is covered too. Lopez points out that the challenge of designing a component that can be built and durable.
Ken Lopez, Clinical Professor of Music Industry at the University of Southern California, talks about teaching acoustics. Lopez explains that today, everyone has a small project studio at home. Anyone can go to the music store and buy everything required. However, the single missing component is the acoustic environment. Therefore, Lopez educates students on the basics of acoustics, such as how microphones function, the properties of the acoustical environment, and how sound behaves in a high level situation. The art of listening is taught as well. He points out that it all comes down to controlling the environment and eliminating hidden variables. Also in this segment, Lopez explains that the class is not teaching students to be acousticians. Instead, he is simply giving students defensive training so an unknown acoustic problem will not destroy a concert or recording experience. However, Lopez points out that some students continue with it anyway.
Ken Lopez, Clinical Professor of Music Industry at the University of Southern California, talks about his professional expertise. It comes from the live sound field. Thus, his classes do field trips to numerous local venues. Lopez explains that the classes meet with venue and road managers. Also in this segment, Lopez shares the story of one of their graduate students. She created her own position as a VIP Ticketing Manager. He points out that if one understands business models of various levels of the industry, then one is exposed to all traditional positions. Therefore, one has the opportunity to see new career possibilities. Lopez emphasizes the significance of getting a diverse experience and having diverse knowledge. Entrepreneurship is the key. As a result, Lopez attempts to teach students to take charge of their careers and keep up with the movements of the industries.
Ken Lopez, Clinical Professor of Music Industry at the University of Southern California, talks about the increasing importance of entrepreneurship in the music business. He argues that the future of the industry depends on individual entrepreneurs, and offers advice to artists hoping to capitalize on the forces currently changing the face of the industry.
Ken Lopez, Clinical Professor of Music Industry at the University of Southern California, talks about the beginning promotions class. The course focuses on the basics of concert promotion, from event management, to the underlying business aspect, to crowd management. Lopez explains that students are involved in a hands-on fashion creating and producing live events. Mr. Lopez discusses the value of having venue management willing to help students become involved. Also in this segment he discusses the second level course which focuses on advanced concert management wherein a small group of students produces events from the ground up.
