If you've ever wanted to host your own music festival, enrolling in Northeastern University's college course, “Create a Festival,” may be a good place to start.
Led by teachers Rebekah Moore and Andrew Mall, the course is designed for the school's music industry students, many of whom aspire to produce their own festivals. The class reportedly educates students about the different elements that go into planning a successful festival, including accessibility, logistics, and sustainability.
Learning about festival production helps students better understand the fickle nature of the music industry and the numerous career opportunities it offers. The curriculum uses case studies to explore how and why festivals exist and sheds light on the importance of diversity and community.
Throughout the course, students attended several festivals large and small, including Chicago's iconic Lollapalooza. They also designed their own event, “Avalanche Festival,” and learned the ins and outs of marketing, budgeting, hiring talent, and more.
“Several years ago when I was conceptualizing this course, it seemed like a very clear need and could be a very good strength of the courses that the music department offers,” Mall told Northeastern University's native media brand. NGN Magazine. “This is one of the growth areas in the music industry. If we were to look at even just revenue, live music revenue has been steadily increasing for at least two decades, if not more. And there are many career opportunities for students who want careers in music.”
