Walk the Moon's Kevin Ray to guest lecture music class

<p>Kevin Ray, bass player for the band Walk the Moon and a&nbsp;Ball State alumnus, will be a guest lecturer next semester for a Ball State music course. <em>PHOTO PROVIDED BY ANNA LEE MEDIA</em></p>

Kevin Ray, bass player for the band Walk the Moon and a Ball State alumnus, will be a guest lecturer next semester for a Ball State music course. PHOTO PROVIDED BY ANNA LEE MEDIA

Next semester, students will have the opportunity to hear from a series of guest lecturers about how to become successful in the music industry. Among the lecturers is Kevin Ray, a Ball State alumnus and bass player for the band Walk the Moon.

The class, MUSC 299X-3 Surviving the Music Business: Insights from Active Professionals, will give students a glimpse of what it’s like to be a performing and recording artist at the international level.

Daniel Porter, an instructor of music media production, will be the instructor of the course.

“Our hope is that anyone currently writing their own songs, performing solo or in a group, managing other artists or wanting to work a more traditional day in the music industry will be able to plan out their first steps [and] recognize career opportunities and milestones,” Porter said.

Ray, one of the most notable guest lecturers, is a 2009 Ball State alumnus and visited campus in April. He will focus on what students should be doing right now to prepare themselves for a music career, as well as how to handle that career.

Although the list of guests is still being developed, Porter said they will also have Travis Harvey, a Ball State alumnus and owner of the local record store Village Green Records, speak.

Casey Malue, a junior public relations major, has the goal of being an entertainment publicist after earning her degree. After hearing about the class through email and learning Ray will be a lecturer, she quickly enrolled.

She said she's very excited to hear what Ray says and what he will be teaching.

“Not only do I love Walk the Moon, but I am very interested to see what his experience is like in the music business,” Malue said.

Malue is currently at an internship for a record label in Cleveland, Ohio, hoping to develop more as a professional.

“You can learn from everywhere,” she said. “I feel this class will really help shape me to be more knowledgeable and gain a better understanding of the industry.”

Porter emphasized the class is open to all students; there are no restrictions on enrollment and the cap size can be flexible.

“Anyone who is serious about making a career with their solo work or a band should enroll in this one-time class opportunity,” Porter said. “Others who want to know how to get involved as a non-musician working the business angle of the industry will gain invaluable context into how all the different pieces come together to form the modern music industry as we know it.”

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