The McNally-Smith School Of Music
Get Educated With Ice Cube
By: Amanda Markell
Last updated December 3rd , 2009

Located on the St. Paul side of the Twin Cities in Minnesota, the McNally-Smith School of Music provides students a sanctuary for those who strive to be in the industry. Director of Career Development, Debbie Sandridge, spends roughly six hours with each student when securing an internship in the field. A former A&R rep for artists like Diana Ross and Ice Cube, Sandridge believes it's essential to make connections and stay on top of the rapidly changing technology.  "I think it's wonderful that people want to get their music out and be heard, and utilize the internet," she said. "That's a part of this industry that won't change. Everybody's looking for somebody to hear them and discover them."
 
Groudbreaking for the A&R division, Debbie noted that the process of finding fresh talent has completely evolved with social media. "There are still a lot of unanswered questions for everybody in this business on how we're going to help this transition that's going to flow," she said. "This education here along with critical thinking, knowing how to utilize technology and be in know will provide answers."
 
Using her well-established list of contacts she has generated over the years, Ms. Sandridge has built two particular music-based scholarship programs that target students who posses the talent, but aren't blessed financially. Probably the coolest program out there, Ice Cube and Diana Ross themselves handpick those who've been submitted by a panel of judges. After completing an essay and meeting the GPA requirements, the top five candidates are then given a basic rhythm track where they build their own form around. These tracks are then sent to Ice Cube, along with their information, and he selects a student whose track he likes. The lucky student will have his or her tuition funded by the legendary rapper.
 
While St. Paul isn't exactly known for it's presence in the world of music, it harbors more opportunities than the average person would suspect. Performance students are treated to frequent ‘venue nights' where they have the opportunity to perform in different areas around the Twin Cities. "There is a strong scene here and more places to play live," Debbie said. "That may be another reason that people are driven to the performance side here because there are so many outlets." Minnesota is also home to a branch of Universal Music Group and corporate offices for music distributors like Target and Best Buy. A number of McNally-Smith graduates have landed various positions at Universal, as well as their sub-labels.
 
Don't jump to images of ‘Fame' re-runs just yet. Similar to schools like Berklee, McNally-Smith is unique in that it offers a liberal arts education that provides supporting knowledge to go along with studios. Originally a performance school, McNally-Smith specializes in cutting edge technology for music engineers and producers. While students can specialize in voice and even woodwind instruments, many also go on to work in music publishing or recording studios. The school offers a variety of internships within the industry and around the globe. "Through our internship program we like to give them a chance to branch out and experience the diversity of other markets," Debbie said. "It gives them an opportunity to see how they perform in other markets." Currently, a strong alumni base resides within corporations like Swinghouse, Universal and Free Mantle Production.
 
Admissions are accepted on a rolling basis and auditions are required for every major, even if you don't play an instrument. Students are highly encouraged to attend interviews in-person, but if distance restricts that option, recorded DVDs can be sent also. The criteria is strongly enforced and students who send a recorded audition are required to perform in front of a panel upon their physical arrival. The school has a current enrollment of about 700 and this past semester received about 1000 applicants.

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