Is Commercial Music Right for You? | What You'll Learn | Program Details | Career Possibilities | Testimonials | FAQ
Every Genre. On Stage and in the Studio.
At Belmont, you build a foundation in theory, aural skills and history, then apply it across genres, from country and pop to rock, R&B, gospel and contemporary Christian.
The School of Music was ranked 15th among the world’s top 20 music schools by The Hollywood Reporter in 2024. That standing reflects what you gain here: genre range, industry access and the studio and stage time to build a real portfolio before you graduate.
Learn Where the Music Is Made
Belmont sits one block from Music Row, so the industry is part of your daily path. You record in state-of-the-art studios, perform in world-class venues like the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts and Massey Concert Hall, and learn from working performers, producers and record companies who shape contemporary music.
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Stage Time and Studio Time From Year One
Every emphasis gives students regular chances to perform on and off campus. Immersive experiences allow them to connect with industry professionals through masterclasses, performances, and guest speakers.
Train With Working Artists
You work alongside professionals, not just watch them. Through masterclasses, residencies and guest artist sessions, you prepare music in advance, collaborate in small groups and, in many cases, share the stage with visiting artists. When multi-platinum country artist Russell Dickerson needed string players for his “Bones (Wedding Version)” video, he turned to Belmont commercial music students, who stepped from class onto a professional set at the Fisher Center.
Is Commercial Music Right for You?
- The multi-faceted artist who loves more than one style. This includes genres such as Country, Pop, Contemporary Christian, Indie, Folk and Jazz.
- The performer who wants stage time, studio time, and applied lessons with working musicians within the first year.
- The musician interested in songwriting, composition and arranging, music technology, music business and performance, who wants to graduate with a repertoire of finished work.
Choose Your Emphasis
The Commercial Music B.M. offers five career-focused emphases:
- Performance — prepare for the stage, the road or the studio in any genre, with applied lessons, ensembles and junior and senior recitals in Massey Concert Hall.
- Composition and Arranging — write and arrange for ensembles, film, TV and gaming.
- Music Business — pair a performer’s skills with courses in entertainment industry studies and the business of music.
- Songwriting — write lyrics, music and demos, learning from award-winning Nashville songwriters, culminating in a Massey Concert Hall recital.
- Music Technology — build audio and MIDI production skills and a portfolio of self-produced DAW recordings.
Deciding between songwriting pathways?
Build the Skills, Build the Portfolio
In the Commercial Music B.M., you learn to:
- Perform across genres, from country and pop to rock, R&B, gospel and contemporary Christian
- Write and arrange original music for ensembles, film, TV and gaming
- Produce and record using industry-standard Digital Audio Workstations
- Apply music theory, aural skills and history to real performance and production work
- Build a professional portfolio through recitals, recordings and live performance
You start with a shared foundation in theory, aural skills and history, then apply it through hands-on training in performance, production and the business of music before specializing in one of five emphases.
Curious about your coursework? View requirements for this degree in the course catalog.
Ensembles & Performance Opportunities
Belmont University's School of Music has a variety of ensembles that showcase the School of Music's incredible musical diversity. From classical chamber groups to popular music ensembles, students have access to many performance opportunities that support the development of their craft.
The Belmont University School of Music is a fully accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM).
All programs in the School of Music require an audition. The audition determines admission into the School of Music, which is separate from the University's admission decision.
After submitting the Application for Undergraduate Admission, applicants to the School of Music will receive an email prompting them to complete the Undergraduate School of Music Audition Registration Form in their BU4U account. They will choose their intended in-person audition date or the video audition option.
You will be automatically considered for a School of Music talent-based scholarship when you audition. If you are chosen for a scholarship, you will receive an award letter in your BU4U account.
International Exchange
With our International Exchange program, students in the School of Music can spend up to two semesters at any of the following schools:
- University of Manchester - Manchester, England
- Russian Academy of Music (Gnesins School) - Moscow, Russia
- Hochschule fur Musik - Dresden, Germany
- Edinburgh Napier University/Arcadia University - Salzburg, Austria
- Music Academy/Scottish Royal Conservatory - Glasgow, Scotland
School of Music students are given extraordinary opportunities to study in a normally competitively-limited audition atmosphere. Credit gained through these programs varies, depending on the international program undertaken by the student and the length of the study abroad
Maymesters
These classes, held during May in locations abroad, are a wonderful opportunity to learn and engage in other cultures. These classes are presented in English by Belmont faculty. Maymesters led by music faculty have included:
- Baltic states, Czech Republic, Germany
- Paris
- England
- France
- Italy
- Ghana
- Morocco
- Norway
- Greece
- Ireland
Belmont USA
For students wishing to remain stateside, the Belmont USA program offers semester-long programs in New York City, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and other cities across the USA. These programs allow students to connect and learn in different environments across the USA.
For a complete listing of study away/abroad opportunities, please visit the Belmont Abroad.
The following are national music organizations with active chapters at Belmont University:
The Epsilon Eta Chapter of Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society recognizes high academic achievement and superior musicianship.
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia advances the cause of music in America. Membership is based on scholastic standing and is by invitation only to men interested in the development and furtherance of music.
Sigma Alpha Iota brings a bond of sisterhood and mutual interests with great artists, teachers, composers, and students of music throughout the world. Membership is by invitation and is based on scholarship and performance ability.
Belmont American Music Therapy Association for Students, or BAMTAS, is a student-led organization for music therapy majors.
The Student Chapter of the National Association for Music Education is dedicated to advancing the Profession of Teaching Music. Belmont University Collegiate NAfME members have the opportunity to attend monthly meetings related to their future profession, to attend a music education workshop during the spring semester, and to receive journals that enhance knowledge in their chosen field of study. The national NAfME organization also informs the public about the values of music education. NAfME sponsors a “Music in Our Schools” month and completes various public relations work. The association encourages music teachers to see their work as vital to the development of young children and motivates and encourages teachers to approach music education as something to which every child needs exposure. Dr. Deen Entsminger, Faculty Advisor
The American Choral Directors Association is a professional association of active choral directors and those interested in choral art.
Where This Degree Can Take You
Career Possibilities
A Bachelor of Music in commercial music prepares you for a career on stage or behind the scenes, across every corner of the industry. Belmont’s Nashville location, studio access and industry partnerships connect you to real work before you graduate. Here are a few of the careers you will be equipped to pursue:
- Performer — build a career on stage, on the road or in the studio in any genre.
- Songwriter — write for yourself or for other artists across pop, country, rock, folk and R&B.
- Music Composer — compose and arrange for ensembles, film, TV and gaming.
- Producer — shape recordings in the studio using industry-standard tools.
- Sound Technician / Audio-Visual Specialist — run audio and production for live and recorded work.
- Tour Manager or Tour Promotion — keep artists and productions moving and profitable.
- Publisher or Artist Developer — manage catalogs, rights and emerging talent.
Katie Basden
Commercial Music (Commercial Voice)
Recording artist; Top 20 on NBC’s “The Voice”; selected performer, Dolly Parton’s “Threads: My Songs in Symphony”
“Belmont provided an incredible ecosystem of people to network with. I still work with some of the people I met during my years at Belmont.”
Cody Fry
Commercial Music
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, composer, arranger and producer
“The most extraordinary part of your college experience is the people around you. This is when you create the community that will launch your career.”
Kayleigh Moyer
Commercial Music
Professional Drummer
"I noticed most programs across the country would make me choose between classical or jazz. Belmont didn’t. I could explore multiple genres while building real industry connections in Nashville — before I even graduated.”
Learn from Faculty
Your professors are working musicians, songwriters, producers and composers. Belmont’s commercial music faculty bring active industry careers into the studio and the classroom, and visiting artists join them through masterclasses and residencies.
Stephanie Adlington
Piper Jones
Marsha Matthai
Bethany Merritt
Kathryn Paradise
James Wigginton
FAQs
Commercial music is the study of contemporary, popular music across genres like country, pop, rock, R&B, gospel and contemporary Christian, on stage and in the studio. Belmont’s Commercial Music B.M. builds on a foundation of classical music, jazz and blues, then lets you specialize in performance, songwriting, composition, music technology or the business of music. Unlike a classical performance degree, it prepares you for a career in any genre.
Belmont’s Commercial Music B.M. sits one block from Nashville’s Music Row. You train across genres in state-of-the-art studios and perform in world-class venues, with five emphases spanning performance, songwriting, composition, music technology and music business. The College of Music & Performing Arts was ranked among the world’s top 20 music schools by The Hollywood Reporter in 2024.
You do not have to choose. Belmont’s Commercial Music B.M. is built on classical, jazz and blues but trains you to work across genres including country, pop, rock, R&B and gospel. Many students come to Belmont specifically because they do not want a program that forces a single track.
Belmont’s Commercial Music B.M. offers a songwriting emphasis taught by award-winning Nashville songwriters, one block from Music Row. You write lyrics, music and demos across genres and present a songwriting recital in Massey Concert Hall. Students build industry connections in Nashville while they study, and can submit materials to join the songwriting emphasis after admission.
Yes. The composition and arranging emphasis in Belmont’s Commercial Music B.M. prepares you to write and arrange for films, TV, gaming and other media, alongside ensembles and choirs. You build commercial arranging and orchestration skills for small and large groups, and many graduates go on to compose and arrange for the industry in Nashville and beyond.
Yes, from early in the program. You record in state-of-the-art campus studios, perform in venues like Massey Concert Hall and the Fisher Center, and build a portfolio of finished work. Music technology students self-produce Digital Audio Workstation recordings, and performance and songwriting students present junior and senior recitals.
A Commercial Music B.M. prepares you for careers on stage and behind the scenes, including performer, songwriter, composer, producer, tour manager, publisher and audio specialist. 96% of College of Music & Performing Arts graduates are employed, continuing their education or serving in the military within six months of graduation (Class of 2025).
The Commercial Music B.M. is a Bachelor of Music degree that most students complete in four years of full-time study.
Admission to the Commercial Music B.M. requires an audition. Some emphases, including songwriting and composition and arranging, require you to submit materials for approval after admission.
Study Abroad/Away
NEW YORK CITY
LOS ANGELES
ROYAL WELSH COLLEGE OF MUSIC AND DRAMA. CARDIFF, WALES
Contact Us
College of Music & Performing Arts
Alex Kissinger
Admissions Coordinator
(615) 460.8116
Email Alex