The Creative School enlists Canada's foremost expert on hip-hop culture to help steer distinct new Professional Music degree program
Professional Music Professional in Residence and music expert Dalton Higgins.
May 11, 2021 (Toronto,ON) - Acclaimed author, publicist, music journalist, lecturer and sought-after pop culture expert, Dalton Higgins has been appointed Professional in Residence of the unique new Professional Music (BFA) program launching at Ryerson University this fall. Dalton has worked as a concert presenter, multi-disciplinary arts curator, artist manager, and entertainment publicist, and brings keen industry insights and a progressive vision to the one-of-a kind degree program designed to support the next generation of music creatives, entrepreneurs and music industry leaders. Called “a genuine renaissance man in Canada's urban music scene” by FYI Music News, Dalton will also take on the role of Industry Liaison co-leading Ryerson’s Music Den, a top Canadian music incubator for aspiring innovators.
“With his vast experience with, and knowledge of hip hop and popular music, Dalton is the epitome of the modern music entrepreneur,” says Noah Schwartz, Director, Professional Music (BFA) program, “and we are thrilled to have him join this new program.”
With seismic shifts in the industry amplified by today’s production, streaming and distribution technologies, increasingly direct audience reach capabilities and social connectedness, Dalton will forge forward looking collaborations, partnerships and industry mentorship opportunities that connect emerging talent with Canada’s leading music and entertainment organizations, and help launch future careers.
Distinct from traditional music degrees, the Professional Music (BFA) program incorporates various hands-on teaching and learning opportunities around music production, providing three essential elements: studio production, live entertainment and the business of music. This includes new ways to reach and engage audiences, identify and forecast trends and cultivate in-demand digital marketing skills.
“As a business owner, music biz multi-hyphenate, and someone who is thoroughly obsessed with Big Ideas, I abide by the ‘innovate or die’ slogan,” says Higgins. “This idea of staying ahead of the curve in the music industry is not exactly something that can be bought or manufactured, and what attracted me to this new program is that we have a shared commitment to being and staying relevant and taking a very modern, if not outright futuristic view on today’s music degree granting space. And that means paying strict attention to tech innovations, demographic shifts, and utilizing a more global, broad-based approach to music creation and entrepreneurship, which is what I’ve been doing, from an experiential standpoint for years.”
As a music industry veteran who has worked with celebrated artists spanning a decades-long career, Dalton is acutely aware of the barriers facing emerging talent. His goal of reflecting contemporary music industry and demographic realities, which includes aggressively engaging newer electronic-based music forms while advancing inclusivity and diversity, will translate into innovative ways of leveraging new democratizing music infrastructures (such as streaming platforms) and creative ways of generating revenue streams that can support industry professionals as well as independent artists. Dalton will also create accessible opportunities for emerging Black creatives and artists as a way to support Black Canadian music culture.
As comfortable in the boardroom as he is in a concert hall, Dalton understands the fundamental shifts that are reshaping the music industry from the top-down and from the bottom-up. His appointment to the innovative new program supporting music entrepreneurship that is in pace with technology, music culture and the marketplace, signals the future of music education.
Media contact:
Tania Ulrich
The Creative School
tulrich@torontomu.ca