Music Business School announce Rockschool accreditation

• Alex Jones-Donnelly among new speakers revealed for unique fast track course
• Accreditation announced from Rockschool and Access to Music
• Course fees reduced to £995 for intake on 15^th September 2010
• Students offered an incredible €280 entrance fee to MiDEM 2011
• Places still available

20^th August 2010:- Covent Garden's Music Business School (MBS) is getting ready for back to school in September with news that its unique Music Business Fast Track courses will now carry the seal of approval of Rockschool, the west London music college working in partnership with Leicester's Access to Music.Also being announced is MBS's latest line-up of guest speakers, who will guide students through their areas of professional expertise. They include: Alex Jones-Donnelly, consultant to Virgin Records, ACM and more; Liz Cirelli of Word & Rhythm magazine; BBC Radio's James Bursey; Radar Music Video's Caroline Bottomley; David Goggin of PPL; Erik Nielsen of Wingnut Music; PRS For Music's Tracy Kemp; Eric Mackay of CELAS and journalist Phil Sutcliffe. They join existing speakers including Stiff creator Dave Robinson and PPL/MusicTank's Keith Harris.The unique course distils into 12 day-long classes the knowledge a conventional Commercial Music BA course teaches about music business and management. Dispensing with knob-twiddling and song-writing lessons, the course focuses on up-to-date music business issues, with lectures on the digital age, mobile and the new ways of building fans and developing revenue streams offered by the DIY model.  Within this, the MBS course now covers three units from Rockschool's syllabus on Royalties and Music, Contracts in the Music Industry and Music Publishing.Students attending Music Business School will be officially enrolled in Rockschool, receiving a student number and access to Rockschool's intranet. After successful completion of the course and a written exam, students will receive a Level 3 certificate from Rockschool, which may be used as credit towards a Rockschool diploma.Places are still available for the course beginning on 15^th September. With fees reduced to £995 per term (equivalent to less than £83 per day) and 15% discounts on offer for members of the MU, AIM, MPA and MMF (less than £71 per day), the course is an extremely cost effective to way to get ahead in the music business.Students enrolled in the course are also offered the incredible special rate of €280 (£230) for entrance to MiDEM 2011.With A level results being released last week, the course organisers are anticipating enquiries from a slew of school-leavers now taking unplanned gap years. The course will also appeal to graduates in other fields, young entrepreneurs starting out and those changing careers, giving them a fuller understanding of copyright, management deals, labels, contracts, touring, publishing and all related areas.The school operates from the established Exchange Court building in Covent Garden - a bustling hive of music and entertainment activity, which includes Connected Artists, Sound Advice and Pledge Music among its occupants - setting this unique course in a prime location.Steve Melhuish, Music Business School's founder said, "There are lots of people out there who need to know these skills, but don't have the time to enrol on a 3 year BA course in Commercial Music. The Music Business Fast Track course distils the most important learning required, offering something more instant and therefore appealing where time is at a premium. "There are other short courses around too, but none of them offer the full spectrum of teaching that we are providing, none of them have the kind of guest speakers we have, and none of them can boast such a great location."More information on the course and the teachers is available at www.musicbusinessschool.co.uk.Course detailsCost: £995 for 12 weekly sessions (£845.75 for MU, AIM, MPA and MMF members)The course covers the following units on Rockschool's syllabus:

• MUSPRA 341 Royalties and Music (8 credits)
• MUSPRA 342 Contracts in the Music Industry (8 credits)
• MUSPRA 346 Music Publishing (8 credits)

Address:Covent GardenLondonWC2R 0JUUnited Kingdom1-5exchangecourt.comAbout Steve MelhuishSteve Melhuish is an experienced veteran in the music business, having run the first Virgin Record Store in the early 70's. Two years later Steve went on to open and manage six record stores, under the title Bonaparte Records Ltd, throughout the capital and suburban areas, bringing him success for the next 15 years, including the UK's first record store in New York.Following this he proceeded to set up and operate four record labels, including Human Records and Six Strings. Steve was at the forefront of the UK's indie DIY scene, spending the 80's and 90's operating international import/export companies distributing UK labels such as Stiff and Creation, to the US & Canada.As the digital age arrived Steve continued to act as consultant to various music companies advising on music distribution, and for the past 10 years has been lecturing at Westminster, Kent, Greenwich and Canterbury Christchurch universities.In 2010 Steve set up the Music Business School, offering fast track courses to those wishing to gain a fuller understanding of the music industry.About RockschoolRockschool was set up in 1991 by music entrepreneurs Norton York and Simon Pitt to bring the best in pop and rock into mainstream education. They do this by providing exams, publications, advice and support to teachers and educational bodies.Rockschool continually expands its activities by creating partnerships and developing new qualifications. They operate in 18 countries outside the UK.