ACM@UCO Readies For Inaugural Semester

Steve Lackmeyer of The Oklahoman recently talked with the folks at ACM@UCO about their upcoming inaugural semester.

ACM@UCO CEO Scott Booker says the school was hoping for 150 students and have met and exceeded that goal. About half of the students enrolled are following the production path and Booker says the school plans to open the spring semester for production students, due to demand.

The school is also picking up sponsorships due to the original ACM’s connections, as well as Booker’s outreach - notably on CNN.com and The Huffington Post. Roland, Fender, Aguilar Amplification, Yamaha and SLL are all sponsors of the school in Bricktown.

ACM@UCO also recently announced some faculty additions. Dr. Peter Pollack will serve as the Director of Academic Operations. Pollack was the drummer for the Las Vegas production of Blue Man Group, has recorded with Steve Albini and Cheetah Chrome of the Dead Boys and holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Illinois.

“The opportunity to coordinate a program in rock music fundamentally appeals to me in the greatest way. Besides spending my life as a musician, I have been an avid student of rock’s history and theory…the nuts and bolts of its essence, really. Nowhere else could I imagine, this kind of rare situation, in which all of my life’s interests come together.” - Dr. Peter Pollack

Lily Allen producer and member of The Bird and the Bee, Greg Kurstin, Warner Bros. Records General Manager Tom Biery, and members of The Flaming Lips will also be joining as instructors. Additional classes and teachers will be announced later.