Each quarter, some 150 students enroll in Foothill's popular Commercial Music Program. Some say the program unleashes their creativity. Others say the program gives them an outlet to learn the skills they need to train for a career they love. Foothill Instructor Mark Anderson created the popular program in 1996 to introduce students to career opportunities in the music and entertainment industry.
Students learn about recording arts, music management, songwriting, production and multimedia.
Our students are hungry to learn not only music production but more importantly to develop the business experience they'll need to make it in the music industry. Foothill's program is the only one in the Bay Area that emphasizes real-life application of getting 'music biz' jobs. That real-life experience includes writing, producing, recording, duplicating a variety of music compositions as well as marketing, licensing, copyrighting and promoting original music. Students who have completed the Foothill program have gone on to positions with major labels throughout the U.S., signed recording contracts, started production companies and licensed their songs for films. Students of all ages and fitness levels are encouraged to enroll in this class.