Letter from the Editor-in-Chief

Outgoing Editor-in-Chief, Keith Hatschek, relates what accomplishments the editors of the journal have achieved, as well as previewing the content from this issue

Developing Information Literacy Skills for Tomorrow’s Music Industry Leaders

What research skills should an undergraduate music industry studies major develop over the course of their studies? With the non-stop proliferation of news and information sources available, how are students being trained to do research appropriate to their field to make informed decisions? Some employers now screen for information literacy skills as a preferred qualification, due to the perception that recent graduates lack advanced research skills. This presentation will discuss one model of developing research skills a future music industry leader will need. The presenters will show the collaboration between faculty and librarians that progressively teach students to find, access, evaluate, and use a variety of credible sources. Assignments embedded in various courses in the major allow students to scaffold and advance their confidence and skills to conduct meaningful research. These skills have been identified as a vital 21st-century core competency by faculty, administrators and accrediting agencies

All Access: A Backstage Pass to a Collaborative, Undergraduate Music Journal

The number of currently publishing, student run music journals can be counted on one hand. And of those, only half are for undergraduates. At University of the Pacific, the Conservatory of Music started a music industry analysis and opinion journal in 2018. Edited and written by undergraduate students, Backstage Pass has published two issues totaling 47 papers. The benefits of journal writing, editing, publishing and hosting are numerous from many different stakeholder points of view. The collaborative effort is shared between the University Libraries (hosts the institutional repository where the journal is published and offers technical support) and the Conservatory of Music’s Department of Music Industry Studies where the Program Director serves as the Editor-in-Chief and the student editorial board consists of three undergraduates. Backstage Pass serves as a platform to share stellar work being produced at University of the Pacific – potentially attracting new students and celebrating our current students. It allows the students to publish prior to graduating and joining their chosen profession – a profession which, overwhelmingly, requires excellent writing and communication skills. In this presentation, the Editor-in-Chief, one of the student editors, and the Library’s Head of Publishing and Scholarship Support, will discuss the genesis of the journal, the process of publishing the first two issues, and future plans