And come fall, it's anticipated that there will be a degree for it and for the business side as well as a bachelor of arts degree in music, with concentrations in music business and traditional music will be offered at UL.
It's no secret that South Louisiana is known for its traditional music.
And come this fall at UL Lafayette, it's anticipated that there will be a degree for it and for the business of music.
The Louisiana Board of Regents has approved UL's request for the new degreed programs and now it moves on to the National Association of Schools of Music for permission to offer the degree and for it to be accredited.
"We feel certain that it will be approved," says Gordon Brooks, Dean of the College of the Arts, adding that the NASM board meets next month.
"It opens up two specialty areas in the School of Music that they do not have right now," Brooks says. "So it's a powerful recruiting tool for new students because they will both be extremely popular. It will have a tremendous impact."
On the music business degree, UL will become the first state-supported school in Louisiana to have the program. Loyola, a private institution, is the other.
"And we know that it will be immensely popular because there are a lot of students who want to be in the industry of music and be around music and musicians, but not necessarily be performers or teachers," he says.
Students will have an opportunity to earn a degree in the music profession and get the skill set that they can use in areas that include marketing, management, production and recording.
"It also is a tremendous opportunity for the university to participate and provide workforce - to use that popular word - in these areas of music business and traditional music that we didn't have before," says Brooks.