McNally Smith College of Music is a music college located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. McNally Smith offers a range of diplomas, associate degrees, and bachelor's degrees in the areas of music business; performance in guitar, bass, drums, voice, keyboard, brass & woodwinds, and strings (violin, cello, viola and double bass); live sound, production, and recording engineering; and composition and songwriting.
Most of McNally Smith’s faculty members are actively engaged in aspects of the music industry, including as musicians, songwriters, and industry executives. A number of faculty have credits that include gold and platinum records and Grammy awards. Their careers include performances ranging from Broadway to major arena stages.
Formerly known as Musictech College, McNally Smith College took its new name in honor of its two founders, Jack McNally and Doug Smith, on its 20th anniversary celebrated in 2005. With a fall 2006 enrollment of 512, McNally Smith is known for its intimate setting, access to studios and other facilities, and small class sizes.
In the fall of 2009 the school opened the "first nationally accredited diploma program for hip-hop".
Notable faculty
- Dessa, is an established singer, songwriter, poet, published author and female hip-hop artist. She is a member of the Minneapolis, Minnesota-based Doomtree Collective. Dessa primarily teaches in the hip-hop and composition programs and has been a member of the McNally Smith faculty since 2008.
- Freddy Fresh, among the most active and prolific American underground dance music artists, having released more than a hundred records on dozens of different labels worldwide. Has been a faculty member since 2009 in the Hip Hop Department.
- Jeremy Messersmith, is a singer/songwriter based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Jeremy's first release The Alcatraz Kid garnered local radio play and attention from the music community. Jeremy graduated with a B.S. in Music from North Central University and has been a member of the faculty at McNally Smith since 2009.
- Randy Sabien, a jazz violinist known for his live performances and recordings as well as his work in music education. He was the founder and chair of the Jazz Strings department of Berklee College of Music (1978â€"1981) and was appointed chair of the Strings department at McNally Smith in 2009.
Notable alumni
- Justin Bonhiver is a member of Quietdrive formerly on Sony's Epic label.
- Zack Carroll, a 2005 guitar performance graduate, plays guitar and sings in the band This World Fair.
- Ari Herstand, is a singer and songwriter who graduated from McNally Smith in August 2005.
- Brian Nagan, a 2005 graduate, is the front man in the band Four Letter Lie.
References
Resources
- Official website
- Mixguides.com
