Udo Dahmen: Educating Popular Music in University

The Popakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg combines all relevant aspects of popular culture and creates synergies in order to maximize the creative and economic output of Popular Music.

Since its foundation in 2003, the Popakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg has quickly become one of the most renowned names in the German music and media landscape, successfully established in the higher education sector nationally and internationally.

The graduates of the Popakademie find their way into the music industry. Top Ten albums and singles, Gold and Platinum are awarded to music graduates and top managing jobs in the music industry are covered successfully by music business graduates of the Popakademie. 450 students are educated in five study programs in Popular Music, World Music and Music Business.

The Popakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg sees itself not just as an institution of higher education but also as a competence centre for all aspects of the music industry, underpinning this with numerous projects in the areas of European cooperation, regional development and business development. Mannheim, the UNESCO City of Music, offers the ideal environment, with its lively cultural scene, active promotion of popular music and institutions such as the Music Commission, the Musikpark, a start-up centre for companies, ventures and projects within the music and creative industries and the C-Hub, the creative industries incubator.

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