Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

New Products

Industry Veteran Andre Fischer Joins Faculty of Legends at The Institute of Production & Recording

MINNEAPOLIS, MN, April 20, 2009–Students at the Institute of Production & Recording (IPR) have the unique opportunity to learn from some of the music business’ leading legends. The school recently welcomed industry veteran Andre Fischer as its executive director of music industries where he joins an all-star team of educators and professionals that includes Steve Hodge, Brian “Champtown” Harmon, Eddie Ciletti, Tom Garneau, Kevin Bowe, Paul “St. Paul” Peterson, Lance Sabin and Terry Myhre. In total, this faculty has garnered more than 200 gold and platinum records, with several Grammy-awards and nominations. With Fischer on board, IPR has created a well-rounded, powerful educational team with more than 150 combined years of expertise in the music business.
Prior to joining IPR, the multi-award winning producer/arranger/musician/songwriter/publisher Fischer has held executive positions at various record companies such as senior vice president of A&R for MCA/Universal Urban Music Department, vice president Jazz A&R for Quincy Jones, Qwest/Warner Bros. and vice president of publishing/writer development for 20th Century Fox Records & Films. Fischer brings his talents and expertise to a school that is dedicated to educating and influencing its students to be outstanding creative professionals. In his role as executive director of music industries, Fischer reviews curriculum, creates events, classes, seminars and supervises various marketing and outreach functions to keep the school as current and relevant as possible in the ever changing music business. Having previously served as instructor of music production for the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, music business department and dean of music industries at the McNally Smith College of Music, Fischer is committed to his field by continuing to teach the music pros of tomorrow at IPR.

“I’m very excited about my new role at IPR,” continues Fischer. “My happiness is fostered in part by providing students a unique learning experience and by giving them the tools necessary to reach their personal, educational and career goals in life. Content is key in this industry and one of the only ways students can survive the real world is by exposing them to as many real-life applications as possible beforehand.

“One of the reasons why I decided to come to IPR was because of Steve Hodge, who is best known as the main mixing engineer for Flyte Tyme Productions and has worked with such leading artists as Janet Jackson, Rod Stewart, Sting, Mariah Carey and Usher,” continues Fischer. “I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work at the same educational institution as someone who is as influential and highly respected within his field as Hodge.”

Spanning the course of four decades, Hodge has been at the center of one of the greatest hit-making machines in the history of the international recording industry, Flyte Tyme Productions–home of producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. A four-time Grammy-award nominee, Hodge has worked with such artists as Mariah Carey, TLC, Sting and Janet Jackson for which he won the Grammy for Best Dance Remix “All for You.” He has also worked in many of LA’s top recording studios including MGM Records, The Record Plant and helped construct the legendary WestLake Audio. Currently the department head/program chair of audio production and recording at IPR, Hodge is helping to influence the next generation of recording engineers. He is also on the board of Goveners of the Chicago chapter of the Grammys.
Brian “Champtown” Harmon, a veteran Detroit musician who runs his own independent record label, Straight Jacket, lends his talents to IPR as its artist relations coordinator. In addition to having worked with rap icon Eminem, he has also earned gold and platinum records for his work with Ice T, Public Enemy, Kid Rock and Uncle Kracker. In addition, he has writen songs on Rev Run’s solo album Distortion and is currently hosting Kid Rock’s Rock and Roll Revival Tour featuring Rev Run, Peter Wolf of the J. Giles Band and Dickey Betts of The Allman Brothers. Champtown also donates his time to the community by speaking at Boys and Girls Clubs as well as middle and high schools across the country. Champtown is also the official Cabo Wabo Radio DJ for Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Sammy Hagar.
With more than 30 years experience in the industry, Eddie Ciletti has taught audio engineering at IPR for the past five years. He began his career as a keyboard technician for Hall and Oates and then the chief technical engineer at Bearsville Studio, located in upstate New York. It was here that Ciletti’s expertise blossomed. Hired as a technician at both Atlantic and Record Plant studios in NYC, Ciletti assisted on sessions for Miles Davis, Arif Mardin and Joe Jackson.
A freelance engineer/producer with more than 25 certified gold and platinum albums, Tom Garneau has recorded and mixed for such artists as Sting, George Clinton, Mason Jennings, Big Head Todd & the Monsters and Prince. For more than a quarter of a century, seven of which he was a staff engineer/mixer at Paisley Park Studios, Garneau has been a leader in the music industry, being honored with the Minnesota Music Award for Engineer/Producer of the Year. For the past three years, Garneau has been an advanced engineering professor at IPR.
Kevin Bowe is not only an accomplished writer/producer whose songs have sold more than 12 million copies landing him three platinum records and a Grammy award, but also contributes his talent as the associate program chair of the production department at IPR. His first publishing deal was signed with legends Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, Bowe has also worked with Jonny Lang, Paul Westerberg, Etta James, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Lynyrd Skynyrd. His songs have been featured in such TV shows and movies as The Sopranos, Where the Heart Is, The Tonight Show, ESPN, VH1 and MTV.
Marking his 25th year in the music industry, Paul “St. Paul” Peterson is highly respected by his colleagues and fans. A member of Minnesota’s First Family of Music, St. Paul was discovered by Prince at the age of 17 and fronted Prince’s new group, The Family on Prince’s label. He has performed with Prince, contributed to the success of a 10 million selling album (The Corrs), served as musical director for Donny Osmond and produced the music for the closing ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics. A highly sought after studio musician, St. Paul has also worked with such artists as The Spice Girls, Anita Baker, Paula Abdul, Jonny Lang, Kenny Loggins and David Sanborn. Currently the digital recording/engineering and production instructor at IPR, St. Paul continues to demonstrate himself as a true renaissance man.
To add to this group of legends is Lance Sabin, vice president, co-founder and director of admissions for IPR. An accomplished guitar player for Slave Raider, the largest drawing door gate band in Minneapolis in the late 80s and signed to Jive Records, Sabin also performed on various recordings for such artist as Jonathan Butler, Easter House and many more. Additionally, he has worked with many of the industry’s top musicians, producers and engineers. As Co-Founder of IPR, he is a driving force in the perpetuation of the Institute’s creative mission and its commitment to advanced education and community outreach.

The final component to this group is Terry Myhre, also a co-founder of IPR as well as president and co-owner of Globe Universities, president and owner of Minnesota School of Business, president and CEO of Utah Career Colleges, and chairman of the board of Broadview Institute. With his support and energy Terry Myhre has made it possible to assemble this stellar collection of experienced professionals and educators.

All of the faculty and staff at IPR share the same passion and goal as one of its late founding fathers, Jackie Lee Robinson. In addition to being an established bass player with both Prince and Carmen Electra, Robinson was also a philanthropist and concerned about childrens’ education. “He [Robinson] wanted to give back to the community,” says Stephen Slater, long time friend and colleague of Robinson. “When Lance Sabin, Terry Myhre and Jack Robinson put together IPR they wanted it to not only be about the music business and how to produce music. They also wanted to teach children who regularly would not have access to this type of education because they couldn’t afford the tuition, and give them the opportunity to learn from leaders in the industry. It was always about the children with Jack and teaching them about music and the arts, teaching music as a universal language that knows no boundaries.”

About IPR
Integrating a liberal arts education with business and technical training expertise, The Institute of Production & Recording provides a learning environment that reflects today’s evolving entertainment industry. Its classrooms invite active discussions, creative problem solving, and presents an open forum for the exchange of new methods and ideas. Encouraging creativity and recognizing achievement, IPR assists its students in reaching their career goals in music, multimedia production, audio recording and music business. IPR is based in Minneapolis, MN. For further information, visit www.ipr.edu.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement

You May Also Like

Advertisement

ecoustics is a hi-fi and music magazine offering product reviews, podcasts, news and advice for aspiring audiophiles, home theater enthusiasts and headphone hipsters. Read more

Copyright © 1999-2024 ecoustics | Disclaimer: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.



SVS Bluesound PSB Speakers NAD Cambridge Audio Q Acoustics Denon Marantz Focal Naim Audio RSL Speakers