Gain Connections to the Industry
Roy Stein uses his connections to bring musicians and other professionals from the music industry and music broadcasting fields to campus as guest speakers. Students have been able to learn from and potentially connect with rocker Eddie Money, 11-time Emmy award winner Jack Allocco, Daughtry keyboardist/guitarist/vocalist Elvio Fernandes, Joywave lead singer Daniel Armbruster, radio hosts Brother Wease and Brenda Tremblay, and many more. Stein believes "connections come from connections," and he uses his connections to the industry to benefit his students' professional growth and help them to network.
Sharing the Stage
Rochester has a vibrant live music scene. Stein is a drummer in the alternative Americana band nobody's marigold with a mixture of Nazareth College students and seasoned musicians. They have performed at venues and events like Sticky Lips, Lovin' Cup, the Fairport Music Festival, and the Lilac Festival. Cleveland's WJCU, Woodstock's WDST, Washington's KPND, and Alaska's KSUA have played their music.
"I like to play with younger musicians. They bring an optimistic energy to the stage. I think there's a great beauty to being wide-eyed. And hopefully I bring to them the ability to somewhat protect that wide-eyedness, because I understand the business aspects. Here's how to book a gig, how to send emails, how to contact radio stations and what to do; I'm glad to share the mechanics." He appreciates their vast array of musical skills and enjoys sharing his music recording expertise.
Stein may be a teacher of music, but he tries to leave that in the classroom when he's gigging with student musicians. He makes way for student musicians to explore their potential as they navigate their personal musical journey.
"I turn it off," is how he explained it to City Newspaper in an interview. "At least, I think I turn it off. It's my role to enable people to be what they want to be. We're band members, but we're friends first. I don't want to be in a band with people unless I want to hang with them. I'm too old for that — I don't need that."
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
"The single most important thing as a teacher is respect for the student. Everything flows from that. "
Stein constantly works to maintain a respectful environment for his students. He has shared his teaching tips with other faculty and sees an overlying theme of respect among the Nazareth community. "I would describe the college in one word: nice. Colleagues from other colleges say that when they come here: We smile and say hi to each other. The campus is beautifully maintained and from my perspective, faculty and staff have had positive relationships in the 34 years I've been teaching at the college. It's not adversarial. It's a very student-focused campus, and the students are nice. It's a very humane place."
Why Major in Music/Business?
"It's almost like a double major." You become a better musician — and "develop an acumen for business." Stein believes that the students of music business are students of versatility. Students walk away from this program with a variety of skill sets and are equipped for multiple careers.
"It gives you options. It presents many doorways which you can choose to walk through because you've been schooled in the area of business. You'll probably have internships working for different firms. Your credentials and your experiences are strong. It allows you to continue to stay in touch with the creative part of your being."
Memorable Moments in the Music Business
In his early 20s, Roy Stein played drums in punk bands when punk music was just starting — and he has a framed picture of himself with his friend, the late Joey Ramone (lead singer of the Ramones) on his office wall. Roy Stein has shared the stage with notable bands like the Pretenders, Psychedelic Furs, and the B-52s in front of thousands of people. More recently, his band My Plastic Sun gained daily airplay on Sirius XM. He also has had the pleasure of playing in bands with his wife April throughout the years, who he praises as a great musician, artist, and musical collaborator.
Courses Stein Teaches
Stein has taught at Nazareth since 1984. His previous career in law gives him expertise to teach business and ethics courses in addition to music recording courses:
- Legal Environment of Business
- Music Business
- Intro to Recording
- Management Ethics
By Breyana Clark ‘20, music/business major
Music Specialties
- Digital Recording
- Music Production
Videos
STUDENT PERSPECTIVE
“Roy was easy to talk to about the industry and about life in general. He was very willing to give opportunities where he saw they fit a certain student’s skill set. Roy was really good at trying to match people with internships or connecting you with someone in the industry within Rochester that he thought would be a good connection.
Roy helped connect me with Nik and the Nice Guys. My summer internship with them went so well that they actually ended up hiring me on once I graduated as their manager of production. I did that for about 6 months before I moved to New York City.”
— Ashley Villone '12, senior coordinator for royalty & client services at BMG music in Nashville. While at Naz, she started the music business club — with Stein’s support.
Naz Recordz
Stein and two music business majors have founded Naz Recordz. This on-campus record label involves students in representing and recording musicians at Nazareth College and possibly beyond. This project provides students with another way to get hands-on marketing, public relations, social media management, recording, accounting, or other music/business experience on campus.
Get This!
In place of numbers for each hour, the clock on his office wall has a word: "now."
Students and employees alike are welcome to attend meditation sessions Stein offers on campus. He has been involved in Zen practice for more than 25 years. "In some ways practicing Zen meditation early in life can be like like planting seeds. In the busyness of life, it's nice to formally take the time to sit and breathe in a tradition that's 2,500 years old. It's challenging, though. It's not the nature of our culture right now to slow down."
FACULTY SPOTLIGHTS
Wondering who else you can learn from — and who will support and challenge you? Check out more Faculty Spotlights.