Dr. Vernon Whaley is earning national attention for his work in reimagining the future of music education.
The dean of the School of Music and Worship Arts at Trevecca, Whaley was instrumental in designing Trevecca’s innovative Bachelor of Science in music leadership program that launched in January of 2024. In November, Whaley was invited to speak at the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) conference, where he shared his vision for this groundbreaking degree program that blends music performance, leadership and entrepreneurship.
The music leadership degree offers a unique combination of traditional music education and contemporary leadership training, and it’s designed to prepare students for leadership roles in any area of the music industry. Whether they are interested in music business, audio engineering or entrepreneurship, students are provided with the tools to thrive as professionals.
“We immediately put in their hands the responsibility of doing what they have to do in the industry,” Whaley said. “Their senior project could be a recording project, a marketing strategy or whatever they think they want to go into.”
The curriculum includes core music courses alongside studies in leadership, technology, marketing and business. Students can choose from concentrations such as music business, audio engineering and producing, entrepreneurial studies in the music industry or IT integration and social media.
The real-world approach is what makes the music leadership program especially unique. Students get practical experience through internships, case studies and hands-on projects. They are equipped with a "backpack studio" that allows them to start producing music right from their dorm rooms, ensuring that they can leave Trevecca with a portfolio of actual work.
Students also learn from working professionals.
“Nashville is our classroom. The people who teach this are the ones who are doing it every day,” Whaley said. “This allows our students to get invaluable exposure and to experience practical mentorship so they’re prepared for careers in the music industry.”
Whaley’s vision for the music leadership program has not gone unnoticed. At the NASM conference, the information he shared about Trevecca’s unique approach to training musicians drew praise from colleagues across the country. His insight into blending music performance with leadership and entrepreneurship resonated with many attendees, leading to noticeable interest in the program, which is quickly becoming a flagship undergraduate degree in Trevecca’s School of Music and Worship Arts.
Whaley, who moved to Nashville in 2020 after a distinguished career at Liberty University, has a long history of designing programs that prepare students for success in the music industry. At Liberty, he led the School of Music, developing innovative worship-focused curricula at a time when few programs in the country offered specialized degrees in that field.
Building on this experience at Trevecca, Whaley has sought to address the growing need for musicians who can leverage their skills as performers while also developing the leadership skills necessary to thrive in today’s rapidly changing music industry. That intersection happens to be the sweet spot for Trevecca’s degree in music leadership.
“The world of music is no longer just about being a good musician,” Whaley explains. “It’s about being a leader—someone who understands the business, the technology and the strategies that are necessary to succeed.”