For students who dream of making a living in music, getting started takes more than talent. Learning the business and making the right connections can help open doors, and the University of North Alabama has been helping students do both for more than 50 years.
Now, UNA’s David and John Briggs Family Department of Entertainment Industry has again earned a place on Billboard’s Top Music Business Schools list, according to the university.
The publication considers industry recommendations, alumni information, its reporting on educational programs and information supplied by schools. The schools on the 2026 list appear alphabetically, without numbered rankings.
For Grammy winner John Paul White, the department is where his own career began taking shape. The UNA graduate is now an assistant professor, sharing what he has learned as a songwriter, performer, producer and record label owner.
“Saying that I owe my career to the David and John Briggs Family Department of Entertainment Industry is not hyperbole. My education in all aspects of the music business – publishing, production, songwriting, etc. – was integral to my future success, but the networking opportunities were equally valuable. My first publishing deal would never have happened without the department’s introduction and recommendation,” White said.
White is among the instructors who bring their own music business experience into the classroom while continuing to work in the industry.
“As an assistant professor, I’m proud of the fact that our staff has multiple teachers with wide backgrounds in the music business. The experiential learning is a valuable part of our tutelage. The students have real-world examples of what works – and what doesn’t. These examples are current, as the instructors are still working in the business and see the vast changes in the industry on a daily basis,” White said.
Students also get opportunities to put their educational experience to work. Billboard’s profile points to Singing River Records, a student-run record label offered as a course, where students work with faculty mentors on marketing, publicity, distribution, licensing, accounting, and other parts of running a label.
The department’s downtown Florence facility on Tombigbee Street includes two recording studios, a music production lab, classrooms, and a performance venue that holds 450 people. Its curriculum covers music business, audio recording, editing, and live production.
“This recognition from Billboard is a tremendous affirmation of the vision, dedication, and hard work of our faculty, staff, students, and industry partners within the David and John Briggs Family Department of Entertainment Industry,” department Chair Janna Malone said.
Founded in 1975 and now in its 51st year, the program has helped prepare generations of students for music and entertainment careers. Some of those graduates’ accomplishments are now part of a permanent exhibit at the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.
The exhibit celebrates alumni whose work has earned Grammy, Academy of Country Music, and Emmy awards, along with recording industry certifications and songwriting and publishing honors.
Sherri Blevins is a reporter for 256 Today.
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