Peter Hook
Peter Hook may be known for his days as a bassist for New Order and Joy Division, but his newest project is allowing him to dip a toe into the educational pool, through the launching of a master’s degree in Music Industry Management and Promotion alongside the University of Central Lancashire.
Hook will work as a mentor for the course, offering his advice and expertise to students undertaking the degree. Hook himself was involved in a management position early on in his career, when he was in charge of co-running the legendary Manchester venue, The Haçienda.
"I am excited to be involved in a project that's going to offer genuine opportunities to help support the future of the British music industry," he
said.
Those interested in the course might do well to read up on Hook’s published memoir, "The Hacienda: How Not To Run A Club", where he famously discusses the financial losses that he sustained as a result of co-running this venue.
"The way that Factory worked, it was full of very creative people who never looked after business - and that's why all those businesses crashed. They were based on very idealistic ideas, very creative, very naive. They only rumbled on because Joy Division and New Order's success paid for all our mistakes. In Factory and the Hacienda - and in many ways in New Order and Joy Division - we never really looked after business," Hook
said.
It may seem strange to some that someone who is renowned for running a venue badly will be launching a music management degree. Nevertheless, Hook’s involvement in the course may just serve as a warning for what not to do, allowing students to learn from his past mistakes.
"One of the great things about education is that it should stop you making mistakes - and I have made a lot of mistakes," Hook himself recently
admitted.
He’s also keen to
note that the degree will help young people better understand the workings of the music industry, "because it’s pretty grim out there."
"This is quite a logical and important step in helping young people. Everybody comes out of courses full of ideas, full of ideals, and when they get to the job – it’s completely different," he
said.
The course is set to be run on a small-scale featuring only 10 students who will be mentored "intensively". Overall, the course aims to provide students with skills such as "identifying and monetising viable music projects ... business planning, presenting and formatting music for commercial release ... as well as devising and executing marketing plans & promotional campaigns."