Syracuse Sun

Grammy Award-winning artist Laufey performed at an exclusive launch party for Syracuse University’s new music business master’s program at Spotify Studios in Los Angeles. The event, held on Tuesday night, featured performances of “From the Start” and other songs from her album “Bewitched.”

During the event, a new scholarship named after Laufey was announced. This scholarship aims to support international students or those in need of financial aid enrolled in the Bandier music business master’s program.

The Bandier master’s program is set to begin classes in summer 2025. It builds on the success of the undergraduate program in recording and entertainment industries offered by the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Both programs are named after Martin Bandier ’62, a notable music publishing executive and University Life Trustee. The master’s program was developed in collaboration with the College of Visual and Performing Arts and emphasizes a cross-disciplinary, hands-on approach to education.

The Laufey Scholarship for Graduate Students will provide $100,000 over ten years to support students in the Bandier program.

Laufey won the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album award at the 2024 Grammys. Her team includes several alumni from Syracuse University: manager Max Gredinger ’13, attorney Harry Roberts ’12, publisher Gabz Landman ’12, digital marketing manager Izzy Newirth ’23, and management coordinator Kaylee Barrett ’24.

“I’m incredibly proud to support this scholarship and be part of such an important moment for the Bandier program,” Laufey said. “The talent, knowledge and passion that my team brings to our work every day are a direct result of the incredible education they received at Syracuse University.”

“I hope this scholarship will help future students find the same success and fulfillment in the music industry,” she added.

The Bandier Program for Recording and Entertainment Industries is regularly recognized as one of the top undergraduate music business programs in the country by Billboard magazine.

Created in 2006 within VPA's Setnor School of Music by Newhouse alumni Rob Light ’78, John Sykes ’77, and Phil Quartararo '77 along with Martin Bandier, it later moved to Newhouse in 2017 but still involves classes at VPA as well as Whitman School of Management.

The new master's program will offer similar features as its undergraduate counterpart including hands-on experiences and training with cutting-edge skills necessary for job readiness upon graduation. A semester based in Los Angeles will provide students with valuable industry experience.

Bill Werde, director of both undergraduate and graduate Bandier programs said: “An overwhelming percentage of our undergrads are leveraging the skills, network and experiences built in the Bandier program into jobs upon graduation. We look forward to welcoming these new graduate students into our community.”

Mark J. Lodato, dean of Newhouse School expressed gratitude towards Laufey: “Through this master’s program aspiring music industry professionals will have exciting opportunities to hone their classroom-learned skills through real-world settings."

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