Dave Kusek
Businessperson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dave Kusek is an American business executive, music educator, author, and software developer known for his work in the music industry.[1][2] After working as chief engineer at Star Instruments in the 1970s,[3] in 1980 he became the founding CEO of the music software company Passport Designs.[3] With Passport he helped develop Master Tracks and Encore,[3] and also co-developed software and hardware that utilized the then newly introduced MIDI interface.[4]
Dave Kusek | |
|---|---|
| Born | Southington, CT |
| Alma mater | University of Connecticut |
| Occupations | Business executive, entrepreneur, music educator, author, software developer, online music business courses |
| Years active | 1975-present |
| Organization | New Artist Model |
| Known for | Founding Passport Designs, MIDI software development, founding Berkleemusic.com |
| Website | NewArtistModel.com |
From 1997 to 2012 he taught music business at Berklee College of Music,[1][3] becoming a vice president[4][1] and founding its online music school Berkleemusic.com.[3][4] In 2005, Kusek co-wrote the music business book, The Future of Music: Manifesto for the Digital Music Revolution.[5] In 2014 Kusek launched New Artist Model, an online music business school,[6] which has been featured in publications such as Billboard,[2] CMJ,[6] and the Boston Globe.[1] In 2026, Kusek received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the MIDI Association for his work in computer-based music creation.
Early life and education
Dave Kusek was born in 1955 in Southington, Connecticut.[1] From 1974 until 1980, Kusek studied music, communication, and computer science at the University of Connecticut.[3]
Business career
Star Instruments and Passport Designs (1970s-95s)
From 1975 until 1979 Kusek worked as chief engineer at Star Instruments, which made electronic drums such as the Synare.[3] He became the founding CEO of Passport Designs in 1980, also taking on the role of president.[3] The company developed music software allowing musicians to record and produce music using home studios. Among other programs, the company developed Master Tracks, Encore, MusicTime, Alchemy and the Soundchaser.[3] While with Passport, he co-developed software and hardware interfaces using new the then new Music Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) industry standard.[4] He worked with Passport Designs until 1995.[3]
Digital Cowboys (1997-present)
In 1997, Kusek founded and became managing partner of Digital Cowboys, a digital media consultancy. Clients over time included companies such as AOL, IBM, Nokia, A&M Records, BMG, Polygram, Nettwerk, Roland, Yamaha, Boston Acoustics, Liquid Audio, Kaman Music and Berklee College of Music.[3]
Berklee Online (1997-12)
Kusek started teaching music business at Berklee College of Music in 1997, where he continued to teach for 14 years[1][3] and became a vice president of the college.[4][1] As founder and CEO of Berkleemusic, now called Berklee Online,[7][3] Kusek created educational curricula as part of the first online music school.[8][4] Berkleemusic won the award for the Best Online Course from the University Professional & Continuing Education Association for eight consecutive years.[9] Kusek wrote a music business book, The Future of Music: Manifesto for the Digital Music Revolution with co-author Gerd Leonhard.[5] Kusek left Berklee in 2012[3][4]
New Artist Model (2014-present)
Kusek is the founder and CEO of New Artist Model, an online music business school for musicians,[2] songwriters, producers, and managers.[2] According to Billboard, Kusek started the course "to help build a next generation of independent artists."[2] The first eight week Essential online course debuted in early 2014,[6] and topics include "licensing, publishing, e-commerce, concerts, promotion and networking."[2] In April 2014, Music X-Ray, Bandzoogle and CDBaby became affiliates of New Artist Model.[10] The program has been used by artists such as Eden Kai, who won the Brown Bags to Stardom award in Hawaii in 2015.[11] By 2018, enrollment in the school reached 3,700 members from 60 countries.[1]
In 2026, Kusek received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the MIDI Association for his work in computer-based music creation.
Publishing history
| Year | Title | Authors | Publishing details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | The Future of Music | Gerd Leonhard, Dave Kusek[5] | Berklee Press (Jan 1, 2005) / ISBN 978-0876390597 |
| 2015 | Hack the Music Business | Dave Kusek[5] | New Artist Model (Jan 1, 2015) / |
See also
Further reading
- "Berklee College Of Music Launches "Berklee Shares" – A Ground-breaking". Creative Commons. November 12, 2003.
- "Music Like Water". Forbes. January 31, 2005. Archived from the original on February 4, 2005.
- "Musicians May Be Owed Billions in Unpaid Digital Music Royalties". Huffington Post. April 8, 2011.
- "Dave Kusek Leaves Berklee College of Music to Focus on Digital Startups". Billboard. April 20, 2012.
- "Dave Kusek On Exiting Berklee, Digital Cowboys & What's Next [Interview]". Hypebot. April 23, 2012.
- "With New Online Education Platform, Dave Kusek Wants to Build Music's Middle Class". Billboard. February 3, 2014.
- "Dave Kusek Launches 'New Artist Model,' An Online Course For Musicians". CMJ. January 16, 2014.
- "Berklee online school creator now steers his own from Cohasset home". Boston Globe. March 4, 2016.