ACM@UCO welcomes the expertise of our Business Development Center Manager, Derek Brown, musician, concert promoter, and music industry veteran.

Derek Brown has enjoyed a broad and successful musical career as a guitarist, bassist and keyboardist, performing and touring with The Flaming Lips, Liz Phair, Steve Burns,  the Starlight Mints, and the Chainsaw Kittens, among others.  Derek has broad live performance experience appearing on such programs as The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien and The Colbert Report as well as touring internationally and performing at such music festivals as Austin City Limits, SXSW, and Bonnaroo.  As a music industry marketing professional, Derek has led marketing efforts for World’s Fair Label Group and Hellfire Enterprises Ltd., working with artists such as The Flaming Lips, British Sea Power, Snow Patrol, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings,  and many more. Derek also owns Jupiter Crash Productions, a concert promotion company that has brought concerts to Oklahoma.  In addition to being a touring member of The Flaming Lips, Derek also performs and records with his band, Crocodile, the line-up of which includes his wife Raechel.

As a musician, how do you think ACM@UCO benefits those wanting to work in the music industry?

Derek: “I’m confident ACM@UCO will be successful bridging the two worlds of music education and music business and will be doing it in a progressive, inspiring way.

From a purely musical standpoint, I’m excited about the curriculum musicians and production students will be learning, but I’m equally as excited about the real-life knowledge and experience they’ll be gaining of how the music industry works and doesn’t work.

There’s already been so much enthusiasm and support pledged from the music industry for ACM@UCO and because of that support, I know students will benefit in a huge way from being enrolled here.”

Why did you decide to become involved with ACM@UCO?
Derek: “Oklahoma is home to me and I consider myself lucky to be able to work on a project like this and still live here. I want to see the music industry expand and exceed for this state and this is part of those efforts!”

Derek brings a musician’s perspective to ACM@UCO that, combined with his industry experience, will contribute to a rich educational experience for our students. ACM@UCO welcomes Derek and his wife Raechel to the University of Central Oklahoma family.