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Musicians learn the ropes at the Contemporary Music Center in West Tisbury.

Cookin' at the Katharine Cornell Theatre, and raising funds for Habitat for Humanity of Martha’s Vineyard.

The barn studio at the Contemporary Music Center is a performance platform for musicians like Jeff Judy.

Here’s one for the "who would have thought?" file: Martha’s Vineyard hosts an accredited, semester-long college music program that lets students learn the ins and outs of the recording business. Nestled in the woods of West Tisbury off Lambert’s Cove Road, the Contemporary Music Center (CMC) is a veritable School of Rock.

Instructors Warren Pettit and Tom Willett represent the creative and commercial sides of the business. Warren has taught music for the past 15 years, with degrees from the University of Manitoba, The Royal Conservatory of Toronto, and the University of Miami. He guides students through the songwriting process, from crafting catchy melodies to recording multi-track arrangements with the latest music software. Tom has spent decades in the heart of the music industry, as Vice President of Marketing at Epic Records, as an executive at an ABC affiliate label in Los Angeles, and running a booking agency in Nashville.

In operation since the fall of 2001, the CMC is situated on the FOCUS property off Lambert’s Cove Road. CMC leases the same FOCUS facility that’s used as a teen camp for Christian youth during the summer. The 16-credit semester program draws students from Christian colleges across the country. Many students hear about the center through the web site www.bestsemester.com. Word of mouth from former students is also a powerful draw.

The CMC staff includes a chef, groundskeeper, housekeeper, and two administrators. The wireless campus features state-of-the-art equipment, from the latest MIDI software to digital multi-track recorders. Tom and Warren teach a fall and spring semester, limiting enrollment to 30 students per session. Twenty students participate in the songwriting track with Warren and 10 in the business track with Tom. On the creative side, students write and record original songs with full-band arrangements. At the end of the semester, they craft three master recordings to use as a professional calling card.

"Together we bring this theoretical and practical world to them to try to help equip them from both sides," Tom says.

Students who focus on the business aspect meet in the reconfigured attic of a former hunting lodge, renamed the executive office suite. While seated in plush black leather chairs, they learn how to manage a musical career, from signing contracts to developing marketing plans. During the fall semester, students travel to Manhattan to meet with executives at RCA and Epic. Spring semester students head to Nashville to meet Tom’s professional colleagues in the capital of country music.

Recipe for success

According to Tom, there are five essential ingredients that students must know to succeed in the music business. He calls them the 5 T’s: talent, tunes, team (manager, agent, attorney, publicist), tenacity, and timing.

"There are five ways to succeed but 1001 ways to fail in this business," Tom says. "You’ve got to pay attention to the details."

While the music business is often perceived as a buzz saw that leaves artists shredded in its wake, Tom says the skills learned at the center help students avoid many of the industry’s pitfalls. He says that 48 alumni of the center are working in Los Angeles, New York, and Nashville. Two of the graduates have signed record deals. Another 30 grads are currently trudging through the club scene as performing artists.

"These graduates are a lot more informed than the average band because they know what music law is about and that you have to have a team to succeed," Tom says. "Most people think, ‘if I could just get a record deal, everything would be great.’ We tell students that when you get a record deal, your problems are just starting."

Nathan Thomas, 20, from Nashville, is a talented bass guitarist in the artist’s track. After weeks of playing on numerous recordings, he says his musical skills improved significantly. "When you’re playing six hours a day, you’re going to get better," he says with a dry grin.

While acknowledging that the music business is cutthroat, Nathan believes the semester helped prepare him for what lies ahead. "I’m more equipped if I get the opportunity," he says. "I have the skills that are needed." He pauses, then adds, "It also involves a lot of luck, being in the right place at the right time."

Making music together

The songwriting students learn to collaborate with each other and to develop the thick skin necessary to succeed in the business. By analyzing each other’s work, they learn to give and receive constructive criticism. "At the beginning people are hesitant to critique, but when you realize it’s just the song being critiqued, not the person, it’s really helpful," says Kit Hamon, 21, of Greenville, Ill.

Classmate Brittany Nordveght, 21, of Seattle, concurs. "Since writing songs is so personal, it’s sometimes hard when something gets ripped apart," she says. "You have to not take it personally and just take it as a learning experience and try to make yourself better."

CMC students come from colleges all over the country, and the experience of living in the woods of West Tisbury can be a sharp contrast to their regular campus life.

"The isolation is both a great help and something that’s starting to drive me crazy," said David Matthewson, 22, of Philadelphia. "You remove yourself from your concept of society. The isolation is key to have time and focus for the songwriting. Now, it’s time to re-enter the real world."

Josh Kaufman, 22, of Grand Rapids, Mich., is a student in the business track who says the lack of venues on the Island is an obstacle. "It’s hard to book shows when you only have three places to go in the winter," he says. "It’s frustrating not to have a wealth of options."

Teachers get good reviews

One thing all of the students agree on is that Tom and Warren have crafted a unique curriculum that matches their interests as learners. "They’re the mentors, the people you come to with questions and get practical knowledge from," says Mr. Kaufman. "That wealth of knowledge has been worth it right there, even without the instruction."

"Tom and Warren teach from their experience, but they leave it up to us to find our own way," says Ms. Nordveght. "They’re so open and they want to learn from us, because they believe we have perspectives and fresh ideas they don’t have."

Many of the students describe their CMC semester as a "pinch me" experience that’s almost too good to be true, from the instructors and equipment to the opportunity to focus on songwriting without outside distractions.

"I’ve always loved music and it’s been the way I relate to things," says Mr. Matthewson. "This semester has taught me to better communicate, to speak better through music and songs so I can reach somebody."

"I have come into my own musically, gotten to know and find myself," says Mr. Hamon. "Music is afterthought to the real things going on here, which is an amazing experience with amazing people."

Julian Wise is a freelance writer, educator, and a frequent contributor to The Times, specializing in music, film and performing arts.