Musician Institute The World's Most Innovative School of Contemporary Music.

Today, contemporary music instruction is part of nearly every college music program, but when MI began in the late '70s there were few such options available to musicians. When a few dozen guitarists and three full-time instructors gathered for the first GIT class in 1977, they knew that they were breaking new ground in music education. Here's a brief look at how it all began.

With the addition of the Bass Institute of Technology (BIT) in 1978 and the Percussion Institute of Technology (PIT) in 1980, Musicians Institute came into being. The MI facility, located through most of the '80s on Hollywood Boulevard above the Hollywood Wax Museum, became home to a growing student body and staff while the school matured into its position as an internationally recognized innovator in the field of contemporary music education.

As MI expanded and began attracting students from all over the world, it became the heart of an international community. MI co-founder Rebecca Natalia contributed tremendously to the heart and soul of the school during these years, making MI feel like home to students a long way from their own. Becky retired from MI in 1996.

In the late '90s, MI began accelerating the pace of program development to match a rapidly changing music industry. In addition to numerous changes within existing programs, several new programs were designed and added. In 2000, the Recording Artist Program (RAP) joined the MI family. Based on a combination of artist development, digital recording skills and music business training, RAP combines technology and creativity to train the versatile independent artists of the future. The Guitar Craft Academy (GCA), also debuting in 2000, focuses on building and maintaining electric guitars and basses, a thriving element of the music industry. In 2002, the Music Business Program (MBP), dedicated to training both musicians and non-musicians in the career skills demanded by the business side of the industry, first opened its doors. MI's latest program, the Film Institute of Technology, began training music video and commercial directors in early 2005.

Facilities

Musicians Institute’s unique campus is located in the center of Hollywood, California. The three-story, 60,000 square-foot main building contains world-class recording and performing facilities along with classrooms, practice rooms and library. Nearby are facilities housing additional classrooms, practice rooms, studios and performance rooms as well as MI”s administrative offices (click on facility pages to see details). The main building is open to students 24 hours a day, seven days a week except holidays.

Main Building: 1655 N. McCadden Place, Hollywood, California; one block south of Hollywood Boulevard and one block east of Highland Avenue.

Hollywood Passage: 6752 Hollywood Boulevard, ½ block east of Highland Avenue.

Hawthorn Annex: 1621 N. McCadden Place, opposite main building entrance.

Highland Annex: 1622 N. Highland Ave. at the corner of Hawthorn Avenue

Music Business Program: 1518 N. Highland Ave. ½ block north of Sunset Boulevard

Guitar Craft Academy: 6920 Santa Monica Boulevard, 1½ blocks west of Highland Avenue.

General Information: MI’s main entrance is on the alley between Hawthorne Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard, opposite the Hollywood Passage. Parking is available nearby at a daily or monthly rate. Hourly metered and street parking is also available. Busses and the Metro Red Line subway stop nearby and MI provides students with an evening shuttle service to nearby apartments. The Main Building is equipped with elevator, lifts, and other facilities and equipment to serve students with special physical needs.