Visible School
Encyclopedia
Visible Music College is a Music and Worship Arts College located in Memphis, Tennessee
, United States
. It mission statement is to train and equip musicians, technicians, and business professionals in skill and character for effective service in the music industry and in the Church. Visible Music College is authorized for operation as a post-secondary educational institution by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission
.
Visible Music College offers three-year Bachelor's degrees in the following areas:
Music Production Ministry,VS MPM Modern Music Ministry,MMM and Music Business.MBM They also offer one-year certificates (similar to an associate's degree
) in any of these fields.
As of November 5, 2009, Visible Music College was awarded Accreditation as a Category II institution by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools
(TRACS).
Ken Steorts, founding guitarist of the Christian rock band, Skillet
, stopped playing with the band in the year 2000 to pursue the vision of Visible Music College. He is the president
and founder of Visible Music College. He says the idea for the college's original name, "Visible School" came from the German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer
. Here is an excerpt from the Visible School student handbook:
, left the band to travel to Coventry, England to view a Christian music college resembling the idea of Visible School for research. After visiting the Nexus Academy of Music website, he began Visible Community School of Music and Worship Arts as a ministry of Grace Covenant Church, also located in Memphis
, Tennessee
. The 2000-2001 school year began with twenty-one students and four full-time faculty.
In August 2001, more than forty students arrived after a summer of marketing the school at Christian music
festivals and events. The school leased fifteen units at a local apartment complex and began to seek official recognition apart from Grace Covenant Church, which changed its name to Lifelink Church website. The faculty increased to eight teachers to handle the larger student body.
for accredited coursework through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
(SACS). The school also formalized relations with Days Inn
, Lakeland, Tennessee
for dormitory housing, creating a campus for the institution. The faculty increased to twelve and programs increased to match student and faculty growth.
In the Spring of 2003, faculty and staff decided to gain independent accreditation from Crichton College
through TRACS. Throughout the summer of 2003, investigation into several arts accrediting bodies and various Christian accrediting bodies was completed. The decision to pursue TRACS recognition was made, and the school moved forward.
Contact with TRACS administration in early Fall 2003 culminated with Visible School being accepted as an applicant for accreditation
status with TRACS. Visible School’s objective of offering competent, personal, and professional courses of study for undergraduate students was one step closer to reality.
During Applicant status for accreditation
with TRACS, Visible School began the Self-Study documents, completing mid 2004 and hosting a visiting TRACS Evaluation Team in the early Fall of 2004. This Team gave a report with 27 recommendations and 32 suggestions for improvement to Visible School, as the institution sought accreditation
. As the President
and Director of Academic Development stood in front of the Accreditation Commission with two months of prepared response to the recommendations and suggestions, the College received report from the TRACS Commission that the status of the College’s attempt to receive accreditation was “deferred
” until April 2005. The staff and leadership of the college worked over the next six months to correct and amend the items that were in the Recommendations and Suggestions and received Candidate Status in the Fall of 2004.
. Visible School, now able to receive Department of Education
(DOE) Authorization for Title IV
aid
, stood alone as a College for which students could get loans and aid directly. However, the Department of Education
denied the College the ability to obtain aid for its students due to low ratio scores financially. Expected enrollment of 100 became 65, with the course load of 35 students paying in cash and unsecured loans. Financially the budget shrank, and many of the faculty took part-time hours and pay cuts to balance.
In the winter of 2005-2006, a single donor stepped up to cover the costs of running the school for the remainder of the 2005-2006 academic year. Visible School was able to hire a full-time Librarian and continue offering full course loads to students as a result of the TRACS accreditation process. The faculty continued to receive training. Many assessment processes began, as the College matured in planning, executing, and assessing the results of student education.
The summer of 2006 saw an increase in enrollment and positive audited financial statements
, bringing 65 full-time students, and with tight financial restraint and budgeting, a successful enough year to receive DOE authorization for the spring term. This in turn, granted financial aid to all students in any economic situation.
In February 2008, the student population rose again. With more fundraising and spending, the financial success of the school is beginning to materialize. A healthy student body and faculty relationship is the hallmark of Visible School, and that connection has returned and grown through the initiatives of the school over the 2007-2008 school year. Expecting 80 full-time students in a reduced number of courses and major programs, Visible School has had the most successful year of its history in 2008-2009, culminating in a decision by second Self-Study, a TRACS Self-Study Team visit, and a TRACS Commission decision to grant Accredited Status to the College in 2009.
Visible School plans to build a brand new, state-of-the-art Urban Campus in Memphis
in 2011. The school has received a 3 million-dollar matching grant to move the campus into Downtown Memphis. The new urban campus will be located in the renovated C&I Bank Building on 200 Madison Avenue, in Downtown Memphis.
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It mission statement is to train and equip musicians, technicians, and business professionals in skill and character for effective service in the music industry and in the Church. Visible Music College is authorized for operation as a post-secondary educational institution by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission
Tennessee Higher Education Commission
The Tennessee Higher Education Commission is the established by the Tennessee General Assembly in 1900, primarily to achieve coordination between the various public higher education institutions in the state.-Composition:...
.
Visible Music College offers three-year Bachelor's degrees in the following areas:
Music Production Ministry,VS MPM Modern Music Ministry,MMM and Music Business.MBM They also offer one-year certificates (similar to an associate's degree
Associate's degree
An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years...
) in any of these fields.
As of November 5, 2009, Visible Music College was awarded Accreditation as a Category II institution by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools
Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools
The Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools is a U.S. national educational accreditation agency for Christian colleges, universities, and seminaries...
(TRACS).
Ken Steorts, founding guitarist of the Christian rock band, Skillet
Skillet (band)
Skillet is an American Christian rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee in 1996. The band currently consists of husband and wife John and Korey Cooper , along with Jen Ledger and lead guitarist Seth Morrison. The band has released eight albums, two receiving Grammy nominations: Collide and Comatose...
, stopped playing with the band in the year 2000 to pursue the vision of Visible Music College. He is the president
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
and founder of Visible Music College. He says the idea for the college's original name, "Visible School" came from the German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German Lutheran pastor, theologian and martyr. He was a participant in the German resistance movement against Nazism and a founding member of the Confessing Church. He was involved in plans by members of the Abwehr to assassinate Adolf Hitler...
. Here is an excerpt from the Visible School student handbook:
Did you know that “visibility” is all about being seen or discovered, that it’s about something that’s noticeable? Dietrich Bonhoeffer describes Christian believers as a “visible community” infiltrating the darkness, bringing a light into the world that cannot be hidden. Wow! That is who we are called to be, lights in the darkness, both individually and corporately.
2000-2001
Visible School was created in the spring of 2000, when Ken Steorts, a founding member of the Christian rock band Skillet (band)Skillet (band)
Skillet is an American Christian rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee in 1996. The band currently consists of husband and wife John and Korey Cooper , along with Jen Ledger and lead guitarist Seth Morrison. The band has released eight albums, two receiving Grammy nominations: Collide and Comatose...
, left the band to travel to Coventry, England to view a Christian music college resembling the idea of Visible School for research. After visiting the Nexus Academy of Music website, he began Visible Community School of Music and Worship Arts as a ministry of Grace Covenant Church, also located in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. The 2000-2001 school year began with twenty-one students and four full-time faculty.
In August 2001, more than forty students arrived after a summer of marketing the school at Christian music
Christian music
Christian music is music that has been written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life and faith. Common themes of Christian music include praise, worship, penitence, and lament, and its forms vary widely across the world....
festivals and events. The school leased fifteen units at a local apartment complex and began to seek official recognition apart from Grace Covenant Church, which changed its name to Lifelink Church website. The faculty increased to eight teachers to handle the larger student body.
2001-2002
During the 2001-2002 school year, the school formally separated from Grace Covenant Church (now Lifelink Church website) and became an incorporated and authorized school of higher education in the state of Tennessee. In August 2002, the school grew to sixty-nine first and second year students, and partnered with Crichton CollegeCrichton College
Victory University, formerly Crichton College, is a private for-profit Christian, liberal arts college located in Memphis, Tennessee.Victory University is a four-year, coeducational institution owned by California-based Significant Education...
for accredited coursework through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
(SACS). The school also formalized relations with Days Inn
Days Inn
Days Inn is a motel chain headquartered in the United States. Founded in 1970, it is now a part of the Wyndham Hotel Group, based in Parsippany, New Jersey, which was formerly a part of Cendant...
, Lakeland, Tennessee
Lakeland, Tennessee
Lakeland is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and a suburb of Memphis. The population was 12,430 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Lakeland is located at ....
for dormitory housing, creating a campus for the institution. The faculty increased to twelve and programs increased to match student and faculty growth.
2003-2004
In the fall of 2003, Visible School increased again to seventy-nine first and second-year students, twenty faculty members, and added a School Board. Working towards institutional accreditation through TRACS, Visible School is nearing all of its original intended goals of one hundred new students per year, and programs in the arts to minister worldwide.In the Spring of 2003, faculty and staff decided to gain independent accreditation from Crichton College
Crichton College
Victory University, formerly Crichton College, is a private for-profit Christian, liberal arts college located in Memphis, Tennessee.Victory University is a four-year, coeducational institution owned by California-based Significant Education...
through TRACS. Throughout the summer of 2003, investigation into several arts accrediting bodies and various Christian accrediting bodies was completed. The decision to pursue TRACS recognition was made, and the school moved forward.
Contact with TRACS administration in early Fall 2003 culminated with Visible School being accepted as an applicant for accreditation
Accreditation
Accreditation is a process in which certification of competency, authority, or credibility is presented.Organizations that issue credentials or certify third parties against official standards are themselves formally accredited by accreditation bodies ; hence they are sometimes known as "accredited...
status with TRACS. Visible School’s objective of offering competent, personal, and professional courses of study for undergraduate students was one step closer to reality.
During Applicant status for accreditation
Accreditation
Accreditation is a process in which certification of competency, authority, or credibility is presented.Organizations that issue credentials or certify third parties against official standards are themselves formally accredited by accreditation bodies ; hence they are sometimes known as "accredited...
with TRACS, Visible School began the Self-Study documents, completing mid 2004 and hosting a visiting TRACS Evaluation Team in the early Fall of 2004. This Team gave a report with 27 recommendations and 32 suggestions for improvement to Visible School, as the institution sought accreditation
Accreditation
Accreditation is a process in which certification of competency, authority, or credibility is presented.Organizations that issue credentials or certify third parties against official standards are themselves formally accredited by accreditation bodies ; hence they are sometimes known as "accredited...
. As the President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
and Director of Academic Development stood in front of the Accreditation Commission with two months of prepared response to the recommendations and suggestions, the College received report from the TRACS Commission that the status of the College’s attempt to receive accreditation was “deferred
Deferral
Deferred, in accrual accounting, is any account where the asset or liability is not realized until a future date , e.g. annuities, charges, taxes, income, etc. The deferred item may be carried, dependent on type of deferral, as either an asset or liability...
” until April 2005. The staff and leadership of the college worked over the next six months to correct and amend the items that were in the Recommendations and Suggestions and received Candidate Status in the Fall of 2004.
2005-2006
In the summer of 2005 Visible School ended its relationship with Crichton CollegeCrichton College
Victory University, formerly Crichton College, is a private for-profit Christian, liberal arts college located in Memphis, Tennessee.Victory University is a four-year, coeducational institution owned by California-based Significant Education...
. Visible School, now able to receive Department of Education
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
(DOE) Authorization for Title IV
Title IV
Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 covers the administration of the United States federal student financial aid programs....
aid
Aid
In international relations, aid is a voluntary transfer of resources from one country to another, given at least partly with the objective of benefiting the recipient country....
, stood alone as a College for which students could get loans and aid directly. However, the Department of Education
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
denied the College the ability to obtain aid for its students due to low ratio scores financially. Expected enrollment of 100 became 65, with the course load of 35 students paying in cash and unsecured loans. Financially the budget shrank, and many of the faculty took part-time hours and pay cuts to balance.
In the winter of 2005-2006, a single donor stepped up to cover the costs of running the school for the remainder of the 2005-2006 academic year. Visible School was able to hire a full-time Librarian and continue offering full course loads to students as a result of the TRACS accreditation process. The faculty continued to receive training. Many assessment processes began, as the College matured in planning, executing, and assessing the results of student education.
The summer of 2006 saw an increase in enrollment and positive audited financial statements
Financial statements
A financial statement is a formal record of the financial activities of a business, person, or other entity. In British English—including United Kingdom company law—a financial statement is often referred to as an account, although the term financial statement is also used, particularly by...
, bringing 65 full-time students, and with tight financial restraint and budgeting, a successful enough year to receive DOE authorization for the spring term. This in turn, granted financial aid to all students in any economic situation.
2007 to 2011
In the spring of 2007, the student body number rose and the school focused on International Programs and Recording Projects, such as Visible Media Group; an artist development facet of Visible School, and VMI; a national and international week-long music training program. The Executive Council expanded to include all the Directors, including the new Director of Institutional Development. The College improved, with consolidated offices, technological updates, and reduced faculty workload. The focus of TRACS requirements link, coupled with the ongoing assessment and response with TRACS that had begun years before combined to give Visible School 70 new students.In February 2008, the student population rose again. With more fundraising and spending, the financial success of the school is beginning to materialize. A healthy student body and faculty relationship is the hallmark of Visible School, and that connection has returned and grown through the initiatives of the school over the 2007-2008 school year. Expecting 80 full-time students in a reduced number of courses and major programs, Visible School has had the most successful year of its history in 2008-2009, culminating in a decision by second Self-Study, a TRACS Self-Study Team visit, and a TRACS Commission decision to grant Accredited Status to the College in 2009.
Name Change
On April 7, 2011 Visible School announced its official name change to Visible Music College. “The decision to rebrand after 10 years wasn’t an easy one, but we are all excited with the new direction and feel that Visible Music College offers a straightforward name and a clearer picture of who we are,’” said founder and president Ken Steorts.Alumni
- Pete Eekhoff graduated in 2001, and played bass for the ChristianChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
rock bandRock BandRock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
Jonah 33.
- Krystal Mann graduated in 2001, and became a successful photographer based out of Nashville, TN.
- Marc Egles graduated in 2002. He got a certificate, and he and his wife Silvi joined Janz Team in GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
the following year as music missionaries.
- Aislynn Rappe graduated in 2002. She currently works at Ardent RecordsArdent RecordsArdent Records, often shortened to "Ardent," is a Memphis record label founded by John Fry in 1959. Ardent of the 1960s and 1970s featured pop music acts and was distributed by Stax Records from 1972 until 1975. It is best remembered today for Big Star, whose first two albums, released in 1972...
in Memphis, TennesseeMemphis, TennesseeMemphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, in label operations and A&RA&RArtists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
.
- Steven Glinski, the oldest student to graduate Visible School, at 45 years of age, did so in 2003 with a certificate in songwriting.
- Trevor Flynn and Heather Flynn (formerly Tuttle) attended the 2004-2005 academic year. They married and went on to work at Nexus Academy of Music in CoventryCoventryCoventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Trevor was the Live Sound Tutor and Heather was the Administrator.
- The ChristianChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
rock bandRock BandRock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
IliaIlia (band)Ilia is an all-girl, American group originating from Pine Bluff, Arkansas. The band consists of Melissa Newman , Jessica Frizzell , and Brittney Mosher . The band is named Ilia because the term means "God is Lord" in Hebrew.Ilia formed under the name Relentless Pursuit in 2003...
attended the 2005-2006 academic year, and then signed a management contract with Seth Holloway, and a booking contract with Bridge Street Artist Agency in Nashville.
- Sam Hancock attended the 2005-2006 academic year. He formed the Indie rock bandRock BandRock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
Luminate after moving to Tyler, Texas.
- Michael Mountford (Class of 2011) and Carter Baldwin (Class of 2008) currently live in Memphis, TN and love football.
The future
Visible School plans to build a brand new, state-of-the-art Urban Campus in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
in 2011. The school has received a 3 million-dollar matching grant to move the campus into Downtown Memphis. The new urban campus will be located in the renovated C&I Bank Building on 200 Madison Avenue, in Downtown Memphis.