Carino: Monmouth's music man not your average professor

WEST LONG BRANCH – From the start, it was clear that Joe Rapolla was a different kind of professor.

Instead of opening the course by distributing a syllabus or even introducing himself, he broke out a guitar and started singing.

"A long, long time ago, I can still remember how that music used to make me smile."

Rapolla performed an acoustic version of Don McLean's classic ballad "American Pie." Suffice it to say he had the students' full attention.

"That was definitely something we didn't expect," Monmouth University senior Mike Burke recalled. "We do have professors in the (music) department who are musicians and songwriters. But they approach things in more of an academic sense, whereas Joe came in and approached it in a real-world, casual sense."

In the two years since he pivoted from a successful career in the music industry to become chair of Monmouth's music department, Rapolla has changed the tune on campus. He conceptualized and launched Blue Hawk Records, a record label run top to bottom by his students. Last week they released their fourth album, a five-song compilation that bears the hallmarks of a quality professional production.

"He has put the Monmouth music industry program on the map (and high in a Google search)," Monmouth School of Humanities dean Stan Green wrote in an email. "Blue Hawk Records is nationally and internationally known. And BHR is but one of the brilliant outcomes of Joe's great work."

To help students, Rapolla draws on his litany of fascinating experiences: image consulting with Michael Jackson, singing with Bruce Springsteen, promotional work at Sting's estate in Tuscany.

The walls of his office tell the story: A gold record for his work on the smash-hit "NOW" series, a photo of him performing with Springsteen in Asbury Park a few years ago (Rapolla sang 'Thunder Road' and 'The Promised Land' with the Boss), and a group shot of the Blue Hawk Records staff.

"It's just worked out so well," Rapolla said of his latest venture. "The students have been so engaged. They've completely absorbed themselves in it. The university loves the fact that we have this hands-on, practical experience."

Challenge accepted

The 51-year-old Rapolla is a Monmouth County lifer. By age 6 he had lost both parents, so he was raised by older brother Danny. He attended college at Seton Hall and Kean, and eventually got his MBA at Monmouth.

Over time he became the consummate music industry insider: singer, songwriter, marketing strategist, brand consultant, goodwill ambassador. He started teaching courses at Brookdale Community College as an adjunct professor, then met Green during a Springsteen conference at Monmouth three years ago.

"The dean came up to me and said, 'Would you take a look at our music industry program?' " Rapolla said. "I said, 'Well, you have a problem with it already. Here I am, an alum of the university, a musician all my life, I live 10 minutes away (in Oceanport), and I didn't know you had a music industry program.'"

Rapolla accepted the challenge. He found a core of hungry students who already had formed an alliance to promote and play shows. The spark was there. Someone had to light it.

"I said, 'how about if we add a little meat to this and start a record label?' " Rapolla said. "Of course eyes widened and mouths opened and they were very excited about that."

Rapolla partnered with Lakehouse Recording Studios in Asbury Park, hiring head engineer Erik Romero as an adjunct professor and providing a ready-made pool of interns. Blue Hawk Records was formed in the spring of 2013. Unique in New Jersey, it's a co-curricular club involving 120 students.

"I love it," said Jessica Leigh, a senior who transferred in from Brookdale. "It's a huge part of why I decided to go Monmouth."

The guiding force

Leigh wrote and sang the second track on the fall 2014 compilation. Titled "Ain't No Fool," it's about "my ex, who I found out was kind of cheating on me," she said.

"I feel like I've grown a lot as a songwriter," she said. "I need to get better at promotion, branding yourself. That's the thing I've learned a lot about this past semester."

Rapolla does his best to spread the word, from garnering international gigs (Blue Hawk toured Italy) to getting their work on iTunes.

"He's like the guiding force," Leigh said. "He'll say, 'This needs to get done, so who wants to do it?' But he also steps back and lets the students make the final decision."

The music industry has taken notice. Blue Hawk Records is becoming a pipeline to internships in the field.

"You are taken aback at times, like, 'Wow, this is something we've been able to accomplish," said Burke, Blue Hawk's founding president. "You see some other universities with record labels, but they're established ones that kids roll into. We're able to say we're the people who made this at the university."

Rapolla is proud of what they've accomplished, but he doesn't have much time for reflection. In between teaching and mentoring he's still performing.

On Saturday he responded to a reporter's late-afternoon voicemail with a text message sent at 1:23 a.m. Why so late? He had just finished jamming with Gary "U.S." Bonds and Southside Johnny at McLoone's in Asbury Park.

"It was a blast," he said.

Not your average professor, indeed.