Scott Durbin
Having joined the music faculty of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2015, Scott Durbin brings a history of accomplishment, work experiences in the music and entertainment industries, and background as an educator in public and private sectors to his position as Assistant Professor and Coordinator for the Music Business program.
Best known as the Imagination Movers founder, Scott collaborated with his bandmates to bring a music-based idea from concept to global brand, exemplified by the award-winning, eponymous television series seen on the Disney Channel. As a co-executive producer and principal actor of over 75 episodes, Durbin also co-wrote the music heard on the show, receiving an Emmy award for Outstanding Original Song in Children's and Animation from the National Academy for Television Arts and Sciences. With over 250 original compositions under his belt, including song licenses to The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Showtime's Work in Progress, and The Today Show, Scott continues to write and publish music, having received multiple ASCAP Plus Awards and national songwriting honors. Scott's credits include a co-authored Movers songbook for piano/vocal/guitar through Hal Leonard Corp.
Selected television interviews and performances encompass Marketplace, Good Morning America, The View, NY1, Breakfast Television – Canada, ABC News Now, and radio interviews and performances on NPR's "American Routes," "Morning Edition," SiriusXM, and Radio Disney. Scott also performed for two presidential administrations (Bush & Obama), graced the cover of Pollstar, and today, tours nationally and internationally. Notable concert appearances include Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits Music Festival, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and Festival International de Louisiane.
From a 'Do It Yourself' beginning to negotiating recording and television contracts with Disney and Razor & Tie (now under Concord Music), Scott's range of experiences include publishing and writing deals, planning large-scale tours, managing sponsorship deals (American Express, Sony, Chick-fil-A, BlueCross BlueShield), dealing with publicists and artist management firms (The Collective and Red Light Management), and partnering with major merchandising companies (FEA and Bravado). As an academic practitioner, Scott draws upon his real-world experience, networking, and empirical knowledge within an ever-changing music industry to provide his students with a dynamic educational foundation for success in the music industry.
In recognition of his academic contributions, Scott was awarded the Drs. Chuck and Sue Lein/BORSF Endowed Professorship in Music Management/Business. His dedication to the College of Arts was further acknowledged with the Rising Star Award, and he was honored with the Eminent Faculty Award for Service Leadership. Scott's commitment to education is also evident in his role as a Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) Educator Ambassador, where he shares his industry insights and experiences with aspiring music professionals.
Scott received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Centenary College of Louisiana and later earned a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He continues to work with the Imagination Movers, which can be seen on the Disney Plus streaming network. Their music is also available on all streaming platforms.