Don Giovanni founder joins Drexel music industry staff alongside former Passion Pit bassist

Don Giovanni Records founder and Philly native Joe Steinhardt has joined the faculty at Philadelphia university Drexel‘s undergraduate Music Industry Program. He’ll be an Assistant Teaching Professor of courses in music marketing, the global music industry, and independent record labels, and he’ll also bring his experience to the school’s student-run label, Mad Dragon Records. Joe says, “Between growing up in Philly and working along graduates of the program in the industry, teaching at Drexel has been a dream of mine for quite some time. I look as much forward to learning from the students as I do to bringing my unique industry experience to the classroom, and I am excited to join such a great faculty.”

Joe joins a staff that also features Associate Program Director Jeff Apruzzese, who you may know as the bassist of Passion Pit from 2008-2014. Apruzzese says, “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Joe to Drexel. He brings a wealth of experience from the industry with his work with top level independent artists such as Screaming Females, Downtown Boys, and Weakened Friends. His expertise will be an incredible addition to the Music Industry Program.”

Joe will also be working alongside Marc Offenbach, a music industry marketing veteran who has worked with Bob Dylan, Adele, MGMT, and many others, who is the current director of Mad Dragon Records. The previous director was Jade Tree co-founder Darren Walters, who was also an Associate Teaching Professor, but who is no longer at Drexel.

Mad Dragon Records was in the news earlier this year when it helped unearth a long lost record by The Nat Turner Rebellion, a band that featured Joseph Jefferson who went on to write hits for The Spinners in the 1970s.

Don Giovanni Records continues to stay very active and recently announced a new Screaming Females compilation and a new Moor Mother album.