Purdue Fort Wayne Unveils $25 Million Surack-Sweetwater Music Industry Building

On Tuesday, Purdue University Fort Wayne celebrated the ribbon‑cutting of its new Surack‑Sweetwater Music Industry Building, a 26,000‑square‑foot facility that will serve as the hub for the university’s expanding music technology and industry programs. The building, which cost $25 million, was funded in part by a $6 million donation from Sweetwater Sound founder Chuck Surack and his wife Lisa, and a $15 million allocation from the Indiana General Assembly.

The Surack‑Sweetwater building is linked to the existing Music Center by a second‑floor skybridge that connects the new space to the main campus. According to the university’s press release, the facility will provide students with professional‑grade recording studios, editing suites, an audio lab and rehearsal rooms. The design emphasizes a workflow that mirrors contemporary music‑industry operations, giving students hands‑on experience with the tools and technology used by record labels, publishers and streaming platforms.

Purdue Fort Wayne’s new majors—Bachelor of Science in Music Industry and Bachelor of Science in Music Technology—will be housed in the building. The university’s College of Visual and Performing Arts dean, Elisabeth Honn Hoegberg, said the center “gives our students the opportunity to learn, create, and collaborate in an environment that reflects today’s music industry.” She added that the experience will prepare graduates for careers in Fort Wayne’s growing music community and beyond.

Chuck Surack, who grew Sweetwater from a small online retailer into the largest U.S. distributor of musical instruments and pro‑audio equipment, expressed pride in the project. In a statement released with the ribbon‑cutting, Surack said, “Lisa and I have always believed in the talent and potential of these students, and we’re proud to support a place that will help them turn their passion for music into meaningful careers.” The statement highlighted the partnership between Sweetwater and Purdue Fort Wayne as a model for industry‑university collaboration.

The building will also host Gold Top Music Group, a student‑run record label that will operate from the center. The label will provide a real‑world platform for students to produce, distribute and market music, giving them exposure to the business side of the industry. The university’s release noted that the label’s presence will complement the academic curriculum and create additional networking opportunities with local and national music professionals.

The Surack‑Sweetwater Music Industry Building is part of a broader investment in Purdue Fort Wayne’s creative arts infrastructure, which also includes the recently opened Trace student housing complex. The new music center is expected to attract students from across Indiana and the Midwest, and to strengthen the university’s reputation as a leader in music‑industry education.

As the building opens, Purdue Fort Wayne will begin offering courses that take advantage of the new facilities, and the university plans to schedule a series of workshops and industry panels in the coming semester. The center’s opening marks a significant milestone for the university’s music programs and underscores the growing partnership between higher education and the professional music sector.

The Surack‑Sweetwater Music Industry Building is now fully operational, and students, faculty and industry partners are beginning to use the state‑of‑the‑art spaces to develop the next generation of music‑industry professionals.