ENTREPRENEURIAL UPBEAT: Vol. 5, No. 6
Sooner or later we鈥檒l all have to deal with a contract 鈥 either as an artist being contracted to perform, compose, or write, or as a presenter hiring artists for your venture. Come learn about how contracts are put together and important points to look for (or avoid) from two folks who know the contracts biz first-hand.
This Wednesday, 5:00-6:30, C-113
As always, free pizza and soda. And CONVO available this week!
听
ARTICLES OF THE WEEK:
鈥⑻Kickstarter Expects to give more money to the arts than the NEA.听(Is that an awesome commentary on Kickstarter or a lame commentary on the level of funding from the NEA? Maybe both??)
鈥⑻ A Far Cry rocks harder than your favorite rock band.听(Caution for strong language)
Opus Zero, launched in 2009 by doctoral piano student Owen Zhou, provides on-location recording services for musicians in the greater Boulder area. With so many recitals and concerts happening in the Boulder area, Owen saw a need for recording services tailored to the needs of musicians and informed by his own knowledge and experience as a performer. Opus Zero also provides other audio services such as recording salvaging and vinyl-to-CD transfers. Owen is a great example of simply seeing a need and going for it; sometimes entrepreneurship really is as simple as that!
Thanks to Margaret Romero for assembling 鈥淓ntrepreneurial Success Stories.鈥 Have a story of your own? Contact the ECM and tell us about it!
ENTREPRENEURIAL THOUGHT OF THE WEEK:
Astrid Baumgardner & Lessons from Four Musician-Entrepreneurs
Astrid Baumgardner is a consultant and career coach who has become interested in the specific field of the arts and artist-entrepreneurs. If you鈥檙e not familiar with her Blog, you should check it out (http://astridbaumgardner.com/). She conducted a panel discussion with four musician entrepreneurs, and I鈥檓 going to highlight each question (and occasionally expand on the commentary) for the next few weeks. Come along and follow the paths of these artists as they share their wisdom!
The panel included:
Timo Andres: pianist/composer with a hit CD and an active freelance career as a pianist and composer;
Tina Hadari听(a CU ALUM): violinist, member of the Haven String Quartet and founder of听Music Haven听a non-profit in New Haven that provides tuition-free string instruction to underprivileged youth;
Paul Murphy: free-lance trumpeter and teaching artist with the NYPhilharmonic; and
Sam Quintal: violist and member of the听Jasper String Quartet.
This wonderful group of artists showed my students that it is indeed possible to make one鈥檚 way in the world as a musician and that there are many different paths to creating career success.听 Here are some of the top lessons that I gleaned from their remarks which center on the themes of knowing your mission and purpose, proactively creating your own opportunities and making your luck happen, nurturing relationships, taking risks, maintaining high standards and working hard at your career development.
Know Your Purpose and Mission
All four of our panelists started off with an idea of what they wanted to do. In fact, one of them stressed the importance of giving yourself time to think about why you want to do this work.听听 Indeed, I spent the first two sessions of my class helping my students think about what entrepreneurship meant to them听and [to] define their own vision of success, together with their values, strengths and passions, so that they were clearer on what was important to them about a music career.
Closely tied to this inquiry is feeling a sense of mission around your work as a musician.听 For Tina, who founded a non-profit, music is the vehicle for a higher purpose of using the string quartet to build a vibrant urban community through performance and music education that empowers young people, their families, and professional musicians.
For Sam, it was doing what gives you joy and playing incredibly beautiful music with his fellow quartet members. Timo has carved out a niche as a new music composer and pianist because he felt that this was what he had to offer. Paul was engaged by drawing people into music and thus is passionate about his work as a teaching artist and performer.听
In short, these artists were able to听combine their sense of mission with their passions and their affinities for doing what they were good at.
So how about you?听Where are the intersections between your passions and your abilities? It鈥檚 in those intersections where opportunities await!
听
The Video of the Week!
Clearly The Piano Guys have some serious money behind them to produce the videos they produce鈥
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cgovv8jWETM&feature=related
Okay guys, I鈥檓 running low on videos again: KEEP 鈥楨M COMING! J
听
The Entrepreneurship Center for Music 鈥⑻Jeffrey Nytch, DMA, Director
Email:听jeff.nytch@colorado.edu听听鈥⑻齇ffice Hours: T/Th: 9-11 a.m.听 W: 2-4 p.m.听鈥 or by appointment
Entrepreneurship Wednesdays: 5-6:30 p.m., C-113听 鈥⑻ Follow us on听Facebook
This just came in, but there鈥檚 still time if you act quickly:
COLORADO MUSIC FESTIVAL & ROCKY MOUNTAIN CENTER FOR MUSICAL ARTS听seeks anOrchestra Personnel Manager for the Summer Festival.听See the ECM Board for details or Email Dr. Nytch for a full job description & submission instructions.听Deadline is Feb. 29.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY听to participate in a听benefit concert for 鈥淭each for America鈥听in April. Organizers are looking for a few different musical groups to volunteer their talents. The benefit will be on campus in Flemming 155 on either Friday, April 13th or Saturday, April 20th in the evening (the date will be finalized shortly). 听Although this event does not pay, participants are invited to eat at the meal. 听There is no piano available, but there is sound equipment. 听This is a great opportunity for chamber groups and soloists to get some performance experience while helping out a very worthy cause. 听Anyone who is interested should contact Andrew Marshall at听Andrew.Marshall-1@colorado.edu. 听
ARS NOVA SINGERS听is also seeking an Intern to assist with administrative and operational duties, flexible depending on the gifts and interests of the applicant. Contact Executive Director Chip Ross for more information:chip@arsnovasingers.com
Join听CLASSICAL MUSIC CITY, the social network for classical musicians, and get a listing in their听music teacher directory听for free. Lots of other stuff to check out here, too:听http://www.classicalmusiccity.com/
THE INTERACTIVE THEATRE PROJECT听is seeking a graduate student to be an听Assistant Director.听ITP uses theater to address social justice issues on campus and in the community. Minimum Qualifications: Bachelors degree and enrollment in a graduate program (theater, sociology, education or related field). Background and understand of diversity/multiculturalism and/or social justice. Experience working with undergraduate students. Availability for ensemble rehearsals on Tuesdays from 5 to 7pm. To apply, send a resume and cover letter to:听trenton.norman@colorado.edu听or听rebecca.brown@colorado.edu
ROAD OF CREATIVITY听announces its first听Summer Retreat听on becoming a musician entrepreneur June 3-9. The retreat is a five-day immersion into the fundamentals of music entrepreneurship. Participants will engage in innovative training sessions with groups such as Alarm Will Sound, and will expose skills and attitudes imperative for success in today鈥檚 music world.听
LONGMONT YOUTH SYMPHONY听seeks听 candidates for a听part-time Administrator听to help 听us sustain and grow our organization. The Administrator reports to the LYS Board of Directors and works closely with the board and volunteers. 听Responsibilities include organizing and participating in all 听aspects of the LYS operations, managing LYS听resources, coordinating and communicating with key stakeholders (students, parents, volunteers and music听directors). 听 The Administrator serves as the main contact for the LYS and as the 鈥済o-to鈥 person for LYS parents.听To apply, please e-mail cover letter, resume and references to:听听info@longmontyouthsymphony.org
C4C GIGS AVAILABLE!听听The C4C is continuing their special 鈥淔ood Weeks鈥 that feature different cuisines from around the world. They鈥檙e interested in having CU musicians play for the dinner hour on selected nights, in return for a modest honorarium and free dinner for all involved. A fun and tasty opportunity to perform in a relaxed setting, for solo performers up to a group of 4 players. World music performers and works featuring Latin, Asian, or Middle Eastern influence encouraged! Contact CU GIGS Coordinator Nathan Hall for more information:musicref@colorado.edu.