The Entrepreneurial Musician: Spring 2017 Course Materials
Syllabus
Assignments
- Questionnaire
- Reflection #1: Change
- Reflection #2: A World Without the Music Business
- Reflection #3: Observing the Pain Points
- Reflection #4: Describe an Idea
- Informational Interview Email
- Final Project: Informal Proposal
- Draft application for an EM Grant
- Time and Money
- Artist Statement
- Final Project Assignment
- Final Reflection
Readings and Class Materials
Week 1: Introduction to the Entrepreneurial Musician
Week 2: Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship
Required Readings:
- Andrew Simonet, "Chapter 1: The Role of the Artist” from Making Your Life as an Artist (pages 1-35, see link above)
- Rebecca Solnit, “Foreword to the Third Edition: Grounds for Hope” (pages xi-xxvi) and “Looking into Darkness” (pages 1-5) from Hope in the Dark (2016).
- Ashoka U Student Kit, “First Things First: What is Social Entrepreneurship” (page 5) and “Going Deeper: Understanding Social Entrepreneurs” (page 9). Skim through pages 5-9 and click on the links for programs and problems that interest you.
Optional Readings:
- David Bornstein and Susan Davis, “Introduction” (pages xvii-xxii) “Defining Social Entrepreneurship” (pages 1-47) from Social Entrepreneurship: What Everyone Needs to Know (2010).
Handouts:
- Critique Sentence Starters
- Sketching an Entrepreneurial Model
- Case Studies in Entrepreneurship
- Week 2 Slides
Week 3: Introduction to Design Thinking
Required Readings:
- IDEO Field Guide to Human-Centered Design, "Introduction" and "Mindsets" (pages 9-25), IDEO (2015).
- Stanford d.School, Bootcamp Bootleg, "Modes: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test" (pages 4-8)
Supplementary Readings and Media:
- Andrew Simonet, "Our Punishing Lives" and "Our Skills" from Making Your Life as an Artist (pages 37-91).
- Brene Brown, "Chapter 1: Scarcity" and "Chapter 6: Disruptive Engagement" from Daring Greatly (2012).
- Video: Sir Ken Robinson, "Changing Educational Paradigms" RSA Animate
- Video: George Land, "The Failure of Success" (TEDxTucson)
- Annie Phillips: website
- Slides from Annie Phillips' Presentation
Week 4: Design Challenge: NEC
No required readings
Week 5: Introduction to the Final Project
Required Readings
- William Deresiewicz, "The Death of the Artist - and the Birth of the Creative Entrepreneur", The Atlantic (2015)
- Artspire: The Profitable Artist, Chapter 18: “Networking”.
- Michael Cooper: "For Orchestras in the U.S., So Much Depends on Their Communities' Fortunes" New York Times, 1 October 2015. PDF here.
Supplementary Materials
- Harvard Law School: "Sample Networking Emails and Thank You Notes"
- Ramit Sethi, "9 Word-for-Word Scripts for Getting in Touch with Busy People"
- "Goodbye Jobs, Hello 'Gigs': How One Word Sums up a New Economic Reality", NPR Fresh Air, 11 January 2016.
- Adaptistration, a blog on orchestras by arts consultant Drew McManus
Week 6: Individual and Organizational Grants
Readings:
- EM Grants Website and Project Profiles
- EM Grant Guide for Submitting a Successful Application
- E-Grant Budget Template
- David Cutler, "Funding Your Dreams" from The Savvy Musician (2010)
Week 7: Money
Readings:
- Andrew Simonet, “Money” (pages 132-157) from Making Your Life as an Artist.
- Neil Gabler, "The Secret Shame of Middle-Class Americans", The Atlantic, May 2016.
Additional Media and Handouts
- Sample Personal Budget
- David Cutler, Chapter 8, "Personal Finance for Musicians" from The Savvy Musician" (2010)
- Scan Pages 1-20 of John Armstrong, "How to Worry Less About Money", PDF on Google Drive. (Read more, if you enjoy his perspective).
- Handout: Upcoming dates and deadlines
- Slides from class lecture
Resources
- Andrew Simonet, Making Your Life As an Artist (open source eBook from artistsu.org)
- EM Department handouts on many areas of career development (Dropbox folder)
Additional Readings and Class Media
- Gunther Schuller, "The Compleat Musician", speech delivered at NEC (1967)
- David Cutler, "Introduction" and "Chapter 1: The Entrepreneurial Mindset" from The Savvy Musician (2010)
- Robert Freeman, "Advice for Collegiate Music Students: How to Best Fulfill Your Dream" from The Crisis of Classical Music in America (2014)
- Christopher Small, "Prelude" from Musicking (1998)
- William Deresiewicz, "The Death of the Artist - and the Birth of the Creative Entrepreneur", The Atlantic (2015)
- Sir Ken Robinson, "Changing Educational Paradigms" RSA Animate
- Adrienne Rich, "Claiming an Education": speech delivered at Douglass College, 1977
- Fred Rogers, Commencement Speech, Marquette College (2001)
- David Cutler, "Chapter 7: Extraordinary People Skills" from The Savvy Musician (2010)
- NEC EM Handout, "Audience Development"
- NEC EM Handout, "Public Speaking"
- Harvard Law School: "Sample Networking Emails and Thank You Notes"
- David Cutler, Chapters 9 and 10: "Nice Work if You Can Get It, Part 1 and Part 2" from The Savvy Musician" (2010)
- Future of Music Coalition: Artist Revenue Streams Project, Financial Case Studies
- AFM Local 802, Single Engagement Scales
- Local 802 AFM Forms, Scales and Agreements
- Boston Musicians Association: Union Scales (PDF)
- John Armstrong, "How to Worry Less About Money", PDF on Google Drive.
- David Cutler, Chapter 8, "Personal Finance for Musicians" from The Savvy Musician" (2010)
- David Cutler, Appendix A: "Opportunity Brainstorm" from The Savvy Musician (2010)
- Help Guides on YNAB.com
- Brianna McGurran, "Student loan forgiveness might be a ticket out of debt," Christian Science Monitor (2015)
- Courtney Martin, “The Reductive Seduction of Other Peoples’ Problems” Medium (2015)
- Patrick Kabanda, “The creative wealth of nations: How the performing arts can advance development and human progress” World Bank Report (2014)
- Maxine Greene, "Introduction" from Releasing the Imagination: Essays on Education, the Arts and Social Change (1995)
Slides from Weekly Lectures
A Collection of Links from Past Semesters
- NEC's Department of Entrepreneurial Musicianship
- Maria Finklemeier, Kadence Arts
- Sir Ken Robinson, "Changing Educational Paradigms" RSA Animate
- Adrienne Rich, "Claiming an Education": speech delivered at Douglass College, 1977
- Daniel Pink, "Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us" RSA Animate
- PBS NewsHour, "Performing Artists Compete, Move, Adapt in Tough Economy", 2013
- Jackie Battenfield, "The Artist’s Guide: How to Make a Living Doing What You Love" Chapter 2, pages 46-61: “Tool #2: The Artist Statement”
- Artspire: The Profitable Artist, Chapter 18: “Networking”.
- Jackie Battenfield, "The Artist’s Guide: How to Make a Living Doing What You Love" Chapter 6, "How to Earn and Manage Money"
- You Need a Budget, "Four Rules"
- AFM Local 802, Single Engagement Scales
- Maria Finklemeier's website (check out the "Improv a Day" instagram)
- I Care if You Listen: "10 Things to Consider When You're Submitting an Album for Review"
- MailChimp: Email list management tool
- Buffer's social media blog with helpful tips on formatting for online media
- NEC's EM Grants Program -- browse website/description plus several past winners' profiles (links in the bottom of the page)
- "Performing Artists Compete, Move, Adapt in Tough Economy", PBS NewsHour, aired June 27, 2013.
- Maria Finklemeier, Kadence Arts
- Daniel Wakin, "Freelance Musicians Hear Mournful Coda as Jobs Dry Up", New York Times, December 3, 2010. (article on NYT website and multimedia feature on NYT website)
- Andy Horowitz, "The Untenable Economics of Dancing", Culturebot
- New England Foundation for the Arts, New England's Creative Economy: Nonprofit Sector Impact (2011)
- Fred Rogers, Commencement Speech, Marquette College (2001)
- Pianist Andre Watts on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (1987)
- CNN: Traveling piano man finds dream performing in the streets (video)
- John Armstrong, "How to Worry Less About Money", PDF on Google Drive.
- New York City: Subsidized housing for artists (Actors Fund, website)
- Boston: ArtistSpace Boston, Affordable housing for artists (Boston Redevelopment Authority, website)
- Student Loan Borrower Assistance (website)
- Boston Musicians Association: Union Scales (PDF)
- The 1% More Savings Calculator (New York Times interactive graphic)
- Financial Priorities in Your Twenties (handout)
- Sample annual budget (Excel)
- No fuss guide to personal finances (handout)
- Creative Capital Blog: How to Raise Funds for Your Socially Engaged Project Part 1 and Part 2
- Allant Trio: "Give Me Phoenix Wings to Fly" Kickstarter Campaign
- Aaron Dunn: "Set Chopin Free" Kickstarter Campaign
- Kimball Gallagher: "Classical Piano Concert in Antarctica" Kickstarter Campaign
- Garth Stevenson: Double bass in Antarctica
- Fractured Atlas - a fiscal sponsorship organization
- How to Raise Funds for Your Socially Engaged Project - Creative Capital blog
- Sample Networking Emails and Thank You Notes, Harvard Law School
- Kimball Gallagher: 88 Concert Tour brochure
- NEC: EM Annual Report graphic
- Local 802 AFM Forms, Scales and Agreements
- NPR: Krista Tippet interviews Seth Godin
- Seth Godin: Four Questions Worth Answering
- PR Handout with sample bios, press releases and more
- David Cutler, Appendix A: "Opportunity Brainstorm" from The Savvy Musician (2010)
Assignments from Past Classes