ENTREPRENEURIAL UPBEAT: Vol. 4, No. 11
5:00-6:30 in C-113. As always, Free Pizza & Drinks!
THE NEW VENTURE CHALLENGE IS HERE:泭One week until Pitch Night
The New Venture Challenge Music Track will receive entries in the areas of musical performance, education, technology, outreach and advocacy. Compete for the $3,000 Music Prize, as well as nearly $10,000 in other prizes through the university-wide competition. Pitch Night is an opportunity to make a very brief (under 1 minute) capsulation of your idea and get feedback from a panel of accomplished entrepreneurs. Its fun, informative, and a great way to jump into the NVC waters! Also, its a chance to find fellow students who might be able to join your team, and to network with potential mentors.泭(Note: if you cant make pitch night, you can still participate: there are no MUSTs with the NVC until it comes time to actually submit your plan! But this is a great way to get started and begin to take advantage of the many resources available to you.)
If youre thinking of entering the NVC, please come see me so we can get you connected with a mentor and begin the process of putting your plan together!
PITCH NIGHT: Tuesday, Nov. 8, 5:30 in the Wolf Law Building Courtroom.
Spring ECM Courses:
The Entrepreneurial Musician (TMUS 4493) returns!泭After great feedback last year, this introduction to the principles of entrepreneurship and how it applies to music and the arts is back. 泭Team-taught with entrepreneurship scholar Frank Moyes and ECM Director Nytch. Note: see Amy Larsen for the TMUS registration form; you wont find this online. (Tues/Thurs 9:30-10:45am 3 credits)
Community Performances (MUS 4958):泭Learn to program music for a variety of audiences, gain confidence speaking about your work, and gain the skills needed to put on a concert from A to Z. Your final project is to actually present a concert at a local venue of your choosing. A great way to test out your recital rep. or get an additional performance of it! (Mon/Wed 10:00-10:50am 2 credits)
Principles of Business for Entrepreneurs (ESBM 3200).泭Gives students a basic understanding of the business principles required to launch and sustain an entrepreneurial venture. Intended for non-business majors.泭 (Tues/Thurs 11:00am-12:15pm泭or泭3:30-4:45pm -3 credits)
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Articles of the Week
十泭泭 Houston Grand Opera takes engagement directly to neighborhoods:泭
十泭泭 Do we let audiences choose our programs?泭This is a controversial idea, and Im neither for nor against it. What do泭you泭think?泭
十泭泭 Testing Career Options泭Another terrific blog entry from Astrid Baumgardner on trying to discern ones career path:泭
Entrepreneurial Thought of the Week:泭Self-evaluation comes first
As promised, were starting a new series this week in honor of the New Venture Challenge, a series that should just about take us through the end of the semester. Well be reviewing each step in the entrepreneurial process in some detail:
1. What do I/we [i.e, your group or organization] have to offer?
2. What needs are there in the marketplace that I can address?
3. What is a creative solution to meet that need?
4. Is my solution financially and logistically feasible?
5. How shall I implement my solution?
6. Deliver with an unwavering commitment to excellence.
Lets start with Step One! And it involves a bit of self-evaluation and reflection; before anyone can decide how best to accomplish their objectives whether it be to simply adopt a more entrepreneurial approach to their performing career or launching a full-scale entrepreneurial enterprise they have to have a firm idea of what they bring to the table. Lets break that down a bit.
For starters, look at the individual gifts of you and your other team members (if present). What are the main musical skills you have? What about secondary musical skills? What泭non-musical泭skills do you possess (are you proficient in a foreign language, a whiz with computer programming, or a gifted graphic designer)? And what special, unique skills do you possess? (This can sometimes be a particular combination of skills that is unusual or particularly useful: you have equal proficiency as a jazz and a classical player, or abundant experience as a triathelete and an organic farmer.) Lastly, what skills would you like to develop more? (Perhaps youre a composer who would like to have better conducting chops, or a singer who would like to study more acting.)
A skills assessment is just the beginning, though. The next step is to think about the things that youre really passionate about not just within music, but within your life overall. If youre a team of more than person, think about where your passions intersect and overlap, and how together you make something greater than the sum of your individual parts. Whether you be a solo entrepreneurial artist or looking to form a venture, its often in thecombinations泭of skills and passions that interesting possibilities emerge. Once you have a clear idea of what you have to bring to the table, only then can you begin to think about creative ways to apply those things to meaningful ends.
The Video of the Week!
FAO Schwartz Foot Fugue!泭
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The Entrepreneurship Center for Music 十Jeffrey Nytch, DMA, Director
Email:泭jeff.nytch@colorado.edu泭十泭Office Hours: T/Th: 9-11 a.m.泭 W: 2-4 p.m.泭 or by appointment
Entrepreneurship Wednesdays: 5-6:30 p.m., C-113
Follow us on泭
DR. NOIZE INC.泭expanding again and hiring a full time泭Education Outreach Director!泭Are you passionate about inspiring and educating kids? Do you think teachers are the coolest adults in the world?泭Wanna make a difference?泭Then join our Band. Email泭brian@doctornoize.com泭(a former teacher himself) with your interest. Youll help us accomplish our Mission Statement:泭Doctor Noize inspires creativity, curiosity and character through music, art and words.泭In the next 18 months, were releasing a dazzling array of multimedia products and curriculums aimed to do just that.泭Our enhanced commitment to education reflects both the former schoolteacher in me and the big dreams of my wonderful partners at泭Dream Cortex.泭Youll be offering amazing fundraising deals, curriculums and opportunities to teachers and schools across the country to enrich the creative experiences of their students.泭We view teachers as our peers and partners here at泭Doctor Noize Inc., and your main job is to communicate that to them. Experience in education and sales are a plus, but the only essential trait for this and any other job with us is that you are scrappy and passionate, take full ownership of your roles and results, and are super fun to work with. If youre nice, well let you meet our泭bass playing hippo.泭(Warning: He might hit on you.)
EL SISTEMA COLORADO, a new venture in Denver, is seeking泭teaching artists泭and泭beginning strings specialists泭to begin Jan. 9th, 2012. Deadline for applications is Nov. 4th. See the ECM bulletin board for more information.
C4C GIGS AVAILABLE!泭泭The C4C is now sponsoring special Food Weeks that feature different cuisines from around the world. Theyre interested in having CU musicians play for the dinner hour on selected nights, and theyre paying $100 plus dinner. A fun and tasty opportunity to test out some repertoire in a relaxed setting. Contact CU GIGS Coordinator Nathan Hall to sign up:泭nathanalanhall@gmail.com
INTERNSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR THE SPRING泭SEMESTER:泭As you start thinking about your spring schedule, consider doing in internship at a local music business or non-profit. We have a wide range of internship opportunities that can be great learning experiences and valuable additions to your resume. Internships can be done for academic or not, and the choice is pretty much up to you. Stop by the ECM Office for more information! For instance, heres two to check out right away:
INTERNSHIP at PARLANDO SCHOOL OF THE ARTS泭Parlando is looking for an intern who can work in the Development/Fundraising area of one of Boulders leading community music schools. Hours flexible, but 10 hrs/week is a minimum. Available for academic credit. For more information, contact Travis LaBerge, Executive Director:泭labergemusic@gmail.com
COLORADO MUSIC FESTIVAL泭is looking for a Developing & Marketing intern for the Spring semester. For more information, contact Brandi Numedahl, Marketing Director:泭numedahl@coloradomusicfest.org