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“When choosing a music school, students should ask: ‘What will you do to help me become a successful professional?’” says David Cutler, author of the book The Savvy Musician and professor of Music Entrepreneurship at the University of South Carolina. In the absence of an answer substantiating the school’s entrepreneurial values and course offerings, “look for a different program,” he adds.
Building a sustainable, thriving career in classical music is a challenging pursuit. Research conducted in Germany, Australia, the U.K., and Denmark shows that while a large portion of professional musicians find work through self-employment, most musicians hold a secondary occupation. The reality of the field is that many musicians have portfolio careers: earning multiple income streams through different types of employment requiring a variety of entrepreneurial skills.
David Cutler
“Music schools did a great job of training excellent performers, composers, and educators, while neglecting professional skills such as career development, entrepreneurship, creative problem-solving, or community engagement”, says Cutler. “Many aspiring musicians not only aim for excellence in playing, but also desire a viable career path. There’s a need to bridge the gap and provide education on multiple levels.”
Fortunately, there has been a lot of evolution over the past 15 years, and music programs are a lot more committed to providing training in business and entrepreneurship than they used to be, says Prof. Cutler. To assist music students’ search for the right undergraduate and graduate program, we have selected a list of six U.S. schools which offer combined curricula in music and business education.
Located in the state capital Columbia, the School of Music of the University of South Carolina (USC) boasts the nation’s first minor in Music Entrepreneurship. The program espouses a fluid approach to entrepreneurship as a combination of creativity, proactivity, innovation, and informed decision-making.
Core courses, including music/arts entrepreneurship, music and money, and a capstone project, are combined with a long menu of electives, says Cutler, Director of Music Entrepreneurship at USC. Some delve into specific career models such as becoming a 21st-century performer, college teacher, or independent educator, while others address issues economics, management, marketing, business principles, and entertainment law.
“We have worked to cultivate an entrepreneurial culture across the entire School of Music. Emphasizing perspectives like innovation, practical career needs, and community impact, these lessons are just as likely to emerge from applied lesson, ensembles, or academic classes” he explains.
Another publicly funded institution, the University of Colorado Boulder College of Music hosts the Entrepreneurship Centre for Music (ECM) which provides fundamental business training at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Led by Prof. Jeffrey Nytch, author of The Entrepreneurial Muse, the ECM is the first arts entrepreneurship centre in the U.S.
Jeffrey Nytch
“The aim of the Entrepreneurship Certificate is to give undergraduates a set of tools they can use wherever they go,” says Nytch. “The Graduate Certificate in Arts Administration is more focused. It’s designed for students who want to manage non-profit arts organizations, either as part of a portfolio career or as their main career path.”
Undergraduate music majors may complete a Certificate in Music Entrepreneurship, which includes a business minor at the Leeds School of Business and courses such as Building Your Music Career (mandatory for all performance majors) and The Entrepreneurial Artist, leading up to a final Capstone project. “
My approach to teaching entrepreneurship focuses on the fact that the world is changing quickly, especially in the music business,”says Nytch. “Entrepreneurship, however, provides foundational skills: observing the world, identifying opportunities, and developing those opportunities. These are universal skills that aren’t affected by societal changes.”
The ECM also provides business internships, guest artist residencies, workshops, and various forms of mentoring. Internships give students the chance to gain practical experience, whether it’s with the Boulder Philharmonic, the Colorado Symphony, and at summer festivals like Aspen and National Repertory Orchestra.
“Denver is a growing centre for the recording industry and popular music in the U.S., especially with its folk and bluegrass heritage,” says Nytch, and the ECM internships provide opportunities for students to apply their classroom knowledge in real-world settings.
The Institute for Music Leadership (IML) creates career and leadership development opportunities for musicians on and off the stage at the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester component provides degrees and certificates, while its professional development component allocates funding, provides advising, and organizes conferences open to students, emerging professionals, and faculty members.
Concurrent with undergraduate or graduate degrees, the Certificate in Achievement in Arts Leadership includes coursework that complements students’ primary area of study, paid internships, and individual advising sessions. The IML curriculum is completed with a minor in Music Leadership, open to doctoral students, and a fully online master of arts in Music Leadership that can be combined with master of music or MBA program.
The master of arts in Music Leadership has three main pillars: arts administration fundamentals, musical development, and leadership development. Students learn the basics of marketing, finance, and administration; study on their primary instrument, participate in chamber music, choir, along other performance opportunities; and develop a reflective practice by analyzing leadership, examining case studies, and learning to assess business decision-making factors.
Berklee College of Music looks at entrepreneurship from the perspective of creative thinking and problem-solving – skills that will prepare a student to thrive over the course of a 40-, 50-, or 60-year long career, says Christopher Wares, assistant chair of the Music Business/Management department. As a professional musician who wants to record, tour, or form brand partnerships, “you need to start thinking of yourself as a business with anentrepreneurial mindset,” he adds.
Christopher Wares
At the undergraduate level, Berklee offers a B.Mus. in Music Business & Management, a B.A. in Music Industry Leadership and Innovation, and two minors in the Business of Live Music and Creative Entrepreneurship. Graduate students may enroll in an online MBA in Music Business (offered jointly with Southern New Hampshire University) or an MA in Music Business degree, as well as an MA in Global Entertainment and Music Business at the Valencia campus (Spain).
Berklee’s leadership are strong advocates for experiential learning, networking, and connecting with the industry, explains Wares. “Every year, Berklee organizes industry exploration trips where we take a group of students to major music cities in the U.S. We visit top companies like talent agencies, record labels, and publishers. Students engage with these and learn from their experiences.”
Berklee is known for a diverse cross-genre curriculum including classical, jazz, rock, hip hop, samba, reggae, heavy metal, or country. “We are one of the most unique ecosystems of any college in the world,” adds Wares. “It creates a beautiful space where business students collaborate with performing arts students, and songwriters work with music production and sound engineering students. There’s a lot of rich creativity and innovation.”
Richard Maloney
Further down the East Coast, New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development offers degrees in Music Business, Performing Arts Administration, and Visual Arts Administration. These three programs work within the Steinhardt School, the Stern School of Business, and the Wagner School of Public Policy—a unique partnership in the United States, explains Richard Maloney, clinical associate professor and director of the Performing Arts Administration program.
Each program has its own specific curriculum, but shares core management courses, allowing students to interact. “The collaboration among these three schools provides a variety of experiences and personal networks that are difficult to match because it requires significant resources,” says Maloney. “NYU offers numerous courses, intellectual learning opportunities, and exceptional study abroad programs that simply no other school provides. I believe these are some of the hallmarks of our approach to education and the delivery of that education.”
Music Business is offered through a bachelor of music, a bachelor of science, and a master of arts degree. Performing Arts Administration (PAA) is offered across two different degree programs: an MA and a combined BFA and MA in partnership with the Tisch School of the Arts. Those students drawn to modern, commercial music gravitate toward the music business program, while the PAA program appeals more to those invested in the traditional fine arts, working in non-profits, and connecting with the community to share a love for art and music, explains Maloney.
NYU has a production lab focused on entrepreneurship. Students take entrepreneurship courses, participate in entrepreneurship competitions, and even compete at the business school. In addition, NYU offers specific courses in music, theatre, or management across its 14 global campuses, including Berlin, Dublin, London, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, and Shanghai.
Finally, the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami offers the Modern Artist Development and Entrepreneurship (M.A.D.E.) and the Music Industry (MIND) programs. Undergraduate degrees include a B.Mus. in M.A.D.E., and a B.Mus. or B.A. in MIND, as well as a minor in Music Industry. At the graduate level, there are two MA degrees: one in Live Entertainment Management and another in Music Industry. Both can be combined with a Juris Doctor joint degree. Additionally, the Frost School of Music offers a selection of nine online graduate certificates.
Daniel Clifford Strange
“We’re preparing students for an adaptable music career because everything is changing at the blink of an eye,” says Prof. Daniel Strange, M.A.D.E. Department Chair. “There are so many opportunities in the music business that fall outside of the standard roles of performer, recording artist, musical director, or educator. Because we are a faculty of working professionals, we’re able to gauge the current (industry) landscape in Miami, across the country and globally” he says.
Frost School of Music students are encouraged to develop ties in the industry early in their training. Many end up in New York City, Los Angeles, Nashville, and Chicago. Many of those interested in the Latin music market stay in Miami, a prime location for those opportunities.
M.A.D.E. is a degree for the business-minded artist. “For the highest-level artists, it’s not about the genre—it’s about the brand,” clarifies Strange. “Applicants who pursue M.A.D.E. have a passion for performance, songwriting or recording, but they’re also thinking long-term about how they would manage their own careers as independent artists,” he adds. “Our students learn how the business side works while developing their musical skills. If we’ve done it right, we’ve prepared them to walk into any situation and just own it,” he concludes.
As business education becomes more established in universities across North America and beyond, the training they provide will lead to the winning combo of musical chops and entrepreneurial savvy.
David Cutler is the author of The Savvy Musician: www.savvymusician.com Jeffrey Nytch is the author of The Entrepreneurial Muse: www.jeffreynytch.com
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