CU-Boulder College of Music

Entrepreneurship Center for Music

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In such a vast and dynamic industry, it is easy to get lost in a crowd of competent musicians. Often, the determining factor for a successful start to a professional career in music is not the ability of the artist to perform, but a matrix of skills that help to present and promote the artist, as well as the art. Responding to the need to enhance career training in such an evolving industry, the Entrepreneurship Center for Music was established to educate, develop, and promote entrepreneurship in the arts.

The College of Music at the University of Colorado Boulder opened the Entrepreneurship Center for Music with a grant from the Louis and Harold Price Foundation in 1998. Intending to serve the College’s 500+ music students as well as CU Faculty and Alumni, the ECM has a unique program that enhances the College of Music’s already exceptional performance-based curriculum. Our overarching philosophy is that entrepreneurship is, at its heart, a creative endeavor — and the many challenges facing the music industry today create a rich range of opportunities for musicians to apply that creativity to address those challenges.

As the concept of teaching music entrepreneurship is extremely new and has not been previously formalized, the ECM is in itself an entrepreneurial endeavor. Since its inception, it has evolved to include a wide variety of content. We offer academic courses in music entrepreneurship, a guest lecture series of entrepreneurs in the arts, a weekly newsletter, and a growing list of other resources. We also partner with local organizations and entrepreneurs to provide internships and mentoring opportunities, as well as counsel students individually about career options. Whether you be just beginning your musical studies or are about to embark on your professional career, the ECM is a place where you can learn about presenting both you and your art to the world.

Jeffrey Nytch in Opera America 

 

Updates from the ECM

ENTREPRENEURSHIP WEDNESDAYS ARE CHARGING AHEAD IN 2012! Thanks to everyone for making the Fall line-up of Entrepreneurship Wednesdays such a huge success. Special guests consisting of faculty, experts from the community, and alums gave us the most exciting line-up of workshops ever — and our attendance was so good we’re having to order more pizza! And let’s not forget our awesome special guest, Grammy-winning jazz artist Maria Schneider!  Be on the lookout for the Spring 2012 line-up, which will include workshops on financial planning, fundraising events, touring on a budget, managing a portfolio career, and much more!

 

Past Updates:

THE NEW VENTURE CHALLENGE IS HERE! Learn how to develop your creative idea into a sustainable entrepreneurial venture. Participate in workshops, receive personalized mentoring, and network with other student entrepreneurs and business leaders from the community. Music participants are eligible for a $3,000 prize, the winner of which will advance to the NVC Finals in April, 2012. For more information on the New Venture Challenge, stop by the ECM Office or visit: http://cunvc.org/.

GRAMMY-WINNING JAZZ ARTIST MARIA SCHNEIDER COMING TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP WEDNESDAYS: Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to hear acclaimed jazz composer Maria Schneider talk about her entrepreneurial career and how she’s on the forefront of a new paradigm for artists promoting their recordings. We’re anticipating a big crowd so we’ll be meeting in the Chamber Hall; get there early to find a good seat!

UPCOMING EVENTS FOR FALL 2011! It’s another action-packed year for the Entrepreneurship Center. This year’s Fall Intensive (Saturday, Oct. 8th) features pianist and music entrepreneur Justin Kolb. We have another great line-up of guests for Entrepreneurship Wednesdays, and the New Venture Challenge will be coming up a little later in the semester as well! Check out our “Workshops and Events” page here or visit us on Facebook page for regular updates on guests and dates. Also, be sure to check out our weekly e-newsletter, Entrepreneurial Upbeat!