THIS WEEK ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP WEDNESDAYS:听WRITING GREAT BIOs & PROGRAM NOTES
The next installment in our series on the essential tools every musician needs. Join Professor Elissa Guralnick for a great discussion on how to write effectively about yourself and your work.
Polyphonic On Campus 鈥� Fall 2011 Webinar Series
Articles of the Week
鈥⑻� Arts Districts and the New Economy听Presidential Advisor, telecommunications executive, and scholar John Eger delves into the argument for 鈥渁rts districts鈥� as an important tool for economy revitalization.听
鈥⑻� Online Arts Fundraising Organization Passes $1 million Mark听The headline says it all. Check it out:
Entrepreneurial Thought of the Week:
Sunday鈥檚 paper brings news of another orchestra in serious trouble 鈥� and this time it hits close to home with our own Colorado Symphony. While in many respects the CSO鈥檚 situation is not unlike many others 鈥� high fixed costs and dwindling revenues have created an unsustainable financial crunch 鈥� there鈥檚 one really critical difference in this case:听their audience is growing.听In fact, the CSO is doing the exact things that I and other advocates have been advising orchestras nationwide to do for some time: engage in a wider range of programming styles and venues as part of a larger strategy to connect with new audiences. And it鈥檚 working: CSO attendance numbers are up, and the percentage of earned income from ticket sales is among the highest in the country. So why is the group still struggling?
I鈥檓 not going to try to solve the CSO鈥檚 problems in this little weekly column. I鈥檓 not privy to the particulars of the CSO鈥檚 finances, and I鈥檓 new enough to the Metro area that I don鈥檛 feel qualified to speculate on the broader issue of how the greater Denver community views the arts. But I can say this with confidence: somewhere in the mix there鈥檚 a disconnect between the product and the market. Part of that disconnect is apparent in higher numbers of people buying tickets to the orchestra but not enough of those individuals furthering their connection with the organization through their giving. Another is that we have an arts organization that is growing its community impact but corporate donors and large philanthropists are apparently not taking notice.
I鈥檝e seen a similar dynamic back with my Pittsburgh group, PNME: in the last eight years, season attendance has grown more than 600% 鈥� while individual donations held more or less steady. The mistake we made at PNME 鈥� and a mistake I think many arts groups make 鈥� is to assume that higher audience numbers will automatically lead to higher individual gifts. Clearly this is not the case. While finding new audiences is critically important to an organization鈥檚 survival, it鈥檚 only part of the mix. The next step is recognizing that new audiences may not be aware of the importance of their individual gifts, or they may not value the culture of giving that arts organizations of all sizes and types rely on. What this means is that growing audiences is just the first step: the next step is听building a relationship with them听in which they come to value the important role they can play in the organization鈥檚 survival. Once that relationship is solidified, and they value the greater role they can play, the financial complexion of the organization should begin to change, too.
The Video of the Week!
Nothing like finishing with a bang鈥�
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Thanks to Curtis Broome for sending this in.听Please send me your fun music-related videos!! I know you鈥檝e got them bookmarked and stashed away on your iPhones鈥� Send them my way and share the wealth!听J
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The Entrepreneurship Center for Music 鈥⑻�Jeffrey Nytch, DMA, Director
Email:听jeff.nytch@colorado.edu
Office Hours:
Tues & Thurs: 9-11 a.m.听 Wed: 2-4 p.m.听鈥� or by appointment
Entrepreneurship Wednesdays: 5-6:30 p.m., C-113
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CREATE DENVER BUSINESS WORKSHOP SERIES听This Saturday morning workshop series is tailored specifically to members of Denver鈥檚 artist community, with valuable resources to de-mystify the business challenges and issues facing creative entrepreneurs. Workshops are $10 each.听
acoustic dubstep band forming听Leeds Business School student Colin Bugge is forming an acoustic dubstep band and is interested in performers and/or business-oriented music students to be a part of his venture. Any instrument is welcome. Colin may be interested in entering his venture into the New Venture Challenge 鈥� with a shot at the $3,000 music prize. If you鈥檙e interested, contact Colin Bugge at听colin.bugge@colorado.edu
MISS THE PHOTOSHOOT? JB HEADSHOTS IS COMING TO TOWN!听Chicago-based headshot photography firm JB Headshots is coming through Boulder in early October, and is interested in booking interested musicians for promotional shots. For more on this company, check out their website:听
Young Performers Career Advancement 2012 YPCA,听a program听of the Arts Presenters Classical Connections initiative, is designed to assist classical musicians in the formative stages of their careers by offering opportunities to meet and听work with established presenters, managers, agents and artists. The YPCA program provides a practical overview of the presenting and touring industry, expert instruction in the development of audience engagement skills and the chance to perform live in front of a wide array of professionals from the field in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. For more information on applying, visit:
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The Louisville Cultural Council听is seeking musicians for its fledgling Chamber Coffeehouse series听held in the Louisville Center for the Arts, approximately one Sunday afternoon per month from October through April. The series is loosely modeled after the popular Coffeehouse series which is held on Friday nights (again about once per month) and which features folk and bluegrass types of music. Musicians receive 80% of the collected admissions (admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors/students, $5 for children). For more information, contact: LCC Board Member
Susan Honstein at听303-666-0032听or by email at听shonstein@gmail.com.
Tenor Section Leader, Paid position.听Grace Lutheran Church, 13th and Euclid, Boulder. For job description, contact Director of Music Joyce Shupe Kull:听jskullmail@msn.com.
PART-TIME CHOIR DIRECTOR听Westminster Presbyterian Church. For more information, contact Pastor Jack Cabaness:听jackcab1223@gmail.com
FALL INTERNSHIP at PARLANDO SCHOOL OF THE ARTS听Parlando is looking for an intern who can work in the Development/Fundraising area of one of Boulder鈥檚 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:听labergemusic@gmail.com
ARS NOVA SINGERS听is seeking a new Executive Director. Click here for more information:
Shining Mountain Waldorf School听in Boulder is seeking a part-time jazz band instructor to do two classes a week with high school students. Approximately 15 high school students (combo style with rhythm section and horns). Two classes a week (Tuesday 10:15-11:00 Friday 1:25-2:10). Pay is hourly at approximately $40/hour. Weekly music department meetings TBA.听For more information contact:听marcus.e.turner@gmail.com.
COLORADO MUSIC FESTIVAL听is looking for a Developing & Marketing intern for the Fall semester. For more information, contact Brandi Numedahl, Marketing Director:听numedahl@coloradomusicfest.org
The Boulder Symphony听(the community orchestra of Boulder County) currently has the following opportunities for musicians for the 2011-2012 Season (all positions are volunteer unless otherwise noted): Concertmaster (Contracted Position), Principal Cello (Contracted Position), All Strings (some Associate Principal positions available), Principal Oboe, Second Oboe, Principal Bassoon, Bass Trombone, Associate Principal Tuba, Percussion, Harp. Subs in other instruments: the Boulder Symphony maintains a highly active substitute list.Auditions for the upcoming season take place 8/29-8/31听at the First Presbyterian Church in Boulder.听 You may view more information and the 2011-12 Schedule online at:听or inquire by email:听info@BoulderSymphony.org
FORD FOUNDATION FELLOWSHIPS Starting September 1, 2011 Applications will be accepted for the 2012 Ford Diversity Fellowships Program for Achieving Excellence in College and University Teaching. Full eligibility information and online applications are available on our website at:
Eligibility Requirements: U.S. Citizen or National; Planning a career in teaching and research at the college or university level in a research-based filed of Science, social science or humanities.
Awardees have expenses paid to attend one Conference of Ford Fellows.
Approximately 60 predoctoral, 35 dissertation, and 20 postdoctoral fellowships sponsored by the Ford Foundation and administered by the National Research Council of the National Academies.听For more information, email:听infofell@nas.edu
