UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS:
This week we wrap up our series of seminars on Your Basic Career Toolkit:
10/3: Writing great Bios and Program Notes
Free Pizza!
And mark your calendars now for next week’s special guest: THIRD COAST PERCUSSION, speaking about how they started their own group and are performing & touring full-time!
CU GIGS is the College of Music’s gig booking service, and an entrepreneurial venture of the ECM. If you’re interested in being part of a database for all manner of gig requests we get here at the College of Music, just fill out the informational form (on the door of the ECM Office) and turn it in to the ECM. Our CU GIGS Coordinator Nathan Hall will then work to connect you with gigs that come into our Musician Referral Line. For more info, contact Nathan at: musicreferral@Colorado.EDU
Help me re-name our weekly career workshops! The new name should be catchy, concise, and get at the core purpose of Entrepreneurship Wednesdays (which is to explore a broad range of topics pertaining to your professional development and provide concrete skills for your career). We’re starting to get some good ideas flowing in, so get creative and have some fun with this! Submit your suggestions for our weekly series, and the winner will receive a $100 gift card to Target! Submit to Dr. Nytch via email: jeff.nytch@colorado.edu
Identity Theft: how to protect yourself: Oct. 10, 1:00-2:30pm, UMC 245
Check Your Credit Report: Oct. 17, Noon-3:00pm, UMC 245
Non-profit arts generated $1.5 billion in economic activity in the D.C. area: http://www.bizjournals.com/
Kickstarter thriving here in Boulder: http://www.dailycamera.com/business/
Developing a Value Mindset
Last week I posed this question: How do we regain our position in the marketplace as commodities of the highest value? I’ve decided I’d like to address this question in four parts:
Adjust our Mindsets • Educate our audiences • Find the Need • Become an Artist-Advocate
Let’s talk about adjusting mindsets.
As with most things in need of change, we need to start by looking within ourselves and see how our own mindsets and perspectives impact how we act and conduct our business. I’ve found over and over again that if we view ourselves in a certain light, it’s likely that’s how circumstances will play out for us. So if we assume that nobody is willing to pay us for our work or cares about what we have to offer, it’s likely that those are the scenarios that will occur. We accept the little or nothing that is offered to us because we don’t believe that we’re worth more. That may seem obvious on the surface, but as artists many of us have serious self-image issues – particularly if we’re from the non-pop tradition. We’ve bought into the notion that we’re not valued by the broader society, that only a small portion of the population appreciates us or cares about what we do. We end up accepting the crumbs that get dropped our way because, deep down, we assume that’s as good as we can expect. Or worse, we think that’s all we deserve.
We need to shift that mindset to one that sees what we offer as of the highest value. Artistic expression in all its forms is one of the most precious of human activities, and if we have the talent and the discipline to develop our art we are not only personally blessed but extremely important to the fabric of our society. Moreover, each of us is a unique entity. Rather than buying into the notion that we’re “just another musician,” reflect on what makes you a unique individual and how you can make a unique contribution to all your endeavors. The “widget” mentality devalues us by assuming that one violinist is just as useful as the next; we need to demonstrate through the art we make that this is not the case: we’re not widgets, we’re a precious and unique commodity of the highest value. If you have trouble embracing this “value mindset” (or if you ARE a ‘musical clone’ – they doexist), it would be a good idea to dig down into yourself and figure out what’s driving that. Because without a value mindset, and developing your uniqueness, unlocking value in your career will be difficult.
A value mindset can play out in a lot of ways, some of them remarkably simple. For instance, having a more value-oriented mindset means we’re more likely to ask for some payment for that gig (and sometimes asking is all it takes). Or it can mean we start thinking more strategically about that gig doesn’t pay us money but can perhaps pay us in other ways (exposure, networking, experience, etc.). A positive “value” mindset means that when an opportunity presents itself but the money is absent, we immediately start exercising our entrepreneurial skills to unlock the value – rather than either walk away from the project or assume it can’t pay us. Having a value mindset leads us into the entrepreneurial process, which is the way we convert an opportunity into a paying venture. A value-less mindset, on the other hand, leaves us empty-handed.
One note of caution, though: having a value mindset doesn’t mean being inflexible when it comes to how you’re rewarded for your time and talent. As I implied above, value can take many different forms beyond money. Also, thinking entrepreneurially means figuring out where the need is that we can fulfill –and meeting that need might mean altering what we do or how we do it in order to unlock the value we seek. I’ll speak more about that in the upcoming “Find the Need” segment (I’m NOT talking about compromising yourself!), but I wanted to put it out there up-front. Embracing a value mindset means never leaving an opportunity empty-handed, but how we choose to fill our hands can take an infinite number of forms. Embrace that, and you’re well on your way to finding more value in your professional life.
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And without further adieu…
The Video of the Week!
Okay I’ve started to get some videos…keep ‘em coming!
This has been making the rounds. Can you figure out how/why this works?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=JWToUATLGzs
The Entrepreneurship Center for Music • Jeffrey Nytch, DMA, Director
Email: jeff.nytch@colorado.edu • Office Hours: T/Th: 9-11 a.m. W: 2-4 p.m. – or by appointment
Entrepreneurship Wednesdays: 5-6:30 p.m., C-113 • Follow us on Facebook
OPPORTUNITY UPBEAT! Oct. 2, 2012
The Opportunity UPBEAT! is your weekly listing of job postings and other professional opportunities that come the way of the ECM. Check this space out for jobs, volunteer opportunities, internships, grants, festival auditions, and more!
THE COLORADO STATE MUSIC TEACHERS ASSOCIATION is currently seeking a Fund development intern to help develop a tuition assistance scholarship fund for pre-college music study. The goal of the fund, once established, is to partially pay music tuition costs for promising young students who cannot afford music lessons. For a full description of this opportunity, stop by the ECM bulletin board and get in touch with Professor Cremaschi.
A BALLET SCHOOL IN LAFAYETTE is looking for a regular accompanist Monday evenings between 4:30 and 8:30pm for 3-4 hours. There are books of about 40 pages per class, and one class meets per hour. It’s the same music every class, and it’s well-done arrangements of traditional ballet and classical pieces. The pay is on the low end – $20 per hour, so $60-80 per Monday evening – but the program is well run and a great team to be a part of. A good sight reader is a must to learn this music quickly, but on average, it’s the difficulty of an easy Chopin Mazurka. If anyone is interested, please contact me at so I can show you the music. Nathan Smith (205) 335-8626
ERIE MIDDLE SCHOOL in Erie (about 30 minutes east of Boulder, in the St. Vrain Valley School District) is looking to hire a part-time music teacher. It is a half-time position which includes a small orchestra program as well as some possible additional music electives like piano class. The program is definitely in its infancy and needs someone who is willing to work hard to produce a successful middle school program. Those who are interested in applying should visit this website:
http://www.applitrack.com/stvrain/onlineapp/default.aspx?Category=Middle+School+Teaching#.UD_jxqHjG1p.email Questions? Email Nick Roseth at: roseth_nicholas@svvsd.org.
THE LONGMONT YOUTH SYMPHONY is currently looking for a conductor for their Wind Ensemble. The group has about 20 students, and rehearses weekly in Longmont on Saturdays. See the website below for details and contact information.
Interested applicants should write or call: (303) 351-1452
info@longmontyouthsymphony.org
CENTER FOR THE CONTINUATION OF ARTS AND CULTURE, in Thornton, is looking for Guitar and Piano Teachers. The CCAC is an arts school dedicated to the enrichment of students in the visual and performing arts. We provide classes in a wide variety of dance styles, music, and visual arts.
You should have a degree or be in pursuit of a degree in Music Performance or Music Education.
Past teaching experience preferred. Outgoing and friendly personality along with consistent professional demeanor. Works well with elementary ages through adults. Someone who is knowledgeable and skilled in more than one instrument area is preferred. Especially knowledgeable and confidant in teaching basic/beginning piano skills in a group and private setting. Knowledge in music theory and aural skills.
You should be dependable and have reliable transportation.
Looking for someone who can teach 5-15 hours a week
Please contact Director of Music Nick Garcia-(720)-341-4975 for further information
INTERNSHIPS AVAILABLE! The ECM offers a broad range of internship opportunities for students, ranging from positions with non-profit arts groups to for-profit businesses. Internships can be for academic credit or not, and can often be customized to suit your schedule and interests. If you’re interested, stop by the ECM office and we’ll talk about the options!
