ENTREPRENEURIAL UPBEAT: Vol. 4, No. 9
5:00-6:30 in C-113. As always, Free Pizza & Drinks!
THE NEW VENTURE CHALLENGE IS HERE: Kick-off Night is Oct. 25th
What’s the New Venture Challenge, you ask? It’s the campus-wide business plan competition! But it’s also more than that: it’s great workshops, mentors with members from Boulder’s entrepreneurial community, and a chance to flesh out your dreams & ideas into a viable, career-sustaining venture. There’s also some serious prize money available (!), including a $3,000 Music Prize and up to $10,000 in other prizes to be had!
Got an idea? Not sure what to do with it? Think it’s too crazy? Think it’s not crazy enough? Come talk to me about it: the New Venture Challenge might be just the way to dig down into the idea further and see if it’s got potential!
KICK-OFF NIGHT: Tuesday, Oct. 25, 5:30 in the Wolf Law Building Courtroom. Boulder entrepreneur Paul Beberian will be our special guest speaker. All are welcome; no commitment necessary; just come check it out!
Articles of the Week – Fundraising & audience development for the next generation of concert-goers
• In Florida, arts organizations adapt to younger patrons. Read this article. Just…go. Read it. It sums up a lot of issues that folks are facing all over, and it offers some interesting examples.
• Seriously. Read that article.
•&˛Ô˛ú˛ő±č;&˛Ô˛ú˛ő±č;&˛Ô˛ú˛ő±č;&˛Ô˛ú˛ő±č;New activities for young arts lovers in Kansas City:
Entrepreneurial Thought of the Week: A new series on the entrepreneurial process
I’m going to start a new series over the next few weeks on the entrepreneurial process. For some of you this will be familiar ground, but I think it’s always worth revisiting and looking at through different lenses. And I’ve broken down the process into six components, which was harder than it sounds to develop and refine: as we’ve talked about many times before, entrepreneurship means different things to different people, and it can be applied in so many different ways that sometimes it’s difficult to figure out what the core foundational principles are. Here’s my take on that, in the form of five questions plus an imperative. We’ll spend the coming weeks looking at each of these in turn:
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.
Sometimes when I speak with folks about applying entrepreneurial principles to the arts they cling to the assumption that arts entrepreneurship is somehow different from other kinds of entrepreneurship. But that’s not the case. The goals may be different, the contexts in which the principles are applied are different, but at its root the process is the same: entrepreneurship gives us a process by which to find creative solutions to challenges in the marketplace. Perhaps the challenge is how to create a better medical instrument or penetrate a new market in biotechnology. Or maybe the challenge is to launch your own teaching studio, work within your community to save the orchestra you’re a part of, or figure out how to creatively fund the music program at your local high school. The specific goals are not the issue, because no matter what the goals are the entrepreneurial process can shed new light on how to achieve them. And that’s a pretty powerful tool for wherever you’re bound.
We’ll start next week with assessing your resources. Stay tuned!
The Video of the Week!
I can’t believe nobody commented on last week’s video. I’m still having nightmares over that one….
Anyway…onward! Once again our friends at Mnozil Brass make an appearance within these hallowed postings:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X634rPDgIvo&feature=related
The Entrepreneurship Center for Music • Jeffrey Nytch, DMA, Director
Email: jeff.nytch@colorado.edu
Office Hours:
Tues & Thurs: 9-11 a.m. Wed: 2-4 p.m. – or by appointment
Entrepreneurship Wednesdays: 5-6:30 p.m., C-113
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C4C GIGS AVAILABLE! The C4C is now sponsoring special “Food Weeks” that feature different cuisines from around the world. They’re interested in having CU musicians play for the dinner hour on selected nights, and they’re 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: nathanalanhall@gmail.com
INTERNSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR THE SPRING SEMESTER 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, here’s two to check out right away:
INTERNSHIP at PARLANDO SCHOOL OF THE ARTS Parlando is looking for an intern who can work in the Development/Fundraising area of one of Boulder’s 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: labergemusic@gmail.com
COLORADO MUSIC FESTIVAL is looking for a Developing & Marketing intern for the Spring semester. For more information, contact Brandi Numedahl, Marketing Director: numedahl@coloradomusicfest.org
The Yvar Mikhashoff Trust for New Music is pleased to announce the guidelines for the fifth annual international competition for pianist/composer collaborations, the Mikhashoff Pianist/Composer Commissioning Project. The goal of the competition is to encourage the composition and performance of new works for solo piano reflecting and continuing the legacy of the distinguished American pianist, Yvar Mikhashoff (1941-1993). The winning composer and pianist, who apply together as a team, will receive $3,000 each. The competition is limited to applicants, both pianists and composers, born on or after January 1, 1977. POSTMARK DEADLINE: November 15, 2011. Questions by email only to Amy Williams, Competition Coordinator (amy@mikhashofftrust.org).
Polyphonic On Campus – Fall 2011 Webinar Series Earlier this year, Polyphonic On Campus began hosting a monthly webinar series featuring engaging 1-hour presentations and discussions on a range of musical topics. Attendees from around the country can gather in a virtual space, view a live presentation from your own computer, and listen/talk to the speakers via your phone or computer speakers. These webinars are free to attend. Below is a listing of the fall webinars.
David Bebe & Sean McClowry, College of Saint Rose, will discuss ways of developing and exploring diverse sets of musical and non-musical skills to make yourself more eligible for these type of teaching positions.