ENTREPRENEURIAL UPBEAT: Vol. 4, No. 10
5:00-6:30 in C-113. As always, Free Pizza & Drinks!
THE NEW VENTURE CHALLENGE IS HERE: Kick-off Night is TONIGHT: Oct. 25th
The New Venture Challenge Music Track will receive entries in the areas of musical performance, education, technology, outreach and advocacy. Compete for the $3,000 Music Prize, as well as nearly $10,000 in other prizes through the university-wide competition. See the FAQs below for more info!
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!
Spring ECM Courses:
The Entrepreneurial Musician (TMUS 4493) returns! After great feedback last year, this introduction to the principles of entrepreneurship and how it applies to music and the arts is back. Team-taught with entrepreneurship scholar Frank Moyes and ECM Director Nytch. Note: see Amy Larsen for the TMUS registration form; you won’t find this online. (Tues/Thurs 9:30-10:45am – 3 credits)
Community Performances (MUS 4958): Learn to program music for a variety of audiences, gain confidence speaking about your work, and gain the skills needed to put on a concert “from A to Z.” Your final project is to actually present a concert at a local venue of your choosing. A great way to test out your recital rep. or get an additional performance of it! (Mon/Wed 10:00-10:50am – 2 credits)
Principles of Business for Entrepreneurs (ESBM 3200). Gives students a basic understanding of the business principles required to launch and sustain an entrepreneurial venture. Intended for non-business majors. (Tues/Thurs 11:00am-12:15pm or 3:30-4:45pm -3 credits)
Articles of the Week
• Louisville Orchestra begins hiring replacement musicians. In this week’s installment of news from the orchestra world, the Louisville Orchestra has announced that it will hire a new orchestra of replacements after its existing players rejected the latest contract proposed by management. More:
• Meanwhile, in Philly…a new contract: http://www.salon.com/2011/10/13/philly_orchestra_musicians_approve_new_contract_2/singleton/
• It’s not just getting audiences in the door, the key is KEEPING them:
New Venture Challenge FAQs:
What is a business (or “venture”) plan? A venture plan is simply a blue-print for an entrepreneurial activity. That could be a for-profit business, a non-profit organization, producing and marketing a new piece of technology, you name it.
I have an idea I’ve been kicking around, but I don’t know if it’s appropriate for the competition. No problem! Chances are, your venture idea will work for the NVC, because the competition is set up to accommodate a wide range of venture types. If you’re unsure, stop by the ECM office and we’ll talk about it.
I have no idea how to go about this…how do I get started? The coolest thing about the NVC is the shear number of resources at your disposal to help you learn how to put together and pitch a venture plan. There’s an overview of the process of bringing an idea to fruition on Nov. 15th, with entrepreneurship scholar Frank Moyes. There’s a January “Boot Camp” that explores the components of a venture plan in detail. And if you decide to compete you’ll be assigned mentors who can give you valuable guidance and feedback on your plan.
I’m not sure if I can do this. When do I have to commit one way or the other? You don’t have to commit to the competition until January. In the meantime, all the workshops and resources are at your disposal. So if you’re not sure yet if you can or want to compete, come to these opening events anyway: it’s a great way to find out what it’s all about, and learn some valuable skills along the way. You can’t lose!
Entrepreneurial Thought of the Week: A new series on the entrepreneurial process
I know we were supposed to start our new series this week, but I wanted to include the FAQs for the New Venture Challenge. So we’ll start next week for sure!
The Video of the Week!
Here’s a powerful video from Time For Three, with this caption from their YouTube posting:
We are Time for Three and this is our story — the story of so many kids who every day face challenges to who they are and who they want to be: their dreams, their ambitions, their identity. This video is for you guys. Be strong.
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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EL SISTEMA COLORADO, a new venture in Denver, is seeking teaching artists and beginning strings specialists to begin Jan. 9th, 2012. Deadline for applications is Nov. 4th. See the ECM bulletin board for more information.
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).