UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS:
This week we wrap up our series of seminars on听Your Basic Career Toolkit:
听听听听听听听听听听听 10/3: Writing great Bios and Program Notes
Free Pizza!
And mark your calendars now for next week鈥檚 special guest: THIRD COAST PER蜜糖直播SSION, speaking about how they started their own group and are performing & touring full-time!
蜜糖直播 GIGS is the College of Music鈥檚 gig booking service, and an entrepreneurial venture of the ECM. If you鈥檙e 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 蜜糖直播 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:听musicreferral@蜜糖直播.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鈥檙e starting to get some good ideas flowing in, so get creative and have some fun with this!听Submit your suggestions for our weekly series, and the winner will receive a $100 gift card to Target!听Submit to Dr. Nytch via email:听jeff.nytch@colorado.edu
Identity Theft: how to protect yourself:听Oct. 10, 1:00-2:30pm, UMC 245
Check Your Credit Report:听Oct. 17, Noon-3:00pm, UMC 245
Non-profit arts generated $1.5 billion in economic activity in the D.C. area:听
Kickstarter thriving here in Boulder:听
Developing a Value Mindset
Last week I听posed this question:听How do we regain our position in the marketplace as commodities of the highest value?听I鈥檝e decided I鈥檇 like to address this question in four parts:
Adjust our Mindsets 鈥� Educate our audiences 鈥� Find the Need 鈥� Become an Artist-Advocate
Let鈥檚 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鈥檝e found over and over again that if we view ourselves in a certain light, it鈥檚 likely that鈥檚 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鈥檚 likely that those are the scenarios that will occur. We accept the little or nothing that is offered to us because we don鈥檛 believe that we鈥檙e worth more. That may seem obvious on the surface, but as artists many of us have serious self-image issues 鈥� particularly if we鈥檙e from the non-pop tradition. We鈥檝e bought into the notion that we鈥檙e 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鈥檚 as good as we can expect. Or worse, we think that鈥檚 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鈥檙e 鈥渏ust another musician,鈥� reflect on what makes you a unique individual and how you can make a unique contribution to all your endeavors. The 鈥渨idget鈥� 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鈥檙e听not听widgets, we鈥檙e a precious and unique commodity of the highest value. If you have trouble embracing this 鈥渧alue mindset鈥� (or if you ARE a 鈥榤usical clone鈥� 鈥� they听doexist), it would be a good idea to dig down into yourself and figure out what鈥檚 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鈥檙e 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鈥檛 pay us money but can perhaps pay us in other ways (exposure, networking, experience, etc.). A positive 鈥渧alue鈥� mindset means that when an opportunity presents itself but the money is absent, we immediately start exercising our entrepreneurial skills to unlock the value 鈥� rather than either walk away from the project or assume it can鈥檛 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听mindset, on the other hand, leaves us empty-handed.
One note of caution, though: having a value mindset doesn鈥檛 mean being inflexible when it comes to how you鈥檙e 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 鈥揳nd meeting that need might mean altering what we do or how we do it in order to unlock the value we seek. I鈥檒l speak more about that in the upcoming 鈥淔ind the Need鈥� segment (I鈥檓 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鈥檙e well on your way to finding more value in your professional life.
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And without further adieu鈥�
The Video of the Week!
Okay I鈥檝e started to get some videos鈥eep 鈥榚m coming!
This has been making the rounds. Can you figure out how/why this works?
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The Entrepreneurship Center for Music 鈥⑻�Jeffrey Nytch, DMA, Director
Email:听jeff.nytch@colorado.edu听听鈥⑻齇ffice Hours: T/Th: 9-11 a.m.听 W: 2-4 p.m.听鈥� or by appointment
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Entrepreneurship Wednesdays: 5-6:30 p.m., C-113听 鈥⑻� Follow us on听
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OPPORTUNITY UPBEAT!听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.
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A BALLET SCHOOL IN LAFAYETTE听is looking for a听regular accompanist听Monday evenings between 4:30 and 8:30pm for 3-4 hours.听 There are books of about 40 pages per class, and one class meets per hour.听 It鈥檚 the same music every class, and it鈥檚 well-done arrangements of traditional ballet and classical pieces.听 The pay is on the low end 鈥� $20 per hour, so $60-80 per Monday evening 鈥� but the program is well run and a great team to be a part of.听 A good sight reader is a must to learn this music quickly, but on average, it鈥檚 the difficulty of an easy Chopin Mazurka. If anyone is interested, please contact me at so I can show you the music. Nathan Smith鈥�(205) 335-8626
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ERIE MIDDLE SCHOOL听in Erie (about 30 minutes east of Boulder, in the St. Vrain Valley School District) is looking to hire a听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:
听 Questions? Email Nick Roseth at:听roseth_nicholas@svvsd.org.
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THE LONGMONT YOUTH SYMPHONY听is currently looking for a听conductor听for their Wind Ensemble. The group has about 20 students, and rehearses weekly in Longmont on Saturdays. 听See the website below for details and contact information.
Interested applicants should write or call:听(303) 351-1452
info@longmontyouthsymphony.org
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CENTER FOR THE CONTINUATION OF ARTS AND 蜜糖直播LTURE, in Thornton, is looking for听Guitar and Piano Teachers.听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听for further information
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INTERNSHIPS AVAILABLE!听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鈥檙e interested, stop by the ECM office and we鈥檒l talk about the options!
