BELMONT UNIVERSITY

MIKE CURB COLLEGE OF ENTERTAINMENT AND MUSIC BUSINESS

COURSE SYLLABUS

 

Course Title:  Entertainment Career Development

Course #:  MBU 3360.01           Credits:  3 Hours           Fall 2006

Class Location:   Massey Center 200B

Meeting Times:  TR 12:30 pm – 1:45 pm

 

Instructor:  Sarita M. Stewart

Phone:  615-661-0271    Email:  stewartsm@mail.belmont.edu

 

Course description:  A study of Entertainment Career Development from an artist’s point of view.  This involves management, education, promotion and financial considerations as they concern the professional entertainer.  Various unions, guilds and associations are studied.

 

Course objectives:  To provide students who wish to be entertainers an overview of the music industry and practices that will help them become successful performers with an understanding of the business aspects of the music industry.

 

GOALS OF THE MIKE CURB  COLLEGE OF ENTERTAINMENT AND MUSIC BUSINESS

·         To provide a personalized, career-oriented and practical education that emphasizes leadership, innovation, private enterprise and entrepreneurship.

 

·         To equip students with the tools to think critically and communicate effectively, accept responsibility, make successful decisions and prosper in diverse work environments.

 

·         To emphasize quality classroom instruction within the parameters of ethical Christian principals.

 

Honor Code:  As a member of the Belmont community, students, faculty, staff and administrators are all responsible for ensuring that their experiences will be free of behaviors which will compromise value.  In order to uphold academic integrity, the university has adopted an Honor System.  Students and faculty will work together to establish the optimal conditions for honorable academic work.  The following is the Student Honor pledge that guides academic behavior:

 

“I will not give or receive aid during examinations.  I will not give or receive false or impermissible aid in course work in the preparations of reports or in any other type of work that is to be used by the instructor as the basis of my grade.  I will not engage in any type of academic fraud.  Furthermore, I will uphold my responsibility to see that others abide by the spirit and honor of this Honor Code. 

 

Course Requirements: 

  1. Attendance:  It is my recommendation that you attend all of the class meetings for the best learning experience.  Makeup work is at the discretion of the instructor.  Absence is permitted only in cases of family illness, family emergencies or other legitimate causes.  For a complete explanation of the attendance policy see The Belmont University Bulletin. 

 

  1. Class Materials: 

“How To  Be Your Own Booking Agent” (Goldstein, New Music Times) Required

 

 

  1. PREPARED ASSIGNMENTS

 

Students will be placed into groups of five students each, for a total of seven groups.   

 

Artist Biography (Individual Project):  Each student will be expected to turn in an artist biography

on the artist of their choice.  Due  9/21.

 

Entertainment Icon Paper/Presentation:  The goal of each group will be to pick an entertainment icon and study the history behind their career development from their early years through the end of their career.  Each group will give a formal half-hour presentation on the artist closer to the end of the semester.  Specifics to follow in separate handout.   Presentations:  Weeks of 11/7 and 11/14.  Paper due 11/21.

 

Entertainment Career Development Final paper:  The goal of this individualized paper to focus on a specific area of career development (touring, publishing, publicity, recording, etc.).   Students should write the paper on their own career goals and plan.  Due 12/5.

 

4.  TESTING

The midterm will be the only formal test given.  The Entertainment Career Development paper will serve as the class final.  Midterm will take place in class on 10/10.   

 

Additional Reading: 

The Professor may choose to assign additional reading.  Articles may be placed on reserve in the Library or web articles assigned and each student will be responsible for the reading.  Test questions may be taken from the assigned reading.

 

5.  FIELD TRIP

 

Class will take a mandatory field trip to the Country Music Hall of Fame.  Purpose of the trip is to examine the history of country music artists in order to determine how the building blocks discussed in class contributed to their overall career history.  Class extra credit can be earned by writing a short summary of your impression and overall experience.  Field trip is tentatively scheduled for 10/17.

 

5.  Basis of Grade Evaluation:

 

Grading Scale:

(97–100) = A+      (87-89) = B+    (77-79) = C+    (67-69) = D+

(93– 96) = A         (83-86) = B       (73-76) = C      (63-66) = D

(92–90)  = A-        (80-82) = B-     (70-72) = C-     (60-62) = D-

 

Grading:

Class Participation                     10%

Individual Project                       10%    

Midterm                                    15%

Group ICON Presentation          15%

Group ICON Paper                   25%

Final ECD Paper                       25%

Total Final Grade:      100%

 

 

 

  1. Class Schedule:

 

Week   Date                             Topics                                                  Reading Assignment

 

1          8/24                              Class Introduction                                  Foreword/Introduction

                                                                                                            Acknowledgements

 

2          8/29 – 8/31                    Breaking Into The Business                   How To Use This Book

                                                Career Building Blocks                          Chapters 1, 2, 3, 21, 22

 

3          9/5 – 9/7                       10 Rules of a Successful Indie Musician  Chapter 23

                                                Artist Imaging                                      

 

4          9/12 – 9/14                    Packaging Your Talent                          Chapters 5, 13, 14, 15, 16

                                                                                                           

5          9/19 – 9/21                    Booking/Touring                                    Chapters 4, 6, 7, 8, 9

                                                                                                            10, 11

                                                                                                            9/21 – Artist bios due                                                                                                                

6          9/26 – 9/28                    Songwriting/Music Publishing                 Supplement

                                                Performing Rights Organizations

                                               

7          10/3 – 10/5                    Film & TV Opportunities                      

                                                    10/5 – NO CLASS     

 

8          10/10 – 10/12                10/10 – MIDTERM

                                                    10/12 – FALL BREAK

 

9          10/17 – 10/19                10/17 - Country Music Hall of Fame Field Trip (Mandatory)       

                                                    Music Production                              Chapter 7

 

10         10/24 – 10/26                Record Distribution                                Chapter 17                   

                                                Digital Technologies                              Extra credit due 10/26   

 

11         10/31 – 11/2                  Marketing                                             Chapter 18

           

12         11/7 – 11/9                    Group Presentations                              Groups 1 -4                              

13         11/14 – 11/16                Group Presentations                              Groups 5 - 7

                       

14         11/21 – 11/23                Case Study                                          

                                                11/23 – Thanksgiving Break                   Group papers due 11/21

 

15         11/28 – 11/30                Management/Agents/Attorneys              Chapter 19, 20                                                               Endorsements/Sponsorships                   Chapter 12, Epilogue

 

16         12/5                              Last Day of Class

                                                Entertainment Career Development Papers Due

 

 

           

ACCOMODATION OF DISABILITIES

In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, Belmont University will provide reasonable accommodation of all medically documented disabilities.  If you have a disability and would like the university to provide reasonable accommodations of the disability during this course, please notify the Office of the Dean of Students located in Beaman Student Life Center (460-6407) as soon as possible.