FALL
2007 SYLLABUS
MBU
4820: ARTIST MANAGEMENT
Note:
Please read this syllabus thoroughly and retain it until the end of the
semester. It contains information, which
should be useful to you in this course.
By enrolling in this course and being supplied with a copy of this
syllabus, you are subject to all of the requirements specified herein.
Professor: J. Rush Hicks
Phone: 460-6473
Office: Rm.
223
e-mail: hicksr@mail.belmont.edu
Location/Class Hours: Tues,
Thurs 2 PM – 3:15 PM in Room MC210
(Final
- 2PM, Thursday, December 6, 2007)
Tues,
Thurs 3:30 PM - 4:45 PM Room MC210
(Final
- 2 PM, Tuesday, December 11, 2007)
EDUCATIONAL
OBJECTIVES OF THE MIKE CURB COLLEGE OF ENTERTAINMENT AND MUSIC BUSINESS: The following objectives will be
applied toward course completion:
* 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, communicate effectively,
accept responsibility, make successful decisions, and
prosper in diverse work environments.
*
To emphasize quality
classroom instruction within the parameters of ethical Christian principles.
COURSE
DESCRIPTION: Analysis of the various aspects of
artist management including talent agencies, personal management, performance,
recording contracts, tours, and artist promotion. This course will provide an overview of the
relationship between the recording artist and manager. Topics include finding a manager,
understanding the key terms of a management contract, addressing the business
state of the artist's career, managing the Artist's money, employing a
professional support team, mapping out the artist's career, assisting the artist
in securing and negotiating the record deal,
developing global opportunities and managing the artist's tour.
LEARNING
OUTCOMES: After completing this course, students will
be able to:
* Identify and distinguish between
personal managers, business managers, tour managers and booking agencies.
* Describe how the recording artist
can secure a record contract with the assistance
of a personal manager.
* Explain the role of the personal
manager in assisting the artist to achieve success.
* List the various job functions of
the tour manager, publicist, music publisher, A & R representative, booking agent, attorney
and business manager.
* Examine different kinds of
business entities and how they benefit the artist.
* Understand the complexities of dealing
with a band rather than a solo artist.
PERFORMANCE
CRITERIA: Upon completion of the course, students will
be able to:
* Compare and contrast the roles of
the various parties needed by the recording artist including the personal manager, booking agent, tour manager,
business manager, publicist,
music publisher, record company representative, attorney and accountant.
* Understand the different business
entities and how they function.
* Describe the typical day-day
activities of an artist and business manager.
* Demonstrate the teamwork required
for the artist to achieve success.
TEXT:
This Business of Artist Management (4th
Edition), by Frascogna, Billboard Books
PREREQUISITES: Music Publishing (MBU3450),
Intellectual Property (MBU 3520) and Principles of Management (MGT 3110).
READING
ASSIGNMENTS & PARTICIPATION: You are expected to come to class prepared
to participate in class discussions.
Participation includes the responsibility of having read any assigned
materials prior to class. If you do not
keep up with the assigned reading, you will likely fall behind and your
performance may suffer accordingly.
Additional reading materials may be assigned in class. If available, I'll arrange to have guest
speakers.
ATTENDANCE:
The policies of the current Belmont University Undergraduate Bulletin will
apply to this class (i.e., “Belmont University is committed to the idea that
regular class attendance is essential to successful scholastic
achievement). Regular class attendance
is expected. Since Belmont’s policy allows for a significant number of absences
without any direct penalty, I do not make any distinction between excused and
unexcused absences. You do not need to
inform me of the reason for absences and absences will not directly affect your
grade for the course except: (1) The failure to attend class on any exam date
without the professor’s prior approval may result in a grade of 0 for such
exam; and (2) exceptional attendance and participation may result in borderline
grades for the course being rounded up (e.g., if your course grade based on
exams and assignments is an 89, it could be rounded up to 90 giving you an A-
rather than a B+ for the course).
GRADING:
The grading system specified in
the current Belmont Undergraduate Bulletin applies to this class. Exams, including the final, will be averaged
to determine your grade. Plus and minus grading, but no A+, will be utilized.
EXAMS: The format for exams will
consist of some or all of the following: multiple choice, true/false, matching,
essay and short answer questions. The final will be comprehensive as required
by College policy and will take place on the date specified by Belmont as
finals week. University policy does not
allow a change of date and exceptions must be approved in writing by the
Provost. Each exam, including the final,
will count 15% of your grade for a total of 75%.
CLASS
DISCUSSION: Please do not distract other students by
having conversations in class, speak loudly enough to be heard by the class,
help keep discussions on track, be courteous and show respect when addressing
others, and never monopolize discussions.
HONOR
CODE: It is the responsibility of
each student to abide by the Belmont University Honor Code.
"In
affirmation of the Belmont University Statement of Values, I pledge that I will
not give or receive aid during
examinations; I will not give or receive false or impermissible aid in course
work, in the preparation 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
form of academic fraud. Furthermore, I
will uphold my responsibility to see to
it that others abide by
the spirit and letter of this Honor Pledge."
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, immediately notify the
Director of Counseling & Developmental Support in the Office of Student
Affairs (460-6407).
MATERIAL
COVERED: The first test will cover chapters one, two,
three, four & five. The second test
will cover chapters six, seven & eight.
The third test will cover chapters nine through thirteen. The fourth test will cover chapters fourteen
through eighteen. The final will be
comprehensive as well as include material over chapters twenty, twenty-one and
twenty-four. Because of guest speakers and their schedules, it is difficult to
predict exactly when certain material will be covered in class. I have attached an anticipated reading
schedule for the semester.
EXTRA
CREDIT: Extra credit
projects will not be allowed although exceptional attendance and participation
in class may result in borderline grades for the course being rounded up (e.g.,
if your course grade based on exams and assignments is 89, it could be rounded
up to 90, depending on your attendance and participation).
MANAGER
INTERVIEW: Each student will meet with an
artist's personal manager and have the manager answer the following
questions. Then be prepared to give an
oral presentation to the class as well as answer questions from the class. The report will count 10% of your grade.
What
is your background (educational and experience)?
How
did you get your start in the music business?
Which
artists have your worked with in the past and who do
you work with now?
Describe
a typical day's activities?
How
do you view the future (technology and business models) in this industry?
IN-DEPTH
STUDY OF DIFFERENT ARTISTS: Throughout the semester, we will do an
in-depth analysis of the artist's background and the current issues surrounding
that artist's career and the opinions of that artist. The student's participation will result in 5
points (out of a 100 point scale) being added to your grade at the end of the
semester.
ELVIS/COLONEL
TOM PARKER PROJECT: The last two weeks of the semester
we will closely examine the relationship between Colonel Tom Parker and Elvis
Presley. Each student will be expected
to write a two-to-three page-typed report about a particular period of time in
Elvis' career. There are four major
periods in his professional life, the mid-to-late 50s; the movie career
beginning in the early 60s; the comeback in the late 60s and early 70s; and
finally, his death and the estate issues in the late 70s. I will look closely at grammar, content, spelling
and your historical research. This
report will count 10% of your class grade.
CELL
PHONES AND COMPUTERS: All
cell phones, ipods and other hand-held electronic
devices will be turned off during
class. That means no
text-messaging. You can request to use a
computer in class, but only
to take notes and not to access the internet and/or check email.
SCHEDULE
OF READINGS, ASSIGNMENTS AND EXAMINATIONS
Thursday,
August 23, 2007 (first class)
Tuesday,
August 28, 2007 (short review examining
the artist and their role in the music industry)
Thursday,
August 30, 2007 (no class)
Tuesday,
September 4, 2007 (chapter one)
Thursday,
September 6, 2007 (chapter two)
Tuesday,
September 11, 2007 (chapter three)
Thursday,
September 13, 2007 (chapter four)
Tuesday,
September 18, 2007 (chapter five)
Thursday,
September 20, 2007 (First Exam over chapters 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5)
Tuesday,
September 25, 2007 (manager interview presentations)
Thursday,
September 27, 2007 (manager interview presentations)
Tuesday,
October 2, 2007 (chapter six)
Thursday,
October 4, 2007 (chapters seven and eight)
Tuesday,
October 9, 2007 (Second Exam over chapters 6, 7 & 8)
Thursday,
October 11, 2007 (no class, fall break)
Tuesday,
October 16, 2007 (chapter nine)
Thursday,
October 18, 2007 (chapter ten)
Tuesday,
October 23, 2007 (chapter eleven)
Thursday,
October 25, 2007 (chapter twelve)
Tuesday,
October 30, 2007 (chapter thirteen)
Thursday,
November 1, 2007 (chapter thirteen)
Tuesday,
November 6, 2007 (Third Exam over chapters 9, 10, 11, 12 & 13)
Thursday,
November 8, 2007 (chapters 14 and fifteen)
Tuesday,
November 13, 2007 (chapter sixteen)
Thursday,
November 15, 2007 (chapters seventeen and eighteen)
Tuesday,
November 20, 2007 (Fourth Exam over chapters 14, 15, 16, 17 & 18)
Thursday,
November 22, 2007 (no class, Thanksgiving)
Tuesday,
November 27, 2007 (chapter twenty)
Thursday,
November 29, 2007 (chapters twenty-one and twenty-four)
Tuesday,
December 4, 2007 (Elvis/Colonel Tom presentation)
Thursday,
December 6, 2007 (2PM final exam to be given at 2PM)
Tuesday,
December 11, 2007 (3:30 PM final exam to be given at 2PM)