BELMONT UNIVERSITY

MIKE CURB COLLEGE OF ENTERTAINMENT AND MUSIC BUSINESS

COURSE SYLLABUS

Course Title: Survey of Music Business / Section: MBU1110.11

Semester: Spring 2009

Instructor: Scott Heuerman

Instructor Contact: Phone: 615-739-1855

Email: heuermans@mail.belmont.edu

Instructor Office Hours: Before and after class & by appointment

Course Credit: 3 Hrs.

Meeting Times: 800 AM - 850 AM MWF MC103

Final Exam: MONDAY MAY 11, 8AM

Educational Objectives of the Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business:

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

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

3) To emphasize quality classroom instruction within the parameters of ethical Christian principles.

Course Description: This course is a general overview and a study of the major functional areas of the music business. Attention is given to the theoretical foundations and practical application of current business practices in the music industry including supporting organizations and the revenue flow from music consumer to creator.

Learning Outcomes: Students will synthesize all course outcomes through demonstrated understanding of common business practices related to the systemic study of music business environment and related topics through homework, tests, quizzes, and a student participation project.

Performance Criteria: After completion of the course students should be able to:

Name and discuss the major revenue streams of the music industry and explain/describe key areas and players
Name and discuss the role of key roles within the revenue stream as well as identify career options in the industry.
Name basic contracts clause/terminology defining basic industry operations and relationships
Name key major entertainment conglomerates and identify country of origin as well as general effect of the merger on the industry.
Explain the basics of early and current copyright law with respect to the music business and broader entertainment industry
Compute basic calculation pertaining to studio production budgets, record royalty payments, concert promotion expense/bid/offer sheets, and basic publishing splits and songwriter shares, as well as mechanical royalty calculations under the statutory and controlled composition clause rates
Calculate a basic master recording budget.
Write/discuss the uses of new technologies and marketing techniques and its effects, both positive and negative, on the music industry. Topics to include, digital music, online marketing and commerce, file sharing, new online and device technologies, direct to fan marketing.

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.”

Accommodation 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.

Course Requirements:

A. Class Attendance: Belmont University is committed to the idea that regular class attendance is essential to successful scholastic achievement. When the number of absences for any reason exceeds 25% of scheduled class meetings, the student is involuntarily dropped from the course with a grade of “WF” – Belmont University Catalog.

Class attendance is very important as class discussions and lecture material are central to the course. Students are expected to be present when class begins and remain in class until its conclusion. Attendance for each class will be taken.

Arriving late or leaving early is considered a 0.5 absence, and WILL be factored into the student’s grade.

A student who arrives late for class, or leaves early, must inform the professor of his/her attendance on that day, otherwise the attendance record will indicate that the student missed 1.0 class instead of 0.5 class.

Students who arrive late on the day when a quiz is given will not be allowed to take the quiz.

B. Cell phone/computer policy:

Students may use a personal computer in class to take notes, but NOT to surf the Internet, read/write email, etc. Cell phones MUST be turned off in class. Headphones/earbuds cannot be used or worn in class.

C. Materials/Textbooks:

There will be handouts from time to time that will be discussed in class. You will be responsible for the contents of the handouts for quiz/test purposes.

D. Assignments:

Homework/classwork: There will be short class assignments related to lecture material covering calculation exercises. These are either handouts or assigned pages

Industry Interview: Each student is required to complete an interview with an individual who works in the music industry. The interview should not be recorded but typed and handed to the instructor by dead day-the day before final exams start.

Industry participation (visits): Each student is required to attend two music business functions. Examples include a recording session, a non-Belmont showcase, local shows, taping for GAC/CMT, a concert, songwriter’s workshop, etc.

Attendance at the Leadership Music Digital Summit (March 23-25 @ Curb Events Center) will count as a music business function. Free to Belmont students.

Testing (90%)/Assignments (10%):

(A) Quizzes/Exams/Final Exam: Four (4) chapter/section exams and one final exam will be given. Exams primarily cover lecture and all readings, material, video, or any content assigned or discussed in class. Each exam is scored for 100 points and may be comprised of 50 or more questions consisting of multiple choice/essay/short answer, or any combination thereof. Final exam will likely be essay in accordance with the final exam schedule at the assigned time and place—NO FINAL EXAM will be given at any earlier time.

(B) There are NO MAKE UP EXAMS for any tests! At the instructor’s discretion, students with a test absence will have the final exam count double, triple or more: depending on the number of missed exams. An exception is made for official Belmont University Absences. Students may be tested on any portion of material presented in readings, web site or lecture at instructor’s discretion.

Activity	Credit	Purpose/Description
1. Comprehensive Tests	50%	Four chapter exams will be given. Exams primarily cover lecture and readings assigned. Each exam is scored for 100 points and is comprised of 50 or more questions consisting of multiple choice/essay/short answer/diagramming, or any combination thereof.
2. Quizzes and Problems	10%	Each week the student will have one or more quizzes based on assigned readings or lecture. Only the 5 best quiz grades will be counted toward the student’s final grade.
3. Assignments	10%	Students are expected to complete the industry interview and 2 visits described in D
4. Final Exam	30 %	A comprehensive test comprising multiple-choice questions that will measure the depth of the student’s knowledge base gained from lectures and readings. The final exam is typically 100 comprehensive questions (or more) in accordance with the final exam schedule at the assigned time and place—NO FINAL EXAM will be given at any earlier time.

Grade Evaluation Scale: As per CEMB policy, the grade assignment scale for this course is:

Grade	Percent (GPA)
A	94 (4.0)
A-	90 (3.7)
B+	87 (3.3)
B	84 (3.0)
B-	80 (2.7)
C+	77 (2.3)
C	74 (2.0)
C-	70 (1.7)
Final grades below 70 % will not apply to the major.
D+	67
D	64
D-	60
F	< 60

***Students are expected to have read ALL assigned text prior to class meeting time. Unannounced quizzes may be issued if it becomes obvious that students are unprepared in class.
TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE (Subject to change)

WEEK OF Topic OTR

1/14	Overview
1/19 **(1/19 is holiday)	Overview, creative system, business systems, etc.	Chapter 1
1/26	Copyright Overview /Copyright laws	Chapter 2
2/2	Copyright continued; Songwriting/Publishing	Chapter 3
2/9	Test #1 Publishing continued, Performance Rights Organizations, etc.
2/16	Record Labels/Entertainment Companies, Marketing and distribution	Chapter 4
2/23	RL/Entertainment companies, recording contracts, recoupment
3/2	Test #2; Studio/recording, unions, budgets	Chapter 5
3/9	SPRING BREAK
3/16	Catch up, studio recording, unions con’t
3/23	Management, legal, business manager	Chapter 6
3/30	Management con’t, publicity and promotion
4/6 (no class 4/10)	Test #3; Touring: booking, promoter, concert promotion
4/13	Current legal issues/Current Events
4/20	Revenue streams in the music industry
4/27	Test #4; New business models
5/4	TBD
5/6	REVIEW
5/11	FINAL EXAM DATES