Course #/Title:	MBU 3360.01/ENTERTAINMENT CAREER DEVELOPMENT
Course Credit Hours:	3 Hours
Semester:	Summer 2 2009
Instructor:	Sarita Stewart, B.S. Business Administration; MBA
Instructor Contacts:	(615) 460-6517/sarita.stewart@belmont.edu
Instructor Office Hours:	Office:  Massey 247; available by appointment/after class
Class Location:	Massey 110
Meeting Times:	MTWRF 11:30 am – 1:15 pm
Final Exam:	Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Course Description:  A study of personal entertainment career development and management including educational, promotional, and financial concerns of the professional entertainer. Various unions, guilds, and associations are studied from the entertainer's viewpoint.

Learning Outcomes: At the end of this course, each student be able to demonstrate the following:           1) Develop, execute and present a career development and business strategy based around an aspiring performing artist.  2) Be able to write and execute a career plan incorporating each student’s individual goals.  3) Be able to calculate four different payment scenarios for both the artist and the promoter around a given event.  4)  Understand and expand on the artist’s relationship with an endorsement/sponsorship organization.  5)  Be able to write an artist biography.  6) Students will be able to compile and present the different components of a promotional kit, whether traditional or digital.   

Performance Tasks: During this course, the student will demonstrate their understanding of the process of an artist’s career development through the use of individual and group projects.  The final presentation will outline the planning and execution of the various strategies used in the launch and support of the chosen artist’s career.  The goal of the class exercises is to provide each student with various experiences in the strategy planning and execution around an artist’s career development plan.

Assessment Tools:  During this course, outcomes mastery will be evaluated by:

1. A short quiz consisting of multiple choice, true/false and short answer questions.

2. The preparation and submission of various assignments and papers related to the business of building and developing an artist’s career.

3. Class presentation of class assignments and projects.

Testing & Assignments:

1.  Artist Memo	10%	The preparation of an initial artist development deal detailing why your group chose to develop and work with a certain artist.
2.  NAMM Paper	10%	Each student will turn in a 4 paged typed paper (maximum) on the topic of the NAMM show.  The show visit should be examined from an endorsement/sponsorship standpoint and how it ties into the bigger scope involving individual music artists, record labels and various music genres.
3.  Individual Career Plan	10%	The goal of this particular paper is to allow the student to focus on a specific area of their career focus (touring, publishing, publicity, studio work, recording, etc.).
4. Marketing Segmentation	10%	A group paper that examines and analyzes the target audience group(s) around the artist, based on various demographics, lifestyles and other types of variable factors.
5. Artist Biography	10%	Each student will have the opportunity to write an artist biography based on materials provided by the instructor.
6.  Promotional Kit	10%	Each student will have the opportunity to build a complete traditional promotional kit around the artist of their choice utilizing the tools discussed during the course of the class.
7.  Group Presentation	10%	Each group will give a class presentation that outlines the strategies and work that the group undertook in order to develop a strategic artist development plan that incorporates the artist’s career and business goals.
8.  Final Group Paper	20 %	An executive summary that details the presentation highlights in a more complete, dense manner.  A well-written paper will provide more specifics and the thought detail behind the artist’s business plan.
9.  Quiz	5%	A short quiz will test the student’s knowledge of promoter guarantees.
10.  Class Participation	5%	While class participation is not an “assignment,” it is very important element of your overall grade.  It is recommended that each student come to class prepared to discuss the various class topics highlighted for the day.
Final Grade	100 %

A combination of individual and group assignments designed to demonstrate competences are due on the assigned dates given in class and listed on Blackboard.  Assignments are due at the start of the class period unless alternative arrangements have been made with the instructor.  All assignments will be returned to the students graded with comments.  Points will be deducted for late assignments as well as projects with missing segments.  Assignments are expected to be typed and turned in via “hard copy.”  It is your responsibility to print, staple and turn in your assignment.  NO EMAILS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

Students are expected to keep up with all assignment due dates and not being present at the time of a class assignment is not considered an excuse for a late completion.  No assignments will be accepted after the final course grade has been turned into the registrar unless previous arrangements are made with the instructor.

The quiz may not be “made up” if absent, unless it is excused through an official university function.  The quiz will consist of a variety of question types including multiple choice, true/false, short answer, matching, or essay questions.  Quiz grades are final and are graded on a traditional scale of 0 to 100%.

Course & Classroom Policies:    

Attendance & Participation:

Class attendance follows university policy as stated in the current Belmont University Bulletin.  Class participation is expected, including outside class activities; attendance and absence will be noted.  If you miss more than 25% of summer class meetings (6 class meetings), you may be involuntarily dropped from the course with a grade of “WF.”  Absences are considered excused if the instructor is given prior notice, and for reasons such as family emergencies, extremely sick, etc.  Additional accepted excuses are official university sanctioned events with an excuse from the Provost’s Office.  Roll will be taken at the beginning of each class.

Attendance is critical during the duration of this course, due to the nature of the individual and group projects incorporated throughout the semester.  Each student is expected to attend all of the class meetings for the best possible learning experience.  Every lecture will cover material necessary to a thorough understanding of the concepts.  Class participation represents 5% of each individual student’s grade.   

Materials: 

Make Me A Star (Anastasia Brown/Brian Mansfield, Thomas Nelson) (Required)

The instructor will assign additional readings as necessary.  Online downloads and PDF’s are expected to be brought to class on laptop or hardcopy.  All additional readings and handouts will be posted on Blackboard as directed by instructor.  If PDFs are assigned, students are expected to bring a copy to class.

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

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

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.

Class Schedule: (Subject to change at instructor’s discretion)

Week	Date		Topics	Reading Assignment	Assignments Due
1	7/13/09		Introduction/Industry Trends	Introduction
	7/14/09		Career Building Blocks/Auditions	Chapters 15, 1-3
	7/15/09		Cottage Industry	Chapters 4-6
	7/16/09		Business Basics	Handouts
	7/17/09		Structured Class Activity #1	NAMM show
2	7/20/09		Business Basics		Artist Memo #1
	7/21/09		Endorsements/Sponsorships	Chapter 14
	7/22/09		Marketing	Handouts
	7/23/09		Artist Image
	7/24/09		Artist Image/Class Artist Auditions		NAMM Paper
3	7/27/09		Promotional Packages		Marketing Seg. due
	7/28/09		Artist Biography	Handouts
	7/29/09		Artist Biography
	7/30/09		Live Performance/Touring	Chapters 7, 13
	7/31/09		Live Performance/Touring	Handouts	Individual Career Plan
4	8/3/09		Booking Agents	Chapter 9	Artist Biography due
	8/4/09		Artist Managers/Quiz	Chapter 8
	8/5/09		Songwriting/Publishing	Chapter 11
	8/6/09		Producers	Chapter 10	Promo Kits due
	8/7/09		The Record Deal	Chapter 12
5	8/10/09		Class Presentations		Outlines due
		8/11/09     Last Day of Class