Belmont University

Record Company Operations - 3630.01

Fall 2005

Room MC209B

Instructor: Mr. David Herrera-Office: 227MBC

Office Phone: 460-6908 Home Phone 453-7802

Email: herrerad@mail.belmont.edu

9:30 am-10:45am (TR)

 

Course Description: This course organizes the areas and operations of a record company. Emphasis is placed on A&R, Creative Services, Promotion, Royalty Distribution, In-House Production, Marketing, Publicity, and Independent vs. Major Label Issues

 

Course objectives:

  • Gain insight/define and gain practical applications in the structure, organization and operation of a typical record label
  • Gain insight into the ongoing study of contemporary issues and problems relating to the recording industry. 
  • Gain knowledge of practical applications in the creation, development, manufacturing and promotion of a recorded product.
  • Understand the administrative and accounting procedures of a record company.

 

Textbook/Materials: 

Web Site: Additional readings/handouts will be delivered at "campus.belmont.edu/herrerad”

You will be notified if additional sites are to be used.

(MS Word/Excel Documents and PDF files need to have Adobe Acrobat for download). 

Accommodation of Disabilities: In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, Belmont University will provide reasonable accommodations 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 Tammye Tanksley, Director of Counseling & Developmental Support in the Office of Student Affairs (460-6407) as soon as possible.

Attendance:  Due to the duration of this course, attendance is critical and absences will affect your overall performance.  Please see policies as stated in the current Belmont University Bulletin. Additionally,

  • Excused absence:  Given only if the instructor is given prior notice, and the absence for dire a reason (death in family, accident, extremely sick, etc.).
  • Additional accepted excuses are official University Sanctioned events with an excuse from the Provosts office
Course Requirements

Participation:

This course will involve discussion, lecture, and projects/assignments.  Your success will be determined by your efforts, and will be reflected on your final evaluation. 

 

Each class member will be subjectively rated for quality of discussion.  Students who are prepared, have a reasonable commander of the facts, and can contribute actively to the topics will be rated favorably.  Those who seemed unprepared, unwilling, or uncommitted to active participation will be rated unfavorably.  Absence from the discussion results in the zero for the day.

 

Problem Sets/Miscellaneous Assignments: Short individual and team assignments will be given relating to class material and are due on assigned dates given in class. Assignments are to be “Hard Copied” to instructor.  Additional details will be presented in class if needed. Assignments may include the following:
  1. Record Contract/Deal Memo
  2. Mechanical license
  3. Production Timeline/Budget
  4. Master use License request
  5. Receipt of Master Document
  6. Limited Marketing Plan design for artist.
  7. Operations management exercises: TBA throughout course
  8. E-marketing assignments for Curb Records

 

Grading: All assignments are returned with suggestions for corrections. If your grade accepted (100%); the assignment is not to be redone. If graded as a redo--you must resubmit or receive a “0.” Assignments may be returned multiple times. Initial assignments are due on the date indicated on the syllabus, unless instructor gives class notice of a change of date. Late assignments are deducted per instructor’s discretion. Returned and graded assignments are accepted for resubmission until the last day of class (at 4:00PM)--after which they are not accepted.  Any assignment may be returned for a redo more than once if work is not acceptable.

 

Quiz/Exams: There will several quizzes/exams during the session. These exams may consist of a variety of question types: multiple choice, true/false, short answer, matching, or essay questions.  Grading for quizzes is the standard 100-0%.

 

Acklen Curb Project: TBA. There will be some short research and marketing projects to be coordinated with curb records in conjunction with one of their artists. This will be designed and implemented throughout the five week period.

 

Final Project:

Based on the artists you choose to work with, you will develop a budget and proposal for the artist to be recorded on Acklen or Curb Records. Your final proposal will be presented to area labels for consideration—Details to be delivered in class.

 

Grading Scale

A             93-100

A-           90-92

B+           87-89

B             83-86 Superior to average work

B-            80-82

C+           77-79

C             73-76 Average/typical of class

C-            70-72

D+           67-69

D             63-66 Inferior to the average

D-            60-62

F              0-59 Failure to receive credit


 

Attendance                                                             5%

Quizzes/Showcase                                                 15%

Assignments/Misc. Presentations                      30%

Final Project (written)                                            25%

Final Project (presentation)                                  25%

Total                                                                         100%

 

Professional Behavior:  Your professional behavior and attendance is expected. Cheating:  Please refer to the Belmont University Student Handbook. 

 

Instructor reserves the right to make changes may be made in this syllabus as needed—life happens. Please be flexible!