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THIS WEEK ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP WEDNESDAYS: WRITING GREAT BIOs & PROGRAM NOTES

The next installment in our series on the essential tools every musician needs. Join Professor Elissa Guralnick for a great discussion on how to write effectively about yourself and your work.

Polyphonic On Campus – Fall 2011 Webinar Series

Articles of the Week

•    Arts Districts and the New Economy Presidential Advisor, telecommunications executive, and scholar John Eger delves into the argument for “arts districts” as an important tool for economy revitalization. 

•    Online Arts Fundraising Organization Passes $1 million Mark The headline says it all. Check it out:

Entrepreneurial Thought of the Week:

Sunday’s paper brings news of another orchestra in serious trouble – and this time it hits close to home with our own Colorado Symphony. While in many respects the CSO’s situation is not unlike many others – high fixed costs and dwindling revenues have created an unsustainable financial crunch – there’s one really critical difference in this case: their audience is growing. In fact, the CSO is doing the exact things that I and other advocates have been advising orchestras nationwide to do for some time: engage in a wider range of programming styles and venues as part of a larger strategy to connect with new audiences. And it’s working: CSO attendance numbers are up, and the percentage of earned income from ticket sales is among the highest in the country. So why is the group still struggling?

I’m not going to try to solve the CSO’s problems in this little weekly column. I’m not privy to the particulars of the CSO’s finances, and I’m new enough to the Metro area that I don’t feel qualified to speculate on the broader issue of how the greater Denver community views the arts. But I can say this with confidence: somewhere in the mix there’s a disconnect between the product and the market. Part of that disconnect is apparent in higher numbers of people buying tickets to the orchestra but not enough of those individuals furthering their connection with the organization through their giving. Another is that we have an arts organization that is growing its community impact but corporate donors and large philanthropists are apparently not taking notice.

I’ve seen a similar dynamic back with my Pittsburgh group, PNME: in the last eight years, season attendance has grown more than 600% — while individual donations held more or less steady. The mistake we made at PNME – and a mistake I think many arts groups make – is to assume that higher audience numbers will automatically lead to higher individual gifts. Clearly this is not the case. While finding new audiences is critically important to an organization’s survival, it’s only part of the mix. The next step is recognizing that new audiences may not be aware of the importance of their individual gifts, or they may not value the culture of giving that arts organizations of all sizes and types rely on. What this means is that growing audiences is just the first step: the next step is building a relationship with them in which they come to value the important role they can play in the organization’s survival. Once that relationship is solidified, and they value the greater role they can play, the financial complexion of the organization should begin to change, too.

The Video of the Week!

Nothing like finishing with a bang…

Thanks to Curtis Broome for sending this in. Please send me your fun music-related videos!! I know you’ve got them bookmarked and stashed away on your iPhones… Send them my way and share the wealth! J

The Entrepreneurship Center for Music • Jeffrey Nytch, DMA, Director

Email: jeff.nytch@colorado.edu

Office Hours:

Tues & Thurs: 9-11 a.m.  Wed: 2-4 p.m. – or by appointment

Entrepreneurship Wednesdays: 5-6:30 p.m., C-113

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CREATE DENVER BUSINESS WORKSHOP SERIES This Saturday morning workshop series is tailored specifically to members of Denver’s artist community, with valuable resources to de-mystify the business challenges and issues facing creative entrepreneurs. Workshops are $10 each. 

acoustic dubstep band forming Leeds Business School student Colin Bugge is forming an acoustic dubstep band and is interested in performers and/or business-oriented music students to be a part of his venture. Any instrument is welcome. Colin may be interested in entering his venture into the New Venture Challenge – with a shot at the $3,000 music prize. If you’re interested, contact Colin Bugge at colin.bugge@colorado.edu

MISS THE PHOTOSHOOT? JB HEADSHOTS IS COMING TO TOWN! Chicago-based headshot photography firm JB Headshots is coming through Boulder in early October, and is interested in booking interested musicians for promotional shots. For more on this company, check out their website: 

Young Performers Career Advancement 2012 YPCA, a program of the Arts Presenters Classical Connections initiative, is designed to assist classical musicians in the formative stages of their careers by offering opportunities to meet and work with established presenters, managers, agents and artists. The YPCA program provides a practical overview of the presenting and touring industry, expert instruction in the development of audience engagement skills and the chance to perform live in front of a wide array of professionals from the field in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. For more information on applying, visit:

The Louisville Cultural Council is seeking musicians for its fledgling Chamber Coffeehouse series held in the Louisville Center for the Arts, approximately one Sunday afternoon per month from October through April. The series is loosely modeled after the popular Coffeehouse series which is held on Friday nights (again about once per month) and which features folk and bluegrass types of music. Musicians receive 80% of the collected admissions (admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors/students, $5 for children). For more information, contact: LCC Board Member

Susan Honstein at 303-666-0032 or by email at shonstein@gmail.com.

Tenor Section Leader, Paid position. Grace Lutheran Church, 13th and Euclid, Boulder. For job description, contact Director of Music Joyce Shupe Kull: jskullmail@msn.com.

PART-TIME CHOIR DIRECTOR Westminster Presbyterian Church. For more information, contact Pastor Jack Cabaness: jackcab1223@gmail.com

FALL INTERNSHIP at PARLANDO SCHOOL OF THE ARTS Parlando is looking for an intern who can work in the Development/Fundraising area of one of Boulder’s leading community music schools. Hours flexible, but 10 hrs/week is a minimum. Available for academic credit. For more information, contact Travis LaBerge, Executive Director: labergemusic@gmail.com

ARS NOVA SINGERS is seeking a new Executive Director. Click here for more information: http://arsnovasingers.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=55:ed-announce&catid=6:staff&Itemid=73

Shining Mountain Waldorf School in Boulder is seeking a part-time jazz band instructor to do two classes a week with high school students. Approximately 15 high school students (combo style with rhythm section and horns). Two classes a week (Tuesday 10:15-11:00 Friday 1:25-2:10). Pay is hourly at approximately $40/hour. Weekly music department meetings TBA. For more information contact: marcus.e.turner@gmail.com.

COLORADO MUSIC FESTIVAL is looking for a Developing & Marketing intern for the Fall semester. For more information, contact Brandi Numedahl, Marketing Director: numedahl@coloradomusicfest.org

The Boulder Symphony (the community orchestra of Boulder County) currently has the following opportunities for musicians for the 2011-2012 Season (all positions are volunteer unless otherwise noted): Concertmaster (Contracted Position), Principal Cello (Contracted Position), All Strings (some Associate Principal positions available), Principal Oboe, Second Oboe, Principal Bassoon, Bass Trombone, Associate Principal Tuba, Percussion, Harp. Subs in other instruments: the Boulder Symphony maintains a highly active substitute list.Auditions for the upcoming season take place 8/29-8/31 at the First Presbyterian Church in Boulder.  You may view more information and the 2011-12 Schedule online at: or inquire by email: info@BoulderSymphony.org

FORD FOUNDATION FELLOWSHIPS Starting September 1, 2011 Applications will be accepted for the 2012 Ford Diversity Fellowships Program for Achieving Excellence in College and University Teaching. Full eligibility information and online applications are available on our website at: http://nationalacademies.org/ford

Eligibility Requirements: U.S. Citizen or National; Planning a career in teaching and research at the college or university level in a research-based filed of Science, social science or humanities.

Awardees have expenses paid to attend one Conference of Ford Fellows.

Approximately 60 predoctoral, 35 dissertation, and 20 postdoctoral fellowships sponsored by the Ford Foundation and administered by the National Research Council of the National Academies. For more information, email: infofell@nas.edu