MANNES COLLEGE OF MUSIC EXTENSION DIVISION: SPRING 2011
BOOKING YOUR OWN CONCERTS 12 sessions, Mondays at 7:00 PM, starting January 24 1 credit ($450.00)
INSTRUCTOR: ROBERT BESEN
Most artists are not fortunate enough to have quality professional management. These artists (and even those who do have management) stand to benefit tremendously from a thorough knowledge of the process of booking a concert engagement. These skills will serve them well in: 1. Getting the work that will launch and sustain their careers 2. Developing their careers to a level at which they will be attractive to management agencies 3. Giving them an understanding of how concert presenters and agents operate, and the savvy they need to work effectively with them throughout their careers
It is a myth that concert presenters are willing to hire only artists with management; indeed, the majority are willing to work directly with artists, and many prefer it. This course provides an in‐depth and practical look at the process of finding and communicating with concert presenters: learning how to make one’s work interesting to them and their audiences, negotiating fees, drawing up contracts, and seeing events through to a conclusion so that the needs of artist and concert presenter alike are met. Interactive role‐playing with concert presenters from around the country (using a speaker phone) will allow students to gain practical experience. Topics include:
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Basics of Press Kits & Recordings Who Am I?: Gaining a verbal understanding of your own work Who’d Be Interested in Me?: The Research Process Tooting Your Own Horn (Part I): Getting a presenter’s attention Tooting Your Own Horn (Part II): Keeping a presenter’s attention Tooting Your Own Horn (Part III): The follow‐up process Getting Someone Else to Toot Your Horn What Am I Worth?: The Art of Negotiation How to Read & Write Contracts Logistics: From the Contract to the Concert (And After)
Robert Besen founded BesenArts in 1999 after serving two seasons a Managing Director of the Riverside Symphony. Prior to that, he was Associate Director of Concert Artists Guild, where he served on the staff since completing his Bachelor’s degree in music at Harvard College in 1983. While at the Guild, Mr. Besen created and implemented that organization’s artist management program. In addition to this course, Mr. Besen is a frequent speaker on career development at The Juilliard School and other major universities and conservatories throughout the United States, as well the national conferences of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters and Chamber Music America.
INFORMATION 212‐580‐0210 x4802 REGISTER http://ceregistration.newschool.edu/register/courselisting.cfm?deptid=XBIZ&divid=6&master=XBIZ#XBIZ1002