Future Music Moguls
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Starting February 2010, The Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music at Tisch School of the Arts, New York University will be inaugurating a new intensive 12-week workshop for high school students, called Future Music Moguls. It’s designed to introduce talented high school juniors to all aspects of the contemporary music business, with a special focus on developing entrepreneurial skills. In learning about music entrepreneurship, students receive a basic introduction to issues in financial literacy that can be applied to a wide range of future activities.
FREE to participants, the program is held at the department’s state-of-the-art facilities on Saturdays starting in February and ending in May. Applicants, typically in the middle of their junior year, hail from high schools in the five boroughs of New York City as well as from Westchester County, Long Island, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Approximately 12-15 students will be selected to attend the workshop.
WHAT STUDENTS WILL LEARN
* The creative process behind writing and recording hit songs
* What it means to be successful in today’s music business
* An introduction to marketing, promotion, touring, publicity, branding and other elements of the business
* How the Internet and mobile devices are affecting the delivery and distribution of music
* To begin to develop leadership skills
Students receive a basic introduction to all aspects of the music industry, including writing hit songs, producing records, developing critical opinions about music and writing about and communicating those opinions in a clear manner. Most of the workshop focuses on learning about what it means to be successful in today’s music business, with an emphasis on current issues and future trends in the distribution and delivery of music. How music is discovered and distributed on the Internet and on mobile phones will be the focus of some of the workshop discussions. Students will receive a basic introduction to marketing, promotion, live performances and touring, publicity, branding and other elements of the music business. Students are encouraged to engage in discussion and debate and to engage in practical exercises designed to develop their skills in the business area.
Throughout the workshop, students will also learn about successful New York based music moguls who have made a major impact on the history of music, taking a revealing look at how they built their empires. We’ll pay attention to successful New York record labels like:
- FANIA – the home of Salsa music started in the 1960s by Johnny Pacheco and Johnny Masucci, which brought artists like Celia Cruz and Tito Puente to global fame
- DEF JAM – the center of hip hop in the 1980s started by Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons; now a global brand (The Island Def Jam Music Group) and currently home to artists like Kanye West and Rihanna
- BAD BOY – a major urban music label started in the 1990s by Sean Puffy Combs, which helped create the careers of artists like The Notorious BIG and is currently home to artists like Day 26 and Danity Kane.
If possible, students will visit Def Jam and Bad Boy and meet with individuals who currently work at those labels or individuals who played a historical role in helping to build them. Students may also visit the Raíces Latin Music Museum Collection, a comprehensive, multi-media collection describing and documenting the history and evolution of Latin Music in New York City; and the New York city hip-hop history tour in Harlem with Grandmaster Caz. Students will also attend live music performances where possible.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
The lead instructor for the twelve-week workshop is Jayson Jackson – a leading music executive (Bad Boy, Virgin Records) and Broadway producer (Bridge & Tunnel) who has also served as artist manager to platinum-selling recording superstars ranging from Lauryn Hill, Mos Def, Q-tip, Spank Rock and Santigold.
WHAT ARE THE GOALS OF FUTURE MUSIC MOGULS?
- To identify talented high school juniors with a strong career interest in music business from the New York metropolitan area
- To encourage intellectual growth
- To broaden knowledge about career opportunities in the music business
- To introduce students to the concept of “entrepreneurship” (launching a successful music business venture) and to identify and cultivate students’ leadership skills
WHO CAN ATTEND?
Applicants must demonstrate:
* Strong previous interest and participation in music or the music industry or business or leadership
* Academic achievement
* Ability to work as a team member
* Willingness to collaborate
* A firm commitment to completing the entire workshop, which will be held on twelve Saturdays from February through May
* Twelve to fifteen students will be selected after review of application materials and an interview
The Future Music Moguls Workshop is open to all high school juniors. The workshop focuses its recruitment efforts on underrepresented groups, particularly those who have been underrepresented in traditional leadership roles in the music industry. Applications are currently being reviewed. Selected students will be invited by December 15, 2009 to come to NYU-Tisch for interviews, which will occur on Saturday, January 9, 2010.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
The workshop is free to all participating students.
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN APPLICANTS?
Applicants must demonstrate:
- Strong previous interest and participation in music or the music industry or business or leadership
- Academic achievement
- Ability to work as a team member
- Willingness to collaborate
- A firm commitment to completing the entire workshop which will be held on twelve Saturdays from February through May
Twelve-fifteen students will be selected after a review of application materials and an interview.
WHEN DOES THE WORKSHOP TAKE PLACE?
The workshop is held on twelve consecutive Saturdays beginning in late February and ending in May.
The first class will meet on Saturday, February 6, 2010.
There will be a final Future Music Moguls screening/event on Saturday, May 15, 2010.