Course Syllabus

ARTSADMN 475/575 – Section 001

Music Industry Workshop: Starting Music Businesses

Winter 2018: M/W 12:30p-2:00p; 506 Burton Memorial Tower

Instructor: Jonathan Kuuskoski (jkuusk@umich.edu)

Introduction

The music industry has undergone enormous changes fueled by both social and technological shifts. Still, entrepreneurs find brilliant new ways for users to interact with, experience, hear, and even see music. In this course, participants will work in teams to learn about the business of the music industry today by working with other students to start and test music-oriented or related businesses. By the end of the semester, students will decide whether to keep working on the business they start. Teams will assess opportunities, research potential customers, explore legal barriers, formulate and validate a business plan, and execute a plan to spread their business to the world.  

As the University of Michigan reaches its 200th Birthday, there is a large amount of musical history that it has amassed. Similarly, local musical institutions, such as the Ark and The Blind Pig, have likely amassed a similar recorded history. Finally, there is no shortage of music being created in the here and now on campus. In short, there is a rich musical fabric surrounding us, which we can easily share with the world. Students will figure out how best to interact with this network of musical assets and creators, while managing how well their idea matches the interest of a customer base.

Students who take this class will be expected to work in teams to teach and lead others, while learning and putting in to use the entrepreneurial skills needed to operate a music-oriented company.

This class is an offering of the U-M School of Music, Theatre, and Dance’s Department of Entrepreneurship and Leadership, and Innovate Blue , and qualifies as a Specialized Practicum for the Minor in Entrepreneurship.

 

The syllabus, assignments, and any other information (including course modules for each section) will be available on Canvas.

 

The Goal

 

By the end of the semester, you and your teammates will be able to launch a minimum-viable product of a music oriented business, that is making sales, is testing market fit, and can look for further funding to grow.

The Format

After the first week of class, which we’ll use for introductions and to ensure that we’re all at the same basic level of understanding of the topics we’ll cover, students will split in teams based upon the product, company, or idea they wish to release into the market. These are the "Company Based Teams." The individuals who cover certain areas, otherwise known as the “Directors” for that set of responsibilities will work together to lead online discussions on Canvas that will complement our in-class discussions and reading.

The class has three main phases as well: "Building the Knowledge Base," "Constant Iteration, Modifying Assumptions, And Honing the Offering(s)," and "Striving Toward the Market – Go or No Go?" which largely model the standard entrepreneurial model most businesses use as they develop an offering.  Each phase is roughly 1/3 of the time of the semester, though this isn’t exact.

Grading

This workshop functions, in many ways, like a job. As such, only one unexcused absence will be allowed during the term.

Beyond that one unexcused absence, students enrolled in this course are expected to attend every class, and additional unexcused absences will adversely affect your grade. Absence for illness is excusable, but acceptance of such an absence is contingent upon a written excuse from student health or other health care professional. Other absences may only be excused only at the discretion of the instructor. In such cases, students are responsible for informing their team and the instructor in advance of class, as well as inquiring about making up work missed due to an absence. Attendance, participation, research, reporting, management, and leadership skills will be evaluated and graded through the term by a mixture of assignments, in-class workshops, presentations of findings, etc. A limited number of meetings with representatives of other University & third-party organizations will be expected and required to be successful in the class. In no uncertain terms: Teams that work on their companies outside of class, particularly regarding market research and fit, will be the most successful.

Furthermore, exams and in-class discussions will be evaluated not only by the material covered and discussed online and in class, but based upon your knowledge of the material assigned as reading. While you are tasked with creating companies in this class, you are also tasked to have a firm foundation in the readings assigned to be able to excel in creating a business in this field.

Your final grade in the class will be weighted as follows and determined by the cumulative score you have in each weighted section, which may have sub-parts: 

• 5% Required Pre-and Post-Class Surveys
• 20% Regular Attendance & Participation in/at Workshop
• 5% Leadership of Online Discussion
• 5% Participation in Online Discussion
• 40% Submissions (Papers, etc.)
• 10% Midterm Exam & Presentation (Non-Attendance for Presentation = Failing Grade)
• 20% Final Exam & Presentation (Non-Attendance for Presentation = Failing Grade)
• 5% Team Evaluations

Late Assignments will be deducted one letter grade segment for each day past the due date. For instance, if your grade would have been an A- on an assignment, submitting that assignment 49 hours late (2+ days) would result in a B. The above being said, extensions for absences that are impossible to miss may be granted in appropriate cases, the key being that you discuss this in advance with the instructor.

Required Texts & Tools:

• Osterwalder, Alexander & Yves Pigneur. Business Model Generation.
• Weinzweig, Ari. Zingerman’s Guide to Good Leading: A lapsed anarchist’s approach to building a great business
• Weinzweig, Ari. Zingerman’s Guide to Giving Great Service: Treating your customers like royalty
• Burlingham, Bo. Small Giants: companies that choose to be great instead of big. 2nd Ed.

 

Additional readings will be drawn from:

• Passman, Donald S. All You Need to Know About the Music Business. 9th Ed.
• Articles in Coursepack from Harvard Business Publishing, available at http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cbmp/access/57101760
• Various Links, Videos, and Articles via Canvas
• Team Collaboration on musicindustryworkshop.slack.com

Class Schedule

• This class follows the Academic Calendar for the University, including for exams, as prescribed at http://ro.umich.edu/calendar. Classes begin on Wednesday, January 3, 2018. Students who attend this day will have priority for waitlist overrides.
• January 15, 2018: No Class – MLK Holiday
• February 26, 2018: No Class – Winter Break
• February 28, 2018: No Class – Winter Break
• Friday, April 20, 2018: Final Exam Period – 1:30p to 3:30p
  • Our last class meeting will take place during the scheduled exam period for the class, per the Registrar's Office. Please make arrangements to be at this class session. Your company will present during this period and each team member must participate to earn a grade. If you are not present, you will fail this part of the exam.

 

My Expectations of You

• I expect you to have questions, and expect you to stop me and ask them, at any time. 
• I expect you to participate in this class in a fair and honorable manner, both toward me, and toward your fellow classmates.
• I expect team-based projects to be based upon the work of all members of the team. If this is not the case, I expect you to first try to resolve the issue with your team-mate, and then with me, if the first attempt does not work.
• I expect you to be aware that I have a full-time job outside of this class and outside of the University, which may delay, to a small degree, my response to you, at times. 
• I expect you to challenge assumptions, but do so based upon data and feedback. 
• I expect you to follow all copyright laws to their fullest extent, and to not plagiarize the work of others in your work.

What You Can Expect from Me

• You can expect me to grade fairly and evenly.
• You can expect me to be available to answer questions, and to mentor you as you build your offering. 
• You can expect me to stop in the middle of a "lecture" to answer a question that may arise. 
• You can expect me to ask you questions based on the reading, which may or may not be rhetorical, and expect an answer, or prod a discussion based upon your response. 
• You can expect me to pick readings and assignments that will strengthen your entrepreneurial skills and knowledge of the music industry, based upon my experience working in the industry and as an entrepreneur myself.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

If you think you need an accommodation for a disability, please let me know at your earliest convenience. Some aspects of this course, the assignments, the in-class activities, and the way the course is usually taught may be modified to facilitate your participation and progress. As soon as you make me aware of your needs, we can work with the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office to help us determine appropriate academic accommodations. SSD (734-763-3000; http://ssd.umich.edu) typically recommends accommodations through a Verified Individualized Services and Accommodations (VISA) form. Any information you provide is private and confidential and will be treated as such. 

Student Mental Health and Wellbeing

University of Michigan is committed to advancing the mental health and wellbeing of its students. If you or someone you know is feeling overwhelmed, depressed, and/or in need of support, services are available. For help, contact Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at (734) 764-8312 and https://caps.umich.edu during and after hours, on weekends and holidays, or through its counselors physically located in schools on both North and Central Campus. You may also consult University Health Service (UHS) at (734) 764-8320 and https://www.uhs.umich.edu/mentalhealthsvcs, or for alcohol or drug concerns, see https://www.uhs.umich.edu/aodresources.  For a listing of other mental health resources available on and off campus, visit: http://www.umich.edu/~mhealth

Assignment/Topics List

A complete list of all the assignments and topics for the class, including course schedule, will be posted to Canvas. Below is an updated (as of 3/2/18) course schedule. After each class session has finished, I'll update Canvas with a summary of what we covered in the class session and alert you to any adjustments that may occur.

Hard Copy Files

For those who want the syllabus file to print at home, here it is as a Word Doc and as a PDF.