Online Undergraduate Degree Course

Interdisciplinary Music Studies Capstone

author.full_name

Authored by Sean Hagon

|

Course Code: OIDMS-480

Next semester
starts Sept 29

12 Weeks

Level 4 - Degree Only

Level 4

The Interdisciplinary Music Studies Capstone Project provides students with a platform to explore and discover the first steps toward a career while synthesizing a variety of skills and knowledge from the coursework studied in the designated area of concentration.

Read More

Throughout the process of creating a major final project, students learn the skills, concepts, and methodologies necessary to help focus on the entrepreneurial aspect of a professional music career.

The material covered in the course will be comprised of project-based activities and assignments related to the weekly topics, discussions, and self-evaluation activities.

The course starts by discussing important artist-entrepreneur success traits necessary for independent music success.  We then explore, discern and compare music-related opportunities in today’s music industry and how these relate to personal goals and aspirations. The course concludes with the various steps of completing a final capstone project.

Strategies for independent music success related to career goals are covered.

Students will complete a major final project in their designated area of concentration whose creation and/or enactment is equal in quality and extent to the demands of the current professional music environment. Prior to development of the final project, students will learn strategies for self-promoting and independent music success relevant to individual business goals and career paths.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

  • Develop and complete a final project that is directly related to career goals and relevant to today’s music industry
  • Recognize and develop an entrepreneurial mindset to approach career as a business venture
  • Identify and employ effective strategies for finding your niche in the industry related to your company, product or service and establish guidelines for setting your fee
  • Identify the essentials of music promotion, marketing and market research directly related to your project, career goals, company, product or service
  • Execute the various steps in formulating a project proposal including resource management, budget, finances and sources
Read Less
Overview Syllabus Requirements Instructors

Interested in this course?

This course can be taken as part of Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Music Studies (Create Your Own Major) Degree Program
Request Info

Need guidance?

1-866-BERKLEE Int'l: +1-617-747-2146

Call, Text, or Email us

Syllabus

Lesson 1: Artist-Entrepreneur Success Traits 

  • Workshop: Know Yourself
  • The Artist-Entrepreneur Defined
  • Workshop: Entrepreneur Success Traits
  • Wearing Many Hats
  • Survey: Entrepreneurial Instincts
  • Discussion: Entrepreneurial Success Traits
  • The Entrepreneurial Mindset
  • Clearing Obstacles
  • Setting Goals
  • Goal Development Tips
  • Practical Planning
  • Assignment 1: Musical Life History Video

Lesson 2: Innovation, Attitude, and the Twenty-First Century Skill Set

  • Project Areas
  • The Entrepreneur and The Educator
  • Discussion: Unanswered Needs or Market Opportunities
  • Innovation, Attitude, and the Twenty-First Century Skill Set
  • The Twenty-First Century Skill Set
  • Social Entrepreneurship
  • Survey: Social Responsibility
  • Discerning Opportunities: Megatrend 1
  • Megatrend 2
  • Megatrend 3
  • Megatrend 4
  • Megatrend 5
  • Discussion: Historical Crossroads
  • Megatrends 6 and 7
  • Workshop: Megatrends Flash Cards
  • Other Music Micro-Trends
  • Assignment 2: Business Concept Worksheet

Lesson 3: Mapping Out Your Music Destinations 

  • Knowing Your Options
  • Discussion: Goals
  • How to Structure a Music Opportunity Plan
  • Legal Structures
  • Marketing Plan
  • The Fundamental Rule of Successful Marketing
  • Survey: Marketing Methods
  • Operations Plan
  • Project Timeline and Financial Plan
  • Expense Worksheet and Income Statement
  • Assignment 3: Your Mission Worksheet

Lesson 4: Zeroing In On Your Market 

  • Types of Markets
  • Uncover your Strengths and Weaknesses
  • Opportunities and Threats
  • Discussion: SWOT Market Analysis
  • Strategies for Finding Your Niche
  • Workshop: Finding Your Niche
  • Choosing a Name for Your Company, Product, or Service
  • Testing Your Name
  • Formal Trademark Registration
  • Discussion: Your Value Proposition
  • Assignment 4: 12 Questions to Ask of Every Business Deal

Lesson 5: Smart Management for the Professional Musician 

  • The Self-Managed Musician
  • Efffective Career and Business Management
  • Understanding Your Value
  • Basic Business Licenses
  • Protecting Your Intellectual Property
  • Trademarks
  • Protecting Artist/Band Names (Page 2)
  • Exercise: Trademark Search
  • Copyrights
  • Fair Use
  • Copyright Infringement
  • Discussion: Copyright Infringement
  • Exercise: Who Owns the Copyright?
  • Setting Your Fee
  • Exercise: Hourly Rate
  • Tax Guidelines for the Artist-Entrepreneur
  • Figuring Out Your Taxable Income
  • Self-Employment Taxes
  • Deductions
  • Independent Contractor Status
  • Discussion: Determining Urgency
  • Assignment 5: List of Seven-Goal Setting

Lesson 6: Essentials of Music Promotion and Marketing 

  • Developing a Marketing Mind Set
  • Three Steps to Understanding Your Customer
  • Workshop: Demographics
  • Understanding Your Customer
  • Database of Connections
  • Impressive Presentations
  • Presentation Requirements
  • Creating Your EPK
  • Designing a Business Card
  • Creating a Logo
  • Exercise: Create a Business Card and Logo
  • Targeted Promotion
  • Discussion: Your Essentials of Music Promotion and Marketing
  • Assignment 6: Target Market

Lesson 7: The Project 

  • Final Project Proposal
  • Exercise: Defining Your Project
  • Resource Management
  • Practical Planning
  • Exercise: Resource Management
  • Budget, Finances, and Financial Management
  • Exercise: Budget, Finances, and Financial Management
  • Exercise: Sources, Conclusion, and Timeline
  • Project Journal
  • Projects and Forms of Submission
  • Discussion: Project Brainstorming
  • Assignment 7: Develop Final Project Proposal

Lesson 8: Mapping Your Media Plan 

  • Understanding Your Media Audience
  • Social Media and Appropriate Uses
  • Social Media Platforms
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • Soundcloud
  • Developing Your Own Artist Website
  • Designing Your Website
  • Which Social Media to Use
  • Your Own Artist/Business Website
  • Orchestrating and Tracking Your Social Media Presence
  • Discussion: Understanding Your Media Audience
  • Assignment 8: Submit Your Final Project Proposal

Lesson 9: Expanding and Deepening Your Music Career 

  • SWOT Your Career
  • Exercise: SWOT Analysis
  • Diversifying Your Activities and Revenue Streams
  • Discussion: Diversification of Silk City Recordings vs. CD Baby
  • Types of Royalties
  • Setting Up a Private Music Instruction Service
  • Endorsements and Sponsorships
  • Expanding Your Online and Mobile Presence
  • Discussion: SWOT Your Career
  • Assignment 9: Begin Final Project

Lesson 10: Pursuing a Career in the New Music Industry 

  • Career and Project Execution
  • Visualization
  • Forming Solid Connections
  • 15 Tips for Career Success
  • Final Project Journal Writing Stage 1
  • Three Magic O’s
  • Workshop: Career Success Flash Cards
  • Discussion: Changes to Original Proposal
  • Assignment 10: Continue Final Project

Lesson 11: The Music Business 2020 

  • Future Forecasts by the Pros
  • Copyright Laws: Making Way for New Trends In Music
  • Fair Compensation for Creators
  • Affordable DIY Services Capture New Revenue Streams
  • Touring and Merch
  • Shifting Demographics
  • Opportunities for Smart Entrepreneurs
  • Final Project Journal Writing Stage 2 & 3
  • Discussion: Concentrate and Elective Courses
  • Assignment 11: Presentation and Feedback Group 1

Lesson 12: Coda 

  • Industry Resources
  • Music Industry Blogs
  • The New Music Economy
  • Developing a Marketing and Entrepreneurial Mindset
  • EPK Services
  • Website Development Tools
  • Creating an Online Store
  • Discussion: Your Capstone Experience
  • Capstone Presentation Requirements
  • Assignment 12: Presentation and Feedback Group 2

Requirements

Prerequisites and Course-Specific Requirements 

Prerequisite Courses, Knowledge, and/or Skills
You must be an Interdisciplinary Music Studies major and have completed 105 credits to take this course.

Textbook(s)

Software

  • Students are responsible for obtaining any additional software necessary for completing their final project, such as a Digital Audio Workstation, video editor, etc.
  • Word processing software, such as Microsoft Word, Google Docs (free), Apple Pages, Apache OpenOffice (free), etc.

Student Deals
After enrolling, be sure to check out our Student Deals page for various offers on software, hardware, and more. Please contact support@online.berklee.edu with any questions.

General Course Requirements

Below are the minimum requirements to access the course environment and participate in Live Classes. Please make sure to also check the Prerequisites and Course-Specific Requirements section above, and ensure your computer meets or exceeds the minimum system requirements for all software needed for your course. 

Mac Users

PC Users

All Users

  • Latest version of Google Chrome
  • Zoom meeting software
  • Webcam
  • Speakers or headphones
  • External or internal microphone
  • Broadband Internet connection

Instructors

Sean Hagon
Sean Hagon

Author & Instructor

Sean Peter Hagon (he/him) is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and orchestrator for the film, television, and advertisement industries, and the chief creative officer and managing partner of Raging Cloud Studios. He previously served as dean of pre-college, online, and professional programs at Berklee Online, associate dean of career education and services, and as chair of the Professional Music Department at Berklee. Prior to his appointment at Berklee, he was the director of continuing education at New England Conservatory. He's also a visiting professor at the Universidad Panamericana School of Fine Arts in Santa Fe, Mexico. An active film and television composer, he has a number of TV and film composing credits to his name, including the History Channel's hit show American Pickers, PBS's Genealogy Roadshow, and the independent films Ride the Wave and Seduction and Snacks.

Read More

A Massachusetts native, Hagon has worked in nearly every aspect of the music industry, from performance, business, composition, and education to technology and production. His educational and administrative philosophy is that he wants students to have the freedom to explore and feel inspired. Most importantly, he wants students to come away with the feeling that what they have learned is relevant, real-world–based knowledge and skills that they can immediately apply, tempered with an entrepreneurial spirit and the mindset to continue to learn and adapt throughout their careers.

Hagon holds a B.M. in professional music from Berklee with concentrations in music education, music production, and film and TV composition; a master's degree in music technology from Indiana University at Indianapolis, and a diploma in media composition from Thinkspace Education.

Hagon was the recipient of the 2010 Exemplary Music Educator Award from Berklee College of Music in recognition of his outstanding teaching and efforts to advance the music education profession. Read Less

Questions?

Contact our Academic Advisors by phone at 1-866-BERKLEE (U.S.), 1-617-747-2146 (INT'L), or by email at advisors@online.berklee.edu.

 Get Info
Call
Text
Available to Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Music Studies (Create Your Own Major) Degree Majors Only