Entrepreneurs in Music — and Don’t Forget about Mozart!

I have some thoughts about some things I experienced last year that helped motivate me to be part of this panel. Entrepreneurship to me is so important and it seems that it is becoming an important part of the college concern these days.
I was at a university doing a master class, splitting a session with a person who happened to be in the music production field. I gave my talk, trying to be positive and telling the kids to experience as much as possible of what their school had to offer, to keep an open mind and work, work, work. The music producer decided it was his job to belittle the kids and tell them there really isn’t room for them in the music field. Why should he hire any one of them for anything? And what made them think they had anything to offer him or anyone else? Performers, so what! He was making them obsolete by using his computer in the movie, TV and recording business. It was a wake-up call this person felt he needed to give them.
I know there are hundreds of universities across the country that are motivated to keep their numbers up. The result can be many kids struggling, trying to find themselves, but none-the-less going through the motions of what is expected of them. Some might naively think that, once the necessary required courses have been taken, the phone would ring off the hook for that dream job. This music producer felt he was doing these kids a favor with this wake-up call. What he didn’t do is give them any ideas, hope, vision or possibilities. That is what is so great about this panel. The panelists, through their own experiences of ingenuity, passion, talent and hard work, will hopefully open some minds and offer possibilities to many. This has been a great learning experience for me and through this process, I have gained valuable advice that I can also pass on to others.
Thank you, Yvonne and Ann, for all your work in putting this together.
Chuck