Who is Your Customer?

November 29, 2016 In: Sound Bits

Well, Black Friday 2016 and Cyber Monday 2016 are now passed, but this still seems an opportune time to think about our “customers.” If we think of ourselves or our ensembles like a business, we should be thinking about who are customers are and what they want, right?  Isn’t that what business do? (Answer: Yes) […]

How to Make Your Own Luck – 3 Tips

November 22, 2016 In: Sound Bits

Do Great Work.  Focus on your craft – whether that means performing at the highest level with your ensemble, teaching at the highest level, writing great arrangements, etc.  Excellence has to come first; do great work and people will notice.  When people notice, “lucky” things start to happen. (Read: opportunities will present themselves that seem […]

What Makes Your Work Different?

November 15, 2016 In: Sound Bits

Are your concerts just like everyone else’s? Are your compositions or arrangements? Is your improvisational style? Your teaching? If not, what makes your’s different? What makes it unique? This is essential knowledge.  And sometimes it takes a while to really figure it out.  You need to know what makes your work different from your peers, […]

Remember Why You Got into This Music Thing in the First Place

November 8, 2016 In: Sound Bits

When we face challenges, when being an artist or musician or teacher or freelancer is hard, we should remember why we went down this road in the first place.  When the world around us seems frazzled (I’m writing this on election day…) I think it is important to look back and remember what captivated us […]

The How and Why of the Alternative Ensemble

November 1, 2016 In: Ahead of the Beat

The post below was written by William Robin, a musicologist who received a 2015 Paul R. Judy Center for Applied Research grant to study the social history of new music in the United States from 1980 to the present through the lens of innovative ensembles. As a musicologist who focuses on the world of contemporary […]

Ensemble Dal Niente Reflects on their 2015 PRJ Center Grant Project

October 27, 2016 In: Ahead of the Beat

The article below was written by Ben Melsky, Executive Director and Harpist of Ensemble Dal Niente, a 2015 Paul R. Judy Center for Applied Research grant recipient. Ensemble Dal Niente is a Chicago-based contemporary music collective that presents and performs new music in ways that redefine the listening experience and advance the art form. The […]

Video Now Available from 10/8/16 INNOVATE. LEAD. MUSIC. Conference

October 24, 2016 In: Sound Bits

On October 8, 2016, the Eastman School of Music hosted the INNOVATE. LEAD. MUSIC. conference, organized by the Paul R. Judy Center for Applied Research.  The event was very well attended by musicians, educators, students, and leaders from around the country, and an outstanding group of guest speakers shared stories, ideas, and strategies that were […]

Deadline Approaching: Grant Opportunity for Ensembles – “Sound Places” from Chamber Music America

October 18, 2016 In: Sound Bits

If you are interested in this program, send an email expressing your interest to margaret@chamber-music.org by October 26, 2016! Sound Places – A New Grant Opportunity for Ensembles Sound Places, a pilot program, aims to integrate ensembles-in-residence into the community life of Cultural Districts in Louisiana. Chamber Music America (CMA), in partnership with the Project […]

The Entrepreneurial Spirit and its Place in Traditional Jobs

October 10, 2016 In: Sound Bits

Kate Sheeran, Provost and Dean of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music was a panelist this past weekend at the INNOVATE. LEAD. MUSIC. Conference.  One thing she said really stuck with me.  The panelists were discussing the importance of innovation and entrepreneurial thinking and training.  Kate made the point that thinking like an innovator and […]

League Launches $4.5 Million Grants Program for Innovative Orchestras

October 4, 2016 In: Sound Bits

Check out this exciting new grant program from the League of American Orchestras! From their 9/20/2016 news release: The League of American Orchestras has launched the American Orchestras’ Future Fund, a new grantmaking program funded by the Ann & Gordon Getty Foundation. The $4.5 million grants program will offer two-year organizational grants as well as […]