Curriculum and Advising

Entrepreneurial Musicianship offers a range of courses that help artists articulate the impact they want to make as musicians and build the professional skill to do so.

In addition to our seminar course, The Entrepreneurial Musician, we offer focused electives that cover diverse topics such as marketing, communications, financial planning, and legal issues. In our courses, students learn by doing—whether it’s talking about their music, building a website, or balancing a budget—and tailor each assignment to fit their unique interests and goals.

Course Descriptions

For complete information as to courses offered in the current year, consult the schedule of course offerings available each semester in the Registrar’s Office

FALL 2022

The Entrepreneurial Musician: Undergraduate Seminar » Fall 2022


The Entrepreneurial Musician course provides a strategic perspective of the skills, strategies, and mindsets that help musicians create and develop unique, resilient, and successful careers in today’s music field. This class will cultivate a mindset of self-efficacy – the belief in one’s capacity to perform specific tasks to achieve goals and standards – as the foundation for a life in music. Since discussions in this course are focused primarily on post-NEC careers, students who register should be at least in their junior year of coursework.
(1 credit, GE) ENTP 351 | E. Epstein, TeetersPhillips

 

Creating An Audience: Marketing Basics » Fall 2022


So you have a great artistic product—now how do people find out about it? In this course, students will learn how to reach beyond the community they already know to get the word out about their work to the world beyond. Using real-world case studies, we will develop the language and media to build our individual/organizational voice and brand identity and apply that identity to building functional outreach strategies. Relying heavily on a user/audience-centric approach, students will learn the tactical skills necessary to bring a project, performance, or product to market through practical assignments directly applicable to their individual or ensemble careers.
(1 credit) ENTP 554 | Phillips

 

Entrepreneurial Internship » Fall 2022


Internships place students in environments where they learn how to take responsibility for all aspects of a musical endeavor – performance, teaching, administrative work, marketing, etc. EM Internships are offered in conjunction with a wide variety of local arts organizations and ensembles. Each intern will work directly with a professional from the host organization and is required to work a minimum of 70 hours over the course of a semester. Students must apply for and secure an internship offer in order to gain credit for an internship; learn more about EM Internships here. 
(1 credit) ENTP INT or 540 

 

 

 SPRING 2023

The Entrepreneurial Musician: Undergraduate Seminar » Spring 2023


The Entrepreneurial Musician course provides a strategic perspective of the skills, strategies, and mindsets that help musicians create and develop unique, resilient, and successful careers in today’s music field. This class will cultivate a mindset of self-efficacy – the belief in one’s capacity to perform specific tasks to achieve goals and standards – as the foundation for a life in music. Since discussions in this course are focused primarily on post-NEC careers, students who register should be at least in their junior year of coursework.
(1 credit, GE) ENTP 351 | E. Epstein, TeetersPhillips

 

Creating An Audience: Marketing Basics » ENTP 554


So you have a great artistic product -- now how do people find out about it? In this course, students will learn how to reach beyond the community they already know to get the word out about their work to the world beyond. Using real world case studies, we will develop the language and media to build our individual/organizational voice and brand identity and apply that identity to building functional outreach strategies. Relying heavily on a user/audience-centric approach, students will learn theatrical skills necessary to bring a project, performance, or product to market through practical assignments directly applicable to their individual or ensemble careers. 
(1 credit) ENTP 554 | Phillips

 

EM Expo Seminar: Creative Project Building: From Thinking to Doing  »  Spring 2023

Music is a powerful tool to bridge differences and lift up audiences. While we live in a time with seemingly insurmountable challenges, one of an artist’s primary responsibilities - now more than ever - is to contribute to a better world.  Do you have an idea for your own artistic project outside of NEC’s walls, but how do you actually make it happen? In this course, students will be supported to think deeply about their goals and learn how to develop a plan to support an artistic project of their own choosing.

The course will explore how artistic projects are conceived, developed, and planned, and provide students with an opportunity to design plans for their own projects.  

In addition to a final presentation representing a student’s cumulative thinking about the steps needed to achieve his or her identified goals, student learning will be supported by guest speakers, individual advising, constructive feedback from peers and NEC alumni, and assigned written reflections.
(1 credit) ENTP 558T | Cords

 

Entrepreneurial Internship » Spring 2023


Internships place students in environments where they learn how to take responsibility for all aspects of a musical endeavor – performance, teaching, administrative work, marketing, etc. EM Internships are offered in conjunction with a wide variety of local arts organizations and ensembles. Each intern will work directly with a professional from the host organization and is required to work a minimum of 70 hours over the course of a semester. Students must apply for and secure an internship offer in order to gain credit for an internship; learn more about EM Internships here. 
(1 credit) ENTP INT or 540