人妻少妇专区

In Review

What鈥檚 essential to a thorough music education? Answer 鈥渁 grounding in theory and technique,鈥� and Ramon Ricker 鈥�73E (DMA) won鈥檛 disagree. But add 鈥渁 good understanding of how compound interest works and knowledge of patents and trademarks,鈥� and he鈥檒l tell you you鈥檙e really on the right track.

Ricker, a professor of saxophone and senior associate dean for professional studies at the Eastman School, is author of a new book, Lessons from a Street-Wise Professor: What You Won鈥檛 Learn at Most Music Schools (Soundown Inc., 2011). A practical guide to navigating the professional music world, the book aims to help students develop the business savvy they鈥檒l need to forge a musical career.

鈥淭he standard music curriculum has been about the same for the past hundred years, and it鈥檚 pretty prescribed鈥攜ou take private lessons; you play in the band or orchestra, or sing in the choir; you take music theory and some music history. You play in a chamber music group. And you take a few humanities courses,鈥� Ricker says. 鈥淭hat curriculum prepares people to know something about music and to have performance skills on their instrument, but what鈥檚 lacking are courses that bridge the 鈥榠vory tower鈥� and the real world.鈥�

Ricker hopes his book, like his work as director of the Eastman School鈥檚 Institute for Music Leadership, will help provide that bridge.

鈥淲hat we鈥檙e trying to do鈥� at Eastman, he says, 鈥渋s prepare our students for careers that start today and go 50 years. And that means you have to be entrepreneurial. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 wait for something to come to you鈥攜ou need to make something happen. You can craft what you do around your interests, talents, and abilities.鈥�

The entrepreneurial nature of music is nothing new, Ricker says, calling Mozart and Beethoven musical entrepreneurs of their day. 鈥淢usic has never been a job or an occupation where you just plug into something. You don鈥檛 have it ready-made for you. You have to create it,鈥� he says.

Emmy Award winner and Eastman alumnus Jeff Beal 鈥�83 calls the book 鈥渁n essential guide for success on artistic and entrepreneurial terms that leverages that crucial aspect of any artist鈥檚 life journey鈥攖he passion to create, and to share that creativity with the world.鈥�

Ricker鈥檚 advice in the book grew out of a course he鈥檚 taught for 20 years, Entrepreneurship in Music. It also mirrors a larger effort at the Eastman School to ensure its graduates are ready for the 21st-century musical marketplace. Established in 2001 with support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Institute for Music Leadership has influenced the traditional curriculum at Eastman and guided students in taking an entrepreneurial approach to their careers, with courses, workshops, and other initiatives.

鈥淚t鈥檚 so easy, depending on your teachers, not to be prepared for a life in music,鈥� Ricker says. 鈥淵ou can know an awful lot, but you鈥檒l need to figure out how to survive. And many of the things I talk about in the book, and that we teach at Eastman, are things professional musicians would learn in the first five to ten years of their careers. We鈥檙e trying to smooth out the road and get rid of those speed bumps.鈥�

With about 150 jobs opening each year in the nation鈥檚 top 50 orchestras鈥攆or all instruments combined鈥攖he keys to surviving and thriving are 鈥渟treet-level tactics and mindsets,鈥� Ricker says.

He draws on his own experience in a varied 50-year-career. A professor, performer鈥攈e鈥檚 been a member of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra for 38 years鈥攁nd author of books on jazz improvisation and saxophone technique, Ricker credits his entrepreneurial thinking for his success.

鈥淪ometimes to get a gig, all you have to do is ask,鈥� he says. 鈥淵ou go into a bar, or even a bank, and ask the managers if they would like music. 鈥淢usicians are small businesses, and we can鈥檛 wait for something to happen鈥攚e鈥檝e got to make it happen. And the good news is we鈥檒l never get bored if we do that.鈥�