Adaptability and Professional Standards

Versatility and Adaptability

As my business grows, I would have to adapt to different playing environments, as I could be asked to perform in different ways, such as; Live, Studio, online, theatre, etc. Adapting to these environments could involve looking at the acoustics of the venue and whether or not gain levels of microphones would need to be increased, or decreased. 

To attract more of an audience, I could also look at becoming a multi-instrumentalist. This would mean that I play a variety of other instruments alongside the violin. For example, as I play the Violin, I could also learn other orchestral string instruments such as the Viola, Cello or even the Double Bass. These instruments could be good for business as it could give the person offering work a choice. It could also be very helpful within an orchestra with limited players. However, the choice is not limited and there are a variety of instruments that I could learn and perform with. 

Professional Standards

Time Management - Most people would want a musician who can walk in prepared, set up quickly and get the job done. All of my equipment would be checked before the performance, I would also keep spares, incase of an emergency. 

Professional Approach - Many people who are looking to employ a musician may not be looking for someone who plays incredibly well. Instead, they may be looking for someone who can do a professional job in the best way possible. This could be a performer who would bring a high quality performance, but also able to keep professional when setting up equipment, etc. 

Focus and Attention - If someone wanted to offer me a job, I would focus on the task at hand instead of focusing my attention on other things. I would like to complete all offers to a high standard.

EVALUATION

Level 4 Creative Enterprise Evaluation

The Level 4 Creative Enterprise course is made up of a variety of elements. The course has both a practical and theoretical side. The practical side of the course involves working as a team with the group, but also developing your own skills while creating a short film in quite a short timeframe. We also had to do skills development as part of the theoretical and practical part of the course, in order to further develop skills that can be used for each of our individual creative careers. The practical side of the course also helps to develop communication skills and enables students to take part in different work experience or volunteering with businesses that link to their own. On the other hand, the theory side of the course was a lot more independent. It mainly focused on how each student can develop their own creative enterprise. As part of the theory side of the course, we had to research different creative businesses and laws, etc, that would relate to the business we were trying to make. Throughout the course each student would show some degree of professionalism when creating their own business and developing business-like qualities.  As well as work experience and voluntary opportunities, there were a numerous amount of interesting talks held by guest speakers who each had their own, or played an important role, within a creative business. Many of the talk also included a workshop which allows students to experiment and develop key skills which would later be used for their business or the practical side of the course.

When starting the course I began planning the starting point and end point of my creative business, as well as beginning to research the copious amounts of laws and regulations that come with running your own business. My chosen creative business was to be a freelance musician/concert violinist. As my business revolved around music, I helped develop the scores for the short film as part of the practical side of the course, which also helped me develop composition skills which would be needed for my career. When starting the course, I set out to develop my musicality, as well as learn about how to create and manage a business. To do this I further researched the music business and what jobs were involved in being a freelance musician. However, I also used websites such as gov.uk to acquire knowledge of Regulations and legislation that would need to be thought about and incorporated into the making of my business. I believe that this was achieved as I now know a lot more about how businesses are created, developed and prolonged. In order to keep track of what work and research had been completed, I would regularly update my “creative enterprise blog” and keep documents of all work.

For my creative venture, I researched a variety of legal and regulatory guidance that would need to be followed, in order for my business to be successful. For instance, I researched; Copyright, The Data Protection Act 2018, Licenses (Public Performance) and Location Releases. I believe that Copyright is needed for my business as this would be used to keep ownership of my music and make sure that people would need to ask for permission to use it, instead of stealing it and claiming it as their own. The Data Protection Act of 2018 would be used to manage both my own data and the data of my audience carefully. A license may be needed to perform publicly and permission would be need from anyone who could be caught on camera when filming.

As part of the course as a whole we had to follow a lot of legal and regulatory guidance. For example, filming both inside and outside of the college meant that we had to follow Health & Safety regulations. Health & Safety is something that would need to be observed with any business and most definitely observed by all students and staff at the college.  We also learned about SWOT and PESTEL which is used when managing a business and how we can add it to our own business plans. As a class, we also researched; Cultural Policy, Location Releases, Trademarks, Filming in Public, GDPR, Intellectual Property, Child Labour Laws,  Public liability Insurance, The Competition Act 1998 and The Enterprise Act 2002. Learning each of these laws and regulations gave me a much better understanding of what it is like to own a business and helped me to come up with my own business plan.

In conclusion, by studying the Level 4 Creative Enterprise course, I believe I have learned and developed a large variety of skills that can be used in the future. My next steps will be going to University to study Music Performance and Teaching. Once this is finished I would like to look into playing professionally within an orchestra or teaching music. I am also looking at working on my days off from University to teach young children the violin. I believe that all skills learned on this course will help me with working as a musician in the future and would also help me when teaching as it has given me a much better understanding of how to run a stable and successful business. At the beginning of the course, I knew very little about how to run a business and only really had skills to use in music. However, as the course is coming to an end, I believe I have a much broader understanding of running a business and my skills in music have also improved. As part of the course, I also followed feedback from creative professionals, as well as feedback given from tutors (who are technically, also creative professionals), as well as self-assessing my own work. This allowed me to spot the flaws in my business plan and improve them, which is a skill that I believe will be needed in the future as it allows me to reflect and evaluate parts of my business and helps to give a much better understanding of how to improve on business flaws.

My Business Plan - Published

This is my published version of my business plan.

MY BUSINESS PLAN - DRAFT

This is a draft of my Business Plan.  Feedback on this draft, included;

• Cut down Summary
• Add detail to "Have experience teaching" on the slide labelled 'Current Status'
• Re-Word Values - Don't explain them to the audience. Say how you will implement them (values and vision = vision and mission statement)
• For service - discuss some example of experience (When Pitching)
• For market, you've talked broadly. Who, specifically is your target audience right now.
• Finance and Funding screens are a little blurry 
• Cut Finance and Funding slides right down; you have good detail on your chart, talk more about it there and have only 1 more slide, if needed.
• Cut down all rule text - No more than 10 lines on ppt - don't make the text smaller. 
• Add images throughout
• Can you design the slides to look more like your website? 

Links

Extra web links used for Business Plan Research:

• https://pulsechambermusic.com/is-classical-music-not-popular-anymore/
• https://toplistin.com/most-popular-music-style-of-2020/
• https://playthetunes.com/music-genre-list/ 

Funding

• https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/
• https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/sites/default/files/download-file/ACPG_Music_projects_30072019_0.pdf
• https://www.musiciansunion.org.uk/Home/Advice/Your-Career
• https://www.musiciansunion.org.uk/Home/Advice/Your-Career/Finance/Crowdfunding
• https://www.musiciansunion.org.uk/Home/Advice/Recording-Broadcasting/Session-Musicians/TV-and-Film-Agreements/AGre/BPI-MU-Agreements
• https://encoremusicians.com/hire/violinists

For the funding of my business I looked at loans given by the Arts Council. The arts council have project grants for open applications for music projects from solo artists, bands, orchestras, labels, promoters, managers, concert halls and other live music venues. 

What you can apply for 
• developing new material 
• rehearsing for live events 
• performances and showcasing 
• touring live shows 
• recordings 
• making creative digital content such as music videos or live broadcast 
• purchasing musical instruments and equipment. 

What you cannot apply for
 • music recording without appropriate plans to share your work
 • activity, such as performances or recordings, where the intention is to make a profit (for example, from ticket or record sales).
• buying musical instruments or recording equipment (including software) without showing artistic development and substantial public benefit from doing so.
• self-promotional activity (including recording and performance) with no clear benefit to the public, either in the short or long term.

My Cash-flow Chart
Income - My plan for funding my business begins with applying for a £5000.00 loan from the arts council. I have also thought about crowdfunding, this has been left as variable as it depends on the amount others are willing to pay. I also chose to put Royalties as variable because it could be a variety of different prices and depends on the other party, etc. After exploring the prices of classical pieces on Itunes, I have chosen to go with £5.99 as this is the pricing for many pieces performed by classical musicians. Most prices rely on how well known you are as a musician (More well known musicians may have more expensive merchandise). I think the costing of my merchandise is considerably much lower than other musicians. I wanted my merchandise to be somewhat low as it is a bit financially easier on the members of my audience and it seems wrong to have your audience pay £20+ for merchandise. CDs aren't really used as much anymore because many people purchase music online or listen to it on platforms such as YouTube or Spotify. As a freelance musician it could be hard to find work and this could mean that I need to do a job on the side. I have chosen teaching as a good second job. The cost of violins lessons is based on how much I pay for violin lessons (I pay £25 for an hour), compared to other local instrumental teachers, this is quite cheap! However, due to recent cuts to Norfolk Music Service, these prices could sadly increase, making it harder for students of families who may be struggling financially, to afford private tuition. Graded examinations are also quite expensive. For example, a Grade 8 examination is £99. After researching, the prices to hire a violinist for a live performance, I chose £180 for 2 hours because it's quite a bit cheaper than the prices of other musicians and I think it would be a good price for starting as a freelance musician. Lastly, I explored the Musician's Union website for the basic prices for a session musician (Seen Below). The amount earned depends on your status within in the orchestra/session.
 
Outcome - Venues and Travel are both variable as this depends on the destination and the costs of different venues vary. Merchandise Commissions are also variable because they depend on the owner of venues. I have put the price as variable for instrument upkeep because prices can vary based on the make of violin. It can also depend on the strings the musician would want (there's a large selection) and if the bow needs to be re-haired (replace the horse hair of the bow), etc. There are loads of different ways to promote a business, for example albums could be promoted on billboards and songs could be played on radio stations, therefore I chose to set the cost of this at £500. As a way for people to know that I teach lessons, alongside posting online on business accounts (Facebook, etc) I would also promote my lessons in the local paper because some people don't prefer to read the paper than read about stuff online. For royalties as a musician, I would join PRS, which costs £50 to join. Many people like to watch music videos while listening to songs and pieces because it adds to the story behind the it. Creating a budget music video could cost around £1,699..00, but can be more depending on the video you're making. Gear for my business would include a high quality mic, mixer and speakers for gigs, etc. I have chosen to put this at a cost of £500 as this is for the start of the business. Finally, I would pay £250 for instrument insurance. Instrument insurance covers the cost of repairing or replacing your instrument should it get lost, stolen or damaged.

Skills Development - Performance

I think performance is a vital part of my business. As a freelance Musician I could receive offers to perform gigs, etc. However, I also think performing is a big part of being a musician. You could be performing a solo or within an ensemble. Or you may have even composed a piece that will be performed at some point. Every musician at some point in their lives has probably performed.

At the moment I am preparing for my Grade 8 Violin Examination (due to the virus, it has been postponed until next year - Yes!). I think this is an examination that a large amount of professional musicians have taken. However, there are a number of musicians who haven't taken exams. The exam involves 4 parts; Pieces, Scales, Sight - Reading and Aural. Scales are incredibly important and with practice, can improve intonation. 

To develop technique and intonation, I practice each section of the exam as well as my pieces for orchestra and some other pieces that I just enjoy playing.

Below is a video of...me (Please excuse my crazy hair!). In the video, I have playing the Cadenza (basically a solo part) of "Concertino in the style of A. W. Mozart," composed by Hans Millies. If you watch this video, I recommend having your device at a fairly low volume as my phone unfortunately has a rather low quality camera.

Skills Development - Annotating Scores

Annotating scores is a good way to understand what you're playing and to remember techniques or way that make a piece more simpler. I also think annotating scores allows musicians to develop their knowledge of music as a whole and understand different emotions or stories conveyed in pieces by the composer.

Many teachers use annotations to help students learn pieces. For example with the violin (same with most instruments), the teacher may mark fingerings on the scores as a way for students to know where they should be, on the fingerboard. It also helps some children when stickers are placed on certain places of the fingerboard - on a violin I think the amount of stickers usually depend on your grade and how far you would need to go up the fingerboard.

As part of my skills development I have also been trying to learn some harder pieces such as concertos and sonatas. I think getting a professional's point of view on a piece is quite interesting, as there's a good chance they've played a large number of pieces. One of my favourite violinists to learn from is Ray Chen. His YouTube channel contains a number of videos including performances and masterclasses. However, more recently he has begun live - streaming and annotating scores that he has performed in the past, to allow others, worldwide, to learn from his technique. 

Skills Development - Composing

I have chosen to develop my composition skills because being a freelance musician could mean that I am asked to do a variety of different jobs. As well as writing my own free compositions, I have tried to compose scores of popular songs. For example, I have written a score of 'Good Vibrations' for Strings (As seen below). I composed this score for a video idea, where I would record myself playing each part and then put it together and post it online. 

   
The audio for this score uses MIDI instruments, which unfortunately doesn't make it sound as high definition as real performance of it, but the score itself is pretty close to the song.
Audio for this score can be found here:


I am currently working on a song that I am composing. At the moment the score looks a bit bare, but I will be adding it to a different software.

 

Another example of things I have composed could be some of the compositions myself and Tudor made for our class's 15 Minute Short Film (Can be heard below). Both pieces were both inspired by different things and the collaboration between me and Tudor meant that both classical and modern ideas were brought to the table. The Montage theme was inspired by film music, such as the work of Howard Shore. Many of the montages from The Lord Of The Rings helped inspire and motivate us to come up with the orchestral type theme. I wanted it to be quite dramatic, so that it engages the audience, but also reflects on the drama within the script itself. On the other hand, the piece titled "Modern Ideas" was inspired by modern songs and modern instrumentation. We wanted to bring Electric Guitars, Bass Guitars and a Drum Kit to give it a more modern approach because the characters in the script (apart from Dave) are quite young.

Skills Development - Masterclasses

Masterclasses
Masterclasses are specialty classes in which learning objectives are achieved through in-depth practice accompanied by detailed instruction. A masterclass is like an extended practice session, except the focus is specific, and the flow may break for comments and questions.

As part of my skills development, I have been watching a variety of masterclasses held by professional violinists such as Nicola Benedetti and Ray Chen. I have also watched numerous interpretation master classes by Benjamin Zander. I believe this is related to my business idea because masterclasses allow musicians to develop musically and also teaches them how to add emotion to their performances. I don't believe someone would want to hire a musician or watch a performance held by a musician who lacked emotion and didn't allow the pieces to speak. Each piece has a story or idea behind it, when being composed, which should be shown within a performance.  

Benjamin Zander

Benjamin Zander is an English Conductor, Composer, Music Director and Arranger. Benjamin Zander currently the Music Director of  The Boston Philharmonic and The Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. The Boston Philharmonic YouTube Channel has a range of masterclasses held by Benjamin Zander. His masterclasses are mainly focused on interpretation. He works with a variety of students that play different instruments. 

In music, Interpretation could include a combination of two things; 
1. Interpreting the intentions of the composer by "observing" and "approximating" the musical directions indicated on the score given. This includes all ornamentation and articulation markings. For example, not only do you play p (quiet) or ff (very loud) according to the score where they are shown, you also determine how quiet a passage should be played, given its structural or harmonic context. 

2. Applying your own ideas to how you think a piece should sound, in the absence of - or in a strategic opposition to the composer’s intent. For example, if you played different ornamentation to the ones marked on the score. This kind of interpretation requires experience and familiarity with the style of the composer and music during that specific period, so that your playing is consistent with the character of the piece.

I have personally chosen to present the following video, as the piece played is a piece that I am learning for my Grade 8 examination.  It is a unaccompanied solo piece, written by Bach between 1717 and 1720. 

Creative enterprises...

Creative Enterprises

How are they made?

When making a creative enterprise you must think about a variety of things, such as legislations (copyright, trademarks, etc), they would also need to think about laws, funding, branding and regulatory frameworks. Many businesses create a business model or a business plan.

To start a creative enterprise, you would need some sort of funding, this would also be included in your business model or plan. Ways of getting money for a creative business could include;

•          Factoring- This is a finance method where a company sells its receivables (amounts owned to a business, regarded as assets) at a discount to get cash up-front.
•          A Bank Loan – Businesses may need a business plan.
•          A Credit Card – Using a credit card for a business could be incredibly risky, however if they’re used responsibly, they could extend your accounts payable period to shore up your cash flow.
•          Crowdfunding – Some businesses are started using websites such as Kickstarter. This can be a fun, yet effective way to raise money for a relatively low cost, creative project.
•          Raise money from friends and family – Receiving money from family and friends in one of the most common ways to finance a start-up.
•         Get a microloan – “Microloans are often so small that commercial banks can't be bothered lending the funds. Instead of a bank, you need to turn to a microlender. a non-profit organization that works differently than banks. Microlenders offer smaller loan sizes, usually require less documentation than banks, and often apply more flexible underwriting criteria.”

How are they realised?

There are a variety of ways in which you can market a business or organisation. Some ways could include;

•        Business Cards – Business cards could be given to anyone who you may be socialising with.
•        Billboards or mobile billboards – Billboards and mobile billboards can be used to attract the attention of people in the streets.
•          Social Media – Social media is used by millions of people and its’s a great way to gain exposure. Social media has become a necessary time investment for every business to make and there are a variety of platforms in which you can promote a business or organisation, such as; Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube or LinkedIn. Social media could also be a good way for consumers to get in touch with you or give you feedback.
•          Blogging and writing (Advertising) – Getting in touch with a local newspaper could be an easy way of promoting a business. Starting a blog could a great way to connect with your consumers more directly. Another way to market a business could be through publishing articles in a magazine.
•          Press Releases – Sending out press releases could be great way to get some free business promotion. Press releases must contain newsworthy information that is engaging enough to get people’s interest. 
•         Buddy marketing – Buddy marketing is where you join up with another business (or businesses) and pooling your resources to promote all your businesses, this could be a great way to extend your reach.
•          Hand out “Freebies” –You could hand out anything from pens, t-shirts, mugs, hats or badges. You could also use them regularly as customer rewards. 
•          Radio/Talk shows – A local radio station or cable TV station may have programs that are looking for guests, this could be a great low-cost way of promoting a business. Many people listen to radio stations while they’re driving or going to work etc.
•          Websites – Many businesses have websites. A website can be a great way to promote products or share information about your business. You can also link your blog or social media to your website, which means that customers can find you on different platforms more easily.
•          Create an app – Mobiles devices are used by a great number of people. An app can be downloaded straight on to any device and can be an easier way of purchasing products etc.
•          Podcasts – A podcast could also be a great way to talk about your business.

How are they developed to manage their own profile and brand?

Creative enterprises could be developed to manage their own profile and brand by hiring people for different jobs. For example, you could hire someone to do marketing or control business’s social media. If your creative business becomes popular or more well known, it could be a good idea to develop the company by increasing the amount of people who work for you because if there is a small amount of people working for you, but a large amount of customers, the business could be more difficult to manage due to pressure.

How Effective Are Business Models?

How Effective Are Business Models?

"A good business model uses its resources to improve its market position, adding new products, features and customers or expanding into new applications." - https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/176530 

A business model is a plan for the successful operation of a business, identifying sources of revenue, the intended customer base, products, and details of financing. 

I think business models are effective if they are done correctly. An effective business model considers how customers pay. When customers buy a certain product or service, they usually have several payment options. The most common choices include paying one large amount or paying monthly installments. Some businesses also give their customers the choice to pay as they go or prepay for unlimited usage of a product or service. However, some companies also invite customers to buy or to rent, to finance their purchases, or to lease products instead of purchasing them. 

Case Studies - Links

GYSMA

·         http://www.gysma.co.uk/

·         https://beta.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1156414&subid=0

·         http://opencharities.org/charities/1156414

The Orchestrate! Project

·         http://www.orchestrateproject.com/

·         https://www.open-concerts.co.uk/local-music-centres-and-schools/4874-*-the-orchestrate-project/view-details.html

Twoset Violin

·         https://www.twosetviolin.com/home#landing

·         https://twosetapparel.com/

More Cultural Policy - Norfolk Music Service

Cultural Policy 2020

Norfolk Music Service

Thousands of people have joined together by signing a petition to stop major cuts to Norfolk Music Service. Norfolk County Council plans to make cuts to its schools music service in a bid to reverse a £700,000 budget deficit. The council wants to halve the number of tutors it provides and increase the cost of lessons to parents by almost a fifth. The cost of tuition to parents would increase from £34 per hour to £40 per hour, while tutor numbers in the county would drop from 44 to 21. This would mean that a large number of tutors would then be made redundant and therefore be losing their job.  Tutors with a teaching qualification would be made to focus more on the school curriculum, while tutors without a teaching qualification will be focusing more on giving tuition. The council said that tutors would also be expected to “retrain” to teach multiple instruments and work in specific areas to reduce travel times. They also said there would be a focus on “whole class” and “group tuition” to ensure schools and low-income families “do not miss out.” The council has also added;

•       “All pupils will still be able to hire an instrument free of charge.”
•      “Pupils eligible for free school meals will continue to receive subsided tuition – and lessons will be free for children in care."
•        The council is currently consulting staff on the proposed changes, which would come into effect in September.

The council says the service has run at a "substantial" loss over the past two years, due to "unsustainably low" tuition fees, "significant" travel costs and increased staffing costs. The council are proposing to make changes which see tutors teach more than one instrument and work in specific parts of the county. More than 270 schools make use of the music tutors for one-to-one instrumental tuition for pupils. 

The cost of tuition is also being increased, would make it more difficult for people to afford tuition and therefore decrease the amount of people doing music, even more.

A petition made by clarinet student, Emily Crook, from Notre Dame High School has well over a thousand signatures to stop these changes that are supposedly due to be made in September.

My Thoughts

I think that what the council is doing is wrong and should most definitely be stopped. The increased costs of tuition would make it harder for people to afford tuition, this means that the Norfolk Music Service would mainly be used by people who can afford it (such as private tuition, etc). Cutting travel would mean that fewer people will be learning instruments. The council said that tutors would need to “retrain” to learn more instruments.  This, to me, suggests that the council obviously don’t understand the struggles of actually learning a new instrument. You cannot learn an instrument in a matter of a few days. The council also said there would be a focus on “whole class” and “group tuition” instead of one – to – one tuition. This would mean that rare instruments, such as the bassoon, would basically become extinct in this county, due to the small number of tutors and students that play them. Group tuition is quite good for beginners who are starting to learn an instrument. However, when advancing with an instruments and taking different examinations, one- to - one tuition would be much more effective. It is also quite hard to find a tutor in this county that actually teaches or plays rare instruments such as the bassoon. Music in Norfolk has been declining for quite a while. The costs of tuition at the moment is already quite high and means that some people are unable to afford it. Although some schools teach music and do instrumental lessons or clubs. There is still very few students that play/perform or choose to carry on with an instrument. For example, I am in three orchestras, each in Norfolk. One is a keyboard orchestra with plenty of students, mainly because the keyboard is quite easy to pick up. The other orchestras, GYSMO and The Orchestrate! Project, are traditional youth orchestras. Orchestras usually have 12 violins first violins and second violins. GYSMO, overall, has one violin. Which is me. Therefore at the moment there is no one on second violin. GYSMO also has, 4 Clarinets, 3 Trumpets, 1 Trombone, 1 Euphonium, 5 Flutes, 5 Saxophones and one percussionist. Gysmo is an orchestra organised for any grade. The Orchestrate! project is designed for grades 4 and above, the highest level of playing we have is Diploma. The Orchestrate! Project contains; 5 First Violins, 3 Second Violins, 1 Viola, 3 Cellos, 2 Double Basses, 5 Flutes, 2 Trumpets, 1 French Horn, 1 Trombone, 1 Bassoon, 1 Clarinet and 3 Percussionists. To some non-musicians, this probably sounds like more than enough people in an orchestra. However, both of these orchestras would be considered incredibly small, due to the lack of musicians. To go into more detail, Although First Violins lead the orchestra, many pieces contain a melody played in the French horns or Trumpets.  

Many of the tutors who work for Norfolk Music Service work there because they love Music and enjoy teaching it. Many of the tutors have specialized in their specific instrument for quite a few years, some have even performed in professional orchestras and even toured around the world.
Teaching from these tutors is of incredibly high quality. Many of the tutors at Norfolk Music Service, provide students with high quality ensembles, however, without one-to-one tuition it would be hard for students to join these ensembles or for these ensembles to even be provided. One - to - one tuition allows students to develop musically. It allows students to build a professional relationship with their teacher, but also means that the student is able to ask questions and develop as a musician. This also allows tutors to spend more time with students and help them improve on things that they find difficult.   

Links

•         https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-51648860
•          https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/education/online-petition-to-stop-cuts-to-norfolk-music-service-attracts-thousands-of-signatures-1-6543140
•          https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/politics/school-music-tutors-facing-cut-1-6532711
•        https://www.facebook.com/evie.hinchliffe.7/videos/643367726231816/

The Development Of My Website

Logo Journey - How It Was Developed.

Task 7

Task 7
Developing a creative enterprise has proven to be both difficult, yet interesting. As someone who would like to work within an industry that is well known within the creative arts, I have found developing my own creative enterprise very intriguing. It has allowed me to develop a better understanding of what goes in to creating and managing your own business, as well as allowing myself to develop key skills needed for the future. Creating the branding for my creative enterprise was quite easy as it allowed me to further develop my Photoshop skills.

I believe that I have gained and further developed a variety of skills during the assignment. This assignment has enhanced my knowledge of managing a business and how different things would impact it. This assignment has also enhanced my communication skills and developed my knowledge of sound engineering etc.

The skills development part of the assignment has mainly helped me to develop further as a musician. However, it has also allowed me to further develop skills in Photoshop. 

The Orchestrate! Project

The Orchestrate! Project is a youth orchestra aimed at young musicians that perform at a grade 4 standard and above. I joined the orchestrate project in October, 2018. As a member of The Orchestrate! Project, I have performed in a variety of concerts, including; The Festival Of Remembrance held at The Hippodrome Circus. The Orchestrate! project is run by musical director, John Stephens. John has a lot of musical experience as a musician, conductor and teacher. Performing with The Orchestrate! Project has definitely increased my confidence and helped me to improve things such as timing and intonation.

I think this links with my creative enterprise because it is an orchestra and as an orchestral musician, I would be looking for work within orchestras and ensembles. In order to get a better chance of gaining work as a musician, experience is a key that can open many of doors. The music given to the young musicians of orchestrate is more challenging to that of other local orchestras, which helps both myself and the other musicians to develop our sight reading skills and develop into better musicians as a whole.

Gysmo

Gysmo began in 2014, alongside the charity GYSMA. Gysmo is run by Rachel Salton, a multi-instrumentalist who has a lot of experience within the music industry. Gysmo is held weekly on a Thursday at Lynn Grove Academy from 4:15-5:45. Gysmo is a traditional orchestra aimed at young musicians who are looking to join an ensemble. You don't need to be a specific grade to join this orchestra, however, most students in the orchestra are grade 1 to 8. I joined Gysmo in 2017. Being a part of Gysmo has enabled me to make connections with musicians and also increase my confidence as a performer.As a member of Gysmo I have performed in a variety of concerts and a couple competitions.

I think this has positive impact on my creative enterprise because I believe that gaining musical experience is a vital part of being a musician. Orchestral experience helps me to develop as an orchestral musician and also helps me develop a better understanding of the different types of musician you come across within the music industry. 

GysmoKeys

GysmoKeys is just one of the many orchestras I perform in. Gysmokeys is a keyboard orchestra which is ran by Ruth Harrison. This ensemble started in September, 2016. This ensemble is designed for pianists and keyboard players who want to gain experience performing in an ensemble. You don't need to have done any sort of graded examination in order to play within the keyboard orchestra as the musicians range from beginner to advanced. However, it could be handy if you can read music.
Helping at Gysmokeys has been a great experience. It helps to increase my confidence as a performer and also helps me to develop as a musician. I joined Gysmokeys in September, 2019. Although I joined quite late, it has been a great experience so far. We are working towards taking an exam as an ensemble, which helps add to my development as a musician. Gysmokeys meets every Wednesday at Lynn Grove Academy from 4.15-5.15. We perform a variety of pieces from Danse Macabre to Abba's Dancing Queen.

I think this links to my creative enterprise because my whole creative enterprise is based around music. My creative business is an orchestral musician. As an orchestral musician I would be considered for opportunities, based on my experience and how well I can perform. I believe this would have a positive impact on my future and it is a great way to gain experience and skill as a musician.

69th Festival Of Carols Opportunity

Tuesday 3rd December 2019

Every year GYSMA holds the festival of carols. This is a concert which gives local school choirs a chance to perform in a mass carol service. It also allows the young musicians of Gysmo, Gysmokeys and FutureBrass a chance to perform Christmas pieces. As a member of boss youth orchestras (Gysmo and Gysmokeys), I was given the opportunity to help set up for the concert. This included setting up the seating for the Keyboard orchestra, which meant that I had to set up a variety of keyboards and set up the sound system set up for each of the keyboards (variety of leads, direct input into a mixer, which was connected to some amps/speakers). I think this opportunity links with my creative enterprise because I experienced what it was like to set up before a big show. There are a variety of things that have to be considered before performing a concert and i believe this opportunity has helped to expand on my knowledge of the different aspects. 

Work Experience Placements

I have emailed two radio places in which I am still yet to hear from. These two places are; Hospital Radio and Harbour Radio. I need to follow both of these up. I think these places would link with my creative enterprise because these would also give me a better understanding of the music industry. It would also help with sound engineering.

Work Experience 2

I have been offered a work experience placement at Portel Music Studio. I am still waiting for a date and time in which i can meet someone who works there, in order to be sure about the placement.

However, I think this would be a good placement for my creative enterprise because it would give me a better understanding of the different businesses that make up the music industry. 

Work Experience Opportunity 1

My first work experience opportunity didn't quite work out. I applied for work experience with Norca Sistema. An organisation that brings musical opportunities to young people that want to learn an instrument or study music, but live in low income areas. I was invited for an interview with the director, who was also a violinist, and another member of the organisation. The interview included an audition which went incredibly well and I was offered work experience, which would then turn into a paid apprenticeship in the future. However, I was unfortunately unable to take up this opportunity due to a clash of days and times.

I think this opportunity would have been great for my creative enterprise because it included helping children and also orchestral playing. As this is also a music organisation, I believe it would have given me a closer look at what it is like to work within the music business. I also believe this opportunity was a great way to develop my skills and organisation skills because I had to prepare and organize a piece for the audition. Auditions are common thing to be done during interviews for jobs and opportunities within the music industry, so I this also helped me to gain experience of auditions and how they work. 

Peer and Professional Feedback

Mission and Vision Statements

Mission Statement

My creative business is a freelancing musician. As a freelancing musician, I would take jobs as a soloist or orchestral/ensemble musician. This could include performing gigs, helping as a session musician (studio work), performing with orchestras or string quartets, etc. As a freelancer, it can be hard to get work which could mean that I would need to have another job on the side. As a side job, I think teaching would be good as music education has been declining in schools and being removed from many school curriculums, which makes it harder for the younger generation to get involved in music. As a freelancing musician I believe my audience would primarily be people who enjoy listening to music. I have no specific age that my music would be aimed at. However, for teaching, I would primarily work with students from primary schools to sixth forms.

Vision Statement

The main objectives of my chosen creative career are to receive offers for a variety of different musical jobs. If I was to become well-known as a musician, I would use that to raise awareness of the importance of music education and the effects it could have on music in the future. As a young person, I think it would also be easier to reach out as a classical musician, to the younger generation. This could be used to increase the younger generations interest in classical music.   

Website Design

https://jaze1312.wixsite.com/website

Business Canvases

Task 1 - Case Studies

Task 2 - Case Studies - Branding

This is ran by John Stephens - https://www.diversimuso.com/ - http://jsmusicservices.com/

The Orchestrate! Project logo, is quite professional and I think the use of “orchestrate!” emphasises that it is a youth orchestra (Grade 4+).

This logo is used on the music folders used by the members. However, it is also used on polo shirts and “Zoodies” (Zip up hoodie, which can also be personalised) which are purchased by the members and worn at concerts etc.  These items of clothing could also be used as promotional material for the orchestra, which could mean that more young musicians apply to be in the orchestra.

GYSMA is a charity which offers young people (young students – Grade 1+) a chance to get involved with music. GYSMA has two orchestras. A more traditional orchestra run by Mrs Rachel Salton, and a keyboard orchestra ran by Mrs Ruth Harrison. Both orchestras have their own logos.

I think the branding for GYSMA is colourful and could attract the attention of their audience. I think the bright colours also emphasise that the charity focuses on helping students get involved in music, by offering opportunities to join orchestras and perform in a variety of concerts.

As well as the concerts performed by the orchestras, GYSMA holds other concerts which gives students the chance to perform solos to an audience, therefore helping them to develop musically and increase their confidence when it comes to performing.

Twoset Violin is a YouTube channel founded in 2014 by Eddy Chen and Brett Yang. Twoset have their own merchandise line called Twoset Apparel which features a range of t-shirts and hats, etc.  

I think the branding of twoset is quite simple, however, it is easy to remember and could be easier to print on t-shirts or badges etc.

Other Logos

Logo 2

These are my second ideas for logos. When making these, I couldn't decide whether to use my full name or just my first name. I think these logos look pretty basic because of the black and white colour. However, they may look simple, but they do look pretty classical.

Task 6: Budget and Requirements

Budgetary And Resource Requirements For My Creative Enterprise

Requirements

As a musician within in the music industry, you would need a variety of social media, in order to get music out there and gain “followers.” You would also be required to go on tour, which would mean money would need to be spent on tour buses or flights to different countries.

Merchandise could be sold online or at shows, which allows “fans” to purchase memorabilia from concerts, or just clothing items that show their interests. Merchandise sold could include, T-shirts, Hoodies, CDs, Cassette Tapes, Vinyl, Cups or Hats, etc.

Music videos have become a popular and quite vital thing for aspiring musicians. Music videos are used to attract the attention of one’s audience or to add meaning to songs and pieces.

You could also be expected to have your own style. This could be style of clothing or genre of music. This could also be shown in music videos.

What Would The Money Be Spent On?

“A settlement shows the costs incurred in varying sizes of venue next to the revenue.

·         Cover Sheet – Shows the details of where tour is going.

·         Whole Tour – Shows vertically the income and expenditure for each venue.

·         Ticket Settlement – Shows the final amounts paid to the artist by the promoter on an 80% average deal. They will have had a guaranteed fee, but having done good business, the percentage agreed of gross sale, less VAT, and show expenses will exceed this. For example, the final sum paid for five shows in four venues, closing with two successive nights in one city totals (£42,230.70). This sum will be subject to management and agency commissions which could total as little as 10% (£42,230.70) or as much as 30% (£12,6692.10).

·         Venue Sheets – Each Venue in detail."

Where Would The Money Come From?

The money could come from private investors, a venture capitalist, a record label, an angel investor or through a loan.

Money could also be used from selling merchandise.

Music Businesses And Money

·         Fashion Consultant: Some artists need help with their look and image. From working individually with the artists or working through a manager or a record label, this job helps create overall appearance and branded image of an artist or brand.

·         Hair and Makeup: This job option includes photoshoots and specific gigs, but many larger- scale artists travel with hair and makeup personnel.

·         Sound, Light and stage designer: Designing the lights or the stages for tours and artists with large budgets.

·         Choreographer: Many artists need dancers, and dancers need a choreographer.

·         Instrument Builder: Building instruments for the musician.

·         A&R (artist and repertoire): Finding musicians and artists less of a job due to the internet, but if you have a good ear, an eye for development, and an understanding of what it would cost to develop an artist, you could be in A&R.

Important Websites

·         https://www.dummies.com/art-center/music/the-requirements-and-costs-of-success-in-the-music-business/

·         https://www.royaltyexchange.com/blog/tips-for-keeping-a-music-budget#sthash.umiuuBoc.dpbs

·         https://ccskills.org.uk/supporters/employer-advice/article/live-music-production-budget

·         https://www.ifpi.org/how-record-labels-invest.php

·         https://www.edmprod.com/music-production-budget/

·         https://www.soundonsound.com/music-business/guide-contracts-producers