Business skills the key to music success

Providing musicians and other music industry professionals with the necessary business skills is the aim of the Southern Cross University (SCU) Music Business Summer Seminar on January 8 and 9.

The two-day seminar at SCU’s Tweed Gold Coast campus will cover promoting live and recorded music, as well as the legal and business knowledge needed to manage and launch a music act or music project.

Southern Cross University’s Acting Head of School of Arts Associate Professor Jon Fitzgerald said with new technology available more musicians were deciding to release their music independently, but there was a real knowledge gap when it came to business issues.

“Being a gifted musician is not enough in today’s music industry, musicians also need to be business savvy,” Professor Fitzgerald said.

“Most people working in the music industry are there because they have a passion for music, but that doesn’t mean they have the skills or knowledge in the business side of the industry.

“We designed this course so that participants will come away with practical information on copyright law, recording contracts, marketing and promotion and other business issues. It is being run by leading music industry professionals.”

The program will be ideal for people working in the recording, publishing and management and promotion sectors of the music industry, self-managed artists wanting to develop their business skills, and music students who could gain credit towards their university degrees.

Guest lecturers include: Sally McPherson, a leading music lawyer whose current and former clients include INXS, Kylie Minogue, Eskimo Joe, Tina Arena, The Sleepy Jackson, and Michael Chugg Entertainment, and; Alan Gordon, who has worked as a musician and in staging, marketing and promotion, and is the author of Music Industry Management and more than a dozen study guides.

Lismore Music proprietor Ron Brady said the course would be great for anyone contemplating getting into the music industry.

“There are so many people in the music industry who get ripped off because they don’t know their rights. A course like this will give them more negotiating skills.”

Participants can elect to take the two-day seminar at SCU’s Tweed Gold Coast Campus or, with additional study, can complete a fully-accredited University unit in Music Business.

Among the topics for the two-day seminar are:

 Overview of the Music Industry
 Copyright
 Publishing and recording contracts
 Marketing
 Merchandising and sponsorship
 Working with promoters
 Business planning for artists
 Media relations


For more information call 6620 3831 or go to www.scu.edu.au/music.

Media Contact: Kasturi Shanahan 0439 858 057