Modern Artist Development and Entrepreneurship (MDE)

MDE 630. Entrepreneurship for Musicians. 3 Credit Hours.

Course explores a wide range of options for musicians who want to pursue music business careers in their regional music markets. Students examine opportunities in performance, recording, composition, education, and more. Emphasis is placed on the packaging of musical skills in the marketplace and on the financial management of a small proprietary music business. As a result, the student musician will be prepared to make career decisions with foresight and planning.
Requisite: Must have a Plan of MUEO_CMUB OR MIND_MA OR MINDO_MA OR JDMI_MA OR MLEM_MA or MLEMO_MA or JDML_MA OR MSPD_MM OR PMPDO_MA OR MSPDO_MM.
Components: DIL.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, & Summer.

MDE 694. Special Topics in Modern Artist Dev & Entrepreneurship. 1-3 Credit Hours.

Advanced group/classroom instruction pertaining to faculty member’s expertise and students’ areas of interest.
Components: SEM.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.

MDE 708. Popular Music Pedagogy and Administration. 3 Credit Hours.

This foundational course will introduce fundamentals of teaching music in secondary (middle and high school) and ternary (collegiate) levels. Focus will be on defining core educational concepts and terminologies; developing musical curricula across a variety of 21st century musical forms; engaging students through several instructional paradigms; provide practice presenting instruction with a variety of educational strategies.
Components: DIL.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Summer.

MDE 709. Popular Music Theory Pedagogy. 3 Credit Hours.

Popular Music Theory Pedagogy focuses heavily on aural recognition of the melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic language of contemporary music using jazz and commercial theoretical analysis and aural dictation. The harmonic focus of this semester is on 7th chords, chord quality substitution and the use of non-diatonic chord tones when using the dominant chord. Progressions will become familiar (i.e. II-V-I, standard progressions and substitute harmonic options), as well as voicing structure and proper construction of basic contemporary pop/jazz chords. Melodic, harmonic and rhythmic skills will be developed through aural recognition, theoretical analysis and transcription. A keyboard lab will accompany this course where students will learn to play and understand the use of all material covered in the lecture meetings, as well as additional contemporary, jazz and traditional piano technique.
Components: DIL.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Spring & Summer.

MDE 711. Popular Music Methods. 3 Credit Hours.

This course provides a foundation for students to gain experience and exposure to areas of contemporary education including contemporary instrumentation (keyboard, guitar, drums, and bass), contemporary vocal pedagogy, considerations for ensemble direction, and essential equipment and technology. Students will gain a familiarity to common terms, concepts and methods used in contemporary/commercial education.
Components: DIL.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Summer.

MDE 712. Introduction to Music Business for Artists. 3 Credit Hours.

Artists are not only creating their own music, but are often responsible for marketing, publishing, distribution, management, promotion and contract agreements to get it out to the world. In this course you will gain a broad understanding of the ever-expanding business of music. You will learn how these various segments operate and how developments in technology are opening new opportunities for artists to create revenue. This course provides knowledge, strategy and guidance to navigate the industry and achieve your goals.
Components: DIL.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Spring & Summer.

MDE 715. Contemporary Songwriting I. 3 Credit Hours.

Explores modern songwriting techniques, song lyric theory, song form, melodic development, pop harmony and rhythm and grooves. Students will analyze a variety of recordings by top modern songwriters. Students will compose and record a number of original songs for the course.
Requisite: Must be in the School of Graduate Music.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.

MDE 735. World of the Working Musician. 3 Credit Hours.

Building a career in the twenty-first century and beyond creates challenges both exciting and daunting. The purpose of this course is to provide grounding, critical information, as well as planning and vision for shaping the key components of launching and sustaining a career in the arts.
Requisite: Graduate Music Students Only.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, & Summer.

MDE 739. Small Contemporary Ensemble. 1 Credit Hour.

A performing ensemble of student-generated contemporary musical repertoire.
Requisite: Must be in the School of Graduate Music.
Components: ENS.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.

MDE 793. Special Projects in Modern Artist Dev & Entrepreneurship. 1-3 Credit Hours.

Advanced individual instruction pertaining to faculty member’s area of expertise and student’s area of interest. This course includes a culminating project.
Components: IND.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.

MDE 794. Special Topics in Modern Artist Dev & Entrepreneurship. 1-3 Credit Hours.

Advanced group/classroom instruction pertaining to faculty member’s expertise and students’ areas of interest.
Components: SEM.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.

MDE 810. Capstone Project in Popular Music Pedagogy. 3 Credit Hours.

This final capstone project will be designed by the student in consultation with their instructor at the end of the successful completion, and passing, of all appropriate courses within the Popular Music Pedagogy degree. This project should further develop previously studied course materials and be appropriate toward the student’s intended professional goals. Examples of Capstone Projects may include, but are not limited to, creating curricula for popular music programs, classes, or ensembles, making a plan for specific outreach programs (extra-curricular, specialized populations, etc.), developing a web presence and marketing plan for one’s own artistic endeavors, or creating a business plan or education materials for private business ventures or studio lessons.
Requisite: Students must be enrolled in program plan: PMPDO_MA, and this must be their final course in the program.
Components: DIL.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, & Summer.