The Musician’s MBA
I went to business school so you don’t have to. This course gives you the core business tools from a full MBA, translated for working musicians.
Join the Waiting ListMusic school does a great job of training your craft. But most of us end up running a small business, whether we call it that or not: gigs, a private studio, an ensemble, maybe a product or two. Almost none of us were taught how to run it, so we figure it out alone and usually late.
I spent a year earning an MBA in Arts Innovation, learning alongside arts professionals from 28 countries from professors at Harvard, Stanford, Oxford, McGill and the London School of Economics, to name a few. This course takes the most useful tools from that program and turns them into short, practical lessons in plain English, with examples from real music careers.
Inside the Course
The Musician’s MBA is being built now. Here are the areas it will cover.
Section #1
Think Like an Economist
Opportunity cost, sunk cost and the other ideas economists use to make better decisions. Learn to see what every yes is really costing you.
Section #2
Who Is This For?
How to learn what people actually need instead of what they politely say they’d buy, and how to position yourself so the right people notice.
Section #3
Know Your Numbers
Break-even, contribution margin and the real cost of what you offer. Find out whether your next gig, class or course will make money before you commit to it.
Section #4
Run It Lean
Tools from operations management for spotting the time and energy you lose every day, and for fixing problems at the root instead of the surface.
Section #5
Systems and Workarounds
Map the system you work in, then find creative ways around obstacles when you don’t have a big budget or an institution behind you.
Section #6
Leadership and Ethics
How to lead a studio, ensemble or team without doing everything yourself, and how to keep your values intact when money is on the line.
Section #7
Impact and Evaluation
Define the difference you want your work to make, then find out whether it’s happening. This is especially useful if you teach, run a program or plan to apply for grants.
Be the First to Know
Join the waiting list to hear first when the presale opens, with the best price and bonuses. This is not a commitment to buy anything.