Everything I Know about Business, I Learned at the Conservatory is the title of a recently posted article by Brian Pertl.  In it, he argues that his (enormous) successes as an employee with Microsoft were the result of Conservatory training.  Here are 5 attributes Pertl claims are valuable to the...

Are you or someone you know an independent music teacher or professor doing something extraordinary?  I’m working on a couple of projects now that will feature case studies of these kinds of individuals.  Private Teachers Looking for independent music teachers with: Good business models Income...

this post is by my colleague and friend Brian Pertl My guess is that the title of this blog caught your attention, because it seems so incredibly unlikely. The world of business and the world of music appear to have very little in common. What on earth could playing a Mozart symphony have to do with...

We buried my mom on Friday. I played a piece called Shiva in her honor at her graveside. I am amazed I could even read my music because the sun was shining so brightly. It was a blindingly bright, nothin’ but blue sky, perfect day to honor my mom. We now think officially my mom passed away a week...

As I walked out of Lifetime Fitness yesterday morning I felt depressed by the results of my metabolic basal rate test. “1400 calories is all I get to eat if I want to lose weight?   No wonder my life long battle with my weight can never be won. I have mom to thank I guess. She taught me to love...

I’m hard at work on my second book (more on that later), and have a few hypothetical characters to name.  Rather than going with the normal Mary P. and Felipe G., I decided it would be fun to use some pseudonyms that reflected musical terms.  What do you think?  Any favorites?  Names to add...

Today we have another post from our friends at the Fifth House Ensemble, this time from Adam Marks, who is the pianist and Director of Artistic Programming for Fifth House.   He’s got some great insight into one of the most difficult aspects of being an arts entrepreneur: cold communication. ...

My article Re-imagining the Music Degree Recital explored ways that solo performances can serve as vehicles for developing critical career and problem solving skills.  But there are many other avenues with the potential to emphasize these aptitudes within arts school curriculum. Consider, for example,...

Our fortune cookies and No More Starving Artist Button Board were a big hit at the Chicago Creative Expo. On Saturday April 10th, at the 7th Chicago Creative Expo held at The Cultural Center in Chicago, The IAE was in full blooming form. Our imagination training ensemble, The Bite-Size Arts Ensemble,...

I wrote this article for the Chicago Artists Resource (CAR). I thought you all might enjoy reading The Artist as Innovator: From Starving to Entrepreneurial by Thinking out of the Box. And besides, if you have not checked out The Chicago Artists Resource site before you should – it is a great Chicago...

A Case for The Institute for Arts Entrepreneurship™ Introduction: Founded in 2009, The Institute for Arts Entrepreneurship™ (The IAE) is a Chicago-based 501c(3) organization committed to helping artists create sustainable artistic careers through achieving self –sufficiency.  Our mission is...

At The Institute for Arts Entrepreneurship (IAE) we believe in leadership, strategic thinking, collaboration, persistence and learning from experience. These qualities have been and always will be a part of the models for the successful artist. The IAE teaches artists that they too are vital towards...

Henry Fogel, the most well known executive director to orchestras and orchestral musicians around the world, gave this speech to The National Association of School Music administrators in November of 2009.  As I read it my heart jumped for joy! It is so deeply satisfying to see someone with so much...

Zoe Keating shares this hilarious (and true) presentation on what it is like to be a touring musician. Thank you David Cutler and The Savvy Musician for finding this video for us to share!!

So, this Friday The IAE is hosting this real fun private networking event for artists and entrepreneurs at Rockit Bar in Chicago downtown. We have had a lot of people sign up for the event. We even released another 50 tickets for more folks to attend and they, too, all went fast.  Feels great to have...

Happy 10th anniversary SEA! The SEA conference is coming right up and if you have never attended you need to! Come learn more about how to turn your artistic passion into a living from other successful artists. What The Conference Offers In addition to keynote presentations, topic specific sessions...

I’m a big fan of J.D. Salinger, who passed away this week at 91, and of the Grammy Awards, which celebrated music in its stunning spectacle of creative performance on Sunday. Now, Holden Caulfield would likely take issue with the superficial celebrity culture of pop music. As you may recall, Holden,...

It seems that every time I am interviewed by someone who is interested in my work, the question always comes up: “Well, do you still play the clarinet? What do you do as an artist?” For some time now, I have been scratching my head and thinking to myself, “What is it that I am saying...

Of course!  You chose the arts in order to pursue meaningful and gratifying work. Sure, paying your dues and taking on a fair share of lame gigs along the way is permissible.  You might even temporarily accept a “day job” to, you know, help out with the bills. But this is all leading somewhere....

If you crave celebrity, this post is for you. It is no surprise when I say that our country is obsessed with celebrity. Celebrity sells and celebrity images are pumped out to the point of exhaustion. I think that most young artists, if honest with themselves, would admit to having celebrity lust. They,...