///Entrepreneurs in Action!
Developing the
Entrepreneurial Spirit
Learning in Action!
A Cross-disciplinary Problem-Based Learning
Environment for Entrepreneurship
University Cases
Music City Blues
(Music Case)
Test Version 1.0
(A Work in Progress)
R. Wilburn Clouse, PhD
Western Kentucky University
Terry Goodin, EdD
Middle Tennessee
State University
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 3
LEARNING VIGNETTE -- MUSIC CITY BLUES ............................................................. 4
THE CHALLENGE .......................................................................................................... 5
CORE CONCEPTS ......................................................................................................... 6
LEARNING OBJECTIVES .............................................................................................. 6
GUIDING QUESTIONS ................................................................................................... 6
MUSIC BUSINESS RESOURCES .................................................................................. 7
ARTICLES ......................................................................................................................... 7
BUSINESS SUPPORT MATERIALS ...................................................................................... 11
ONLINE EXPERTS ............................................................................................................ 13
ONLINE RESOURCES AND VIDEO CLIPS ............................................................................ 13
IMPLEMENTATION ...................................................................................................... 13
INTRODUCING CASES ................................................................................................ 14
STUDENT ACTIVITIES ................................................................................................. 14
PRODUCTS .................................................................................................................. 14
PHASE ONE – DOING THE RESEARCH ............................................................................... 15
PHASE TWO – FIND A SOLUTION ...................................................................................... 15
PHASE THREE – TAKING IT PUBLIC ................................................................................... 15
ASSESSMENTS ........................................................................................................... 15
FORMATIVE ..................................................................................................................... 15
SUMMATIVE .................................................................................................................... 16
Music City Blues
(Music Case)
Introduction
The performing arts is big business throughout the world. It has been said that
music is the universal language. People the world over seem to relate to music.
Some segments of the population relate to classical music, which might include
Mozart and a concerto by Rachmaninoff. Other segments of the world may relate
to chanting in the beat of drums. Still other segments of the population may relate
to rock and roll, country and western, rap, big band music and Christian music.
Music can be used to lift your spirits and to tell stories of woe and sadness. Music
can be performed by the philharmonic orchestra or sung in the shower by one
single voice. Music can be used to tell the history of a people, struggles of a
country, the joy and happiness of a romance and the plight of an American
cowboy. Almost everyone, no matter what their origin, their creed or country,
knows some songs and enjoys some form of music.
The world is filled with joyous sounds coming from many different kinds of
instruments and from the many different voices of the world. Music is truly one of
the creative arts. In all probability, most people have some creative musical
ability. Some of this ability can be expressed by playing a musical instrument,
leading an orchestra, singing a country and western song, conducting a rap session
and/or praising God through music. There are many talented people throughout
the world in all of these areas. However, there is a certain segment of the
population that would probably be better off only practicing their musical talents
in the shower. But, nevertheless, music is joyful, upbeat, and is a voice that
communicates throughout the entire world.
The state of Tennessee is blessed with a whole series of music talents. Beginning
in the mountains of East Tennessee, we have seen the growth of songs and music
coming from the hill folks. That music tells the story of the lives of the people
who have lived in the mountainous areas of Tennessee. Dolly Parton, one of the
great folk singers of that segment of the population, has created DollyWood,
which features the culture and times of the hill folks. When we come down the
mountains to Middle Tennessee, Nashville has become the central focus of big
business. Many of the big recording companies reside in Nashville, such as
MGM, Warner Brothers, RCA and others. These companies occupy a section of
downtown Nashville known as Music Row. Hank Williams, Sr., Elvis Presley,
The Jordanaires, Roy Acuff, all played a major role in the early development of
the Nashville sound. Countless of other, younger stars, have made their start in
Nashville, singing in local bars and at local events. Songwriters come to Nashville
with their guitars over their shoulder, hoping to make the American dream. Some
do- some don’t. Lower Broadway and Second Avenue have become a haven for
“wannabe” songwriters and musicians. Some of these people are very talented;
others are not so talented. But, they all have a dream and they all seek to use their
creativity and innovation to pursue that dream. Unfortunately for them, it is very
difficult to break into the music business in Nashville. The local Songwriter’s
Guild, for example, reports that over 1,000 songs per week are offered to
producers on music row.
When we drive down I-40 to Memphis, Tennessee, we are in the very heart of
rhythm and blues. The old Sun Studio, located on Beal Street in Memphis, was in
fact the studio where Elvis Presley cut his first record. Rhythm and blues can still
be heard in many nightclubs, bars and restaurants in the Memphis area.
Tennessee has been blessed with a considerable number of creative songwriters
and musicians. Nashville, Tennessee, has been the focal town to nurture and grow
the music entertainment business. Business people, over the years, have been able
to see new and interesting markets for a wide variety of music ideas and songs.
The creative business people have been able to connect with the creative
songwriters and musicians across the world to create a multi-billion dollar music
business. The music business has moved from a simple musician with a guitar and
song in the 40s and 50s to a complicated, high-pressure, very profitable business
in the 2000s.
Where and how is this music developed? Who writes the songs and who makes
the music? Can anyone be a songwriter and be successful?
Learning Vignette -- Music City Blues
Dr. Elizabeth Smith, Professor of English, is teaching a course in Creative Writing. Dr.
Smith, a noted author in her own right, is interested in conveying the joy and thrill of
creative writing to her college students. The students have had a previous class related to
the structure of writing, but not much opportunity to practice what they feel in their heart.
They have learned how to write a research paper and know how to write APA style
without missing a comma or a period. However, most of the learning that students incur
in high school and college is structured learning. Students are required to write about
some topic, research an idea, develop a business plan or read and synthesize a poem.
Very few classes provide the student with the opportunity to write freely from their heart.
Dr. Smith wanted to make this class, a class where students could be creative and could
write from their heart, but yet she also wanted to infuse history, tradition and values into
the activity.
Dr. Smith outlined an activity for the class, in which she said, “I want this exercise to be
the most creative piece of work that you’ve ever done. I am going to give you the latitude
and flexibility to write a series of songs and to develop a process to secure a copyright for
your songs and a process to commercialize your work.”
Dr. Smith went on to say, “I want you also to tie your work into a major movement that
has occurred in the United States.” She said, “For example, I would like for you to review
some of the songs that were written during the Viet Nam War and to analyze those songs
for content and ideas for future songs. You may also investigate the music that grew out
of World War I and World War II, as well as the more recent rap music. In analyzing this
music,” she said, “I would like for you to develop themes that have occurred out of this
music and identify stories that are related to that time and place.” Dr. Smith went on to
say, “I do not want to give you a lot of structure for this activity, since I want it to be
innovative and creative. Thus, I am just offering these as ideas.” She also said, “I don’t
want you to forget about the fast-rising Christian music business.”
The class sat in their chair-desks, amazed, excited and frightened by this assignment.
They had been accustomed to sitting at their chair-desks in rows and listening to lectures
and/or seeing videos. For the first time in a long time, the class felt like that they would
actually be able to study and to some extent create their own learning environment.
Under this newfound freedom, the students moved their desk-chairs into small groups of
four or five students and began to talk about the assignment. What do you think they will
do? What topic areas do you think they will pursue as their interest? How do you think
they will connect music with economic and social trends and with history?
The Challenge
Entrepreneurs in Action! cases are written to be open-ended, flexible learning
experiences for students. The case provides an introduction and a learning vignette to set
the stage for the students. The student groups should carefully read the introduction and
the learning vignette. After reading these areas, students should discuss the major issues
outlined in the introduction and learning vignette. The students are then faced with the
opportunity to develop possible solutions to the problems and opportunities outlined in
the case. In some cases, students may find it necessary to seek information from some of
the resources listed in the case and are to contact Online Experts early in the opportunity
identification. There are no right or wrong answers in these exercises and it is expected
that multiple solutions will be developed by different groups. It is also suggested that
students not only look at the political, economic and social issues, but to dream about
future inventions and/or business opportunities that can derive from the case. The
challenge begins with the following questions:
1. What do you think?
2. What solutions would you recommend if you were a member of this student
team?
3. What new business ventures could be developed from this case?
After raising these questions, the students are free to begin deliberations on possible
solutions to the case.
Core Concepts
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Marketing in the music business
General music careers
Songwriting as a vocation
Creative writing
Copyrights
Team development
Learning Objectives
1. Students will experience the opportunity to think creatively about an idea of their
own interest.
2. Students will understand the history of selected music trends.
3. Students will experience working in an unstructured environment around ideas of
their own interest.
4. Students will learn about copyright laws.
5. Students will learn how to market a musical idea or song.
Guiding Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What impact has music had on world events?
What kind of skills and techniques does it take to write songs?
How can music be used to move and/or shape international and world events?
What is the structure and nature of the music business?
What strategies can I use to insure that my songs receive a fair hearing?
6. How can I use the musical talents of this class to impact the new development of
downtown Athens?
Music Business Resources
Articles
Music company seeks songwriters who keep business humming. (Jul 3, 2002).
Mississippi Link, (10)26, p. 17.
This article provides an in-depth look at the plethora of activities that Broadcast Music,
Inc. (BMI) coordinates in a succeeding effort to keep music alive and to develop musical
talent. Among these are forums and showcases where singers and songwriters can try
new material, find collaborators, and make contacts leading to publishing or recording
contracts. The number of songwriters participating in BMI showcases around the world
each year runs into the thousands. Approximately 4,000 songwriters have attended the
monthly BMI Songwriters Workshop with Jason Blume in Nashville and other cities over
the last four years. For more information call Jerry Bailey or Pat Baird at 615-401-2825
or 212-830-2528 or visit jbailey@bmi.com pbaird@bmi.
Price, D. E. RCA's Lines 'can't hide' from the growing spotlight. (Dec 14, 2002).
Billboard, (114)50, p. 26.
"Breaking a new act has gotten tougher and tougher," says Jon Elliot. "Radio playlists
have gotten much shorter [in] the last five years. They are playing fewer records and
stepping out on fewer things that might be new and not familiar to their audience. CMT
has also gotten a lot tougher. It's a real struggle these days to break a new act, and when
you do, you feel good." Jon Elliot, senior director of marketing and artist development
for RCA Records and Arista Nashville, discusses the music industry’s continuous and
incessant growth and how it is making it more and more difficult to bring new talent into
the spotlight. Through a series of interview responses, Elliot describes step-by-step how
difficult it was to promote and publicize recent country music star Aaron Lines. Lines
also offers his perspective on the process, comments on what it takes to write a “hit”
song, and shares some of the differences and similarities among the obstacles that he and
Elliot both faced on the road to success.
Stark, P. (April 17, 2004). Nashville scene (TM). Billboard, (116)16, p. 34.
In an effort to unite the independents on Music Row, a group of executives has formed
the Nashville Independent Recording Association (NIRA). The nonprofit group seeks to
recruit members from among the independent labels, artists, producers, record promoters,
booking agents, musicians and songwriters working in Nashville. The group's architects
hope to help independents gain recognition through such activities as awards shows,
concerts, club events and Internet and radio promotions while also giving members a
chance to network and collaborate. President Doris Danker says the idea for the group
came when she "realized we're down to four major labels and so many independents. But
they weren't united. My major goal is to pull the independents together and keep the
music in Nashville." Outside of Nashville, other independent labels and distributors are
also taking exploratory steps to found a trade organizations modeled after the United
Kingdom's Association of Independent Music.
Linden, A. (May 15, 2000). Young Nashville. US Weekly, (274) pp. 60-65.
Country music is making waves across the music industry. Last year, Americans bought
69 million country albums, with Shania Twain's Come On Over alone accounting for 17
million sales - making it the best-selling album ever, in any genre, by a female singer. For
the past decade, country music has surpassed even rock & roll as the most popular radio
format in the U. S., giving Nashville stars a bigger radio audience than any boy band ever
enjoyed. The rising stars also seem to be getting younger and younger, and here the
author profiles several young country stars likely to make it big in the music scene.
http://www.aftra.org/aftra/aftra.htm
The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) is a national labor
union representing nearly 80,000 performers, journalists and other artists working in the
entertainment and news media. AFTRA's scope of representation covers broadcast,
public and cable television (news, sports and weather; drama and comedy, soaps, talk and
variety shows, documentaries, children’s programming, reality and game shows); radio
(news, commercials, hosted programs); sound recordings (CDs, singles, Broadway cast
albums, audio books); "non-broadcast" and industrial material as well as Internet and
digital programming. AFTRA's sound recording membership includes artists who bring
pop, rock, country, classical, folk, jazz, comedy, Latin, hip hop, rap and R&B to the
world. AFTRA members perform in television and radio advertising, non-broadcast
video, audio books and messaging, and provide their skills for developing technologies
such as interactive games and Internet material. AFTRA performs a variety of functions
for its members, including contract negotiation and enforcement, advocacy, governance,
and administrative capacities.
http://www.afm.org/public/about/index.php
Everyday the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada helps
thousands of musicians just like you. We are the largest organization in the world
representing the interests of professional musicians. Whether negotiating fair agreements,
protecting ownership of recorded music, securing benefits such as health care and
pension, or lobbying our legislators, the AFM is committed to raising industry standards
and placing the professional musician in the foreground of the cultural landscape.
http://www.ifpi.org/
IFPI represents the recording industry worldwide with over 1450 members in 75
countries and affiliated industry associations in 48 countries by: fighting music piracy,
promoting fair market access and adequate copyright laws, helping develop the legal
conditions and the technologies for the recording industry to prosper in the digital era,
and promoting the value of music in the development of economies, as well as in social
and cultural life.
http://www.mi2n.com/
Music Industry News Network
http://www.business.com/directory/media_and_entertainment/music/
Information on the music industry: including artist management, record production,
musical artists, studios and emerging technologies.
http://www.riaa.com/default.asp
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is the trade group that represents
the U.S. recording industry. Its mission is to foster a business and legal climate that
supports and promotes our members' creative and financial vitality. Its members are the
record companies that comprise the most vibrant national music industry in the world.
RIAA members create, manufacture and/or distribute approximately 90% of all
legitimate sound recordings produced and sold in the United States. In support of this
mission, the RIAA works to protect intellectual property rights worldwide and the First
Amendment rights of artists; conduct consumer industry and technical research; and
monitor and review - - state and federal laws, regulations and policies.
http://www.ascap.com
ASCAP is a membership association of over 180,000 U.S. composers, songwriters,
lyricists, and music publishers of every kind of music. Through agreements with
affiliated international societies, ASCAP also represents hundreds of thousands of music
creators worldwide. ASCAP is the only U.S. performing rights organization created and
controlled by composers, songwriters and music publishers, with a Board of Directors
elected by and from the membership. ASCAP protects the rights of its members by
licensing and distributing royalties for the non-dramatic public performances of their
copyrighted works. ASCAP's licensees encompass all who want to perform copyrighted
music publicly. ASCAP makes giving and obtaining permission to perform music simple
for both creators and users of music.
http://www.bmi.com
BMI is an American performing rights organization that represents approximately
300,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers in all genres of music. The nonprofit-making company, founded in 1939, collects license fees on behalf of those
American creators it represents, as well as thousands of creators from around the world
who chose BMI for representation in the United States. The license fees BMI collects for
the "public performances" of its repertoire of approximately 4.5 million compositions including radio airplay, broadcast and cable television carriage, Internet and live and
recorded performances by all other users of music - are then distributed as royalties to the
writers, composers and copyright holders it represents.
http://www.songwritersguild.com
The Songwriters Guild has, for over 70 years, provided a support service to emerging
writers through workshops, critique services and pitch sessions in which new writers are
able to showcase their products to established producers. In addition, SGA offers legal
advice, collection audits, medical plans, and more.
http://www.copyright.gov
The Copyright Office is part of a long tradition of promoting progress
of the arts and protection for the works of authors. The homepage has
been created with the desire to serve the copyright community of
creators and users, as well as the general public. Here you will find all
their key publications, including informational circulars; application
forms for copyright registration; links to the copyright law and to the
homepages of other copyright-related organizations.
http://www.sesac.com/home.asp
SESAC was founded in 1930, making it the second oldest performing rights organization
in the United States. SESAC's repertory, once limited to European and gospel music, has
diversified to include today's most popular music, including dance hits, rock classics, the
best of Latina music, the hottest jazz, the hippest country and the coolest contemporary
Christian music. Performing rights organizations, such as SESAC, are businesses
designed to represent songwriters and publishers and their right to be compensated for
having their music performed in public. By securing a license from SESAC, for example,
music users (i.e., television and radio stations, auditoriums, restaurants, hotels, theme
parks, malls, funeral homes, etc.) can legally play any song in the SESAC repertory.
Without a license from a performing rights organization, music users are in danger of
copyright infringement."
http://www.emigroup.com
EMI is a recording and publishing company that is in the business of producing and
distributing music generated by a large “stable” of musical artists.
Business Support Materials
These sources are non-technical and will provide the student with information about how
to build a business plan around their ideas for case solutions.
Allbusiness.com – http://allbusiness.com/
One of the most comprehensive sites on the Web for small and growing businesses, this
site offers over 2000 articles, “how-to’s,” forms, agreements, questions-and-answers,
solutions, and services useful to those starting a new business venture.
Bloomberg.com – http://www.bloomberg.com
One of the leading sites for breaking financial news, investor tools and data,
Bloomberg.com gives access to business information, including the latest data and
analytical tools.
Bplans.com – http://www.bplans.com
Bplans.com offers a large collection of free sample business plans online and helpful
tools and know-how for managing a business. The site includes practical advice on
planning, interactive tools, and a panel of experts available to answer specific questions.
The Business Forum Online – http://www.businessforum.com
This service springs from a weekly newspaper column addressing issues and questions of
specific interest to entrepreneurs and emerging businesses. Each column focuses on the
immediate consequences of the issue to the owner/manager of the emerging business.
MoreBusiness.com – http://www.morebusiness.com
MoreBusiness.com, a comprehensive resource for small businesses,
contains tips, articles, ideas, templates, worksheets, sample
business plans, tools, financial benchmarks, sample contracts, and websites.
These business sites may offer some ideas and provide some review articles. Some sites
may require a fee. Or you may wish to use the Library for paper copies of current and
past articles.
Wall Street Journal- http://www.wsj.com/
Fortune- http://www.fortune.com/
Harvard Business Review- www.harvardbusinessreview.com/
Businessweek.com - http://businessweek.com/
The website of the weekly business magazine, this site offers news and related
information for the entrepreneur. An archive of articles is also provided. Some services
may require subscription.
www.uspto.gov -Patent and Trademark Office
www.sba.gov/ADVO/stats- SBA Office of Advocacy--Economic Statistics and Research
http://www.sba.gov/ -SBA Small Business Administration--SBA Support in starting, financing and managing a business
www.bizoffice.com -Small and Home Based Business Links
Provides support services for home-based companies.
www.sbaer.uca.edu- Small Business Advancement National Center--Resources include newsletters, archives, SBA and other Government sites and related
affiliates.
www.bizplan.com- Strategic Business Planning Co.--The mission of the Strategic Business Planning Co. is to help organizations define their
mission and achieve their objectives by developing business and strategic plans and by
periodically conducting a comprehensive review of the environment in which they
operate.
www.business.gov- U.S. Business Advisor--U.S. Business Advisor – a one-stop electronic link to the information and services
government provides for the business community—Laws and regulations, forms and
support services.
www.census.gov- U.S. Census Bureau--Resources include population census, economic data, Business surveys, and other related
Bureau statistics.
http://www.dowjones.com- Dow Jones – Latest financial information about stock market
performance.
www.benlore.com- The Entrepreneur's Mind
The Entrepreneur's Mind is a Web-based resource that presents an array of real-life
stories and advice from successful entrepreneurs and industry experts on the many
different facets of entrepreneurship and emerging business.
www.entrepreneurmag.com- Entrepreneur Magazine--Provides solutions for growing businesses
www.engeniussolutions.com- Engineering projects
Provides information about new products and ideas (some student developed).
Online Experts
The Online Experts play an important part in the PBL model, because they connect the
learner with an experienced person in the field related to the case. Selecting these
individuals is critical to the success of the program, in that they must be willing to
respond to students’ e-mails, telephone calls, and/or have meetings with students. Online
Experts will be selected at the time the case is implemented in order to be current and to
connect to the local environment.
Established songwriters
Local musicians
Music business marketing professionals
Legal advisor
Songwriter critique
Creative thinkers
Historians
English professors
Online Resources and Video Clips
(Under development) Available at: http://entrepreneurship.vanderbilt.edu
Implementation
Usually the class is divided up into teams of 4-5 people, who are given an opportunity to
review the Entrepreneurs in Action! exercise and to develop strategies for solving the
situation or to see new ventures. Thus, students work together in small groups and learn a
wide variety of skills related to teamwork development, problem identification, resource
analysis and synthesis, product or process identification, potential market development,
the application of cross-disciplinary thinking, product and process cost analysis, and
written and verbal presentation skills. In this model, the case presents the students with an
unresolved issue, provides some resources and permits the students to take charge of their
own learning and to develop a new business venture out of the given situation.
Introducing Cases
Several methods may be used to introduce the Entrepreneurs in Action! cases to the class,
as follows:
1. Divide the class into groups and to present the case to each group and permit
limited discussions between groups.
2. Permit a selected number of students to role-play the scenario as a way of
introducing the case.
3. Fishbowl. A small group of students may be requested to sit in the middle of
the room and to discuss topics related to the case. The other students would
observe and would synthesize the events afterwards.
4. Students may also be shown selected video clips to start the entrepreneurial
thinking process. Some video clips are “The Triumph of the Nerds” series, the
“Apprentice” TV show, the “October Sky” movie, “Pirates of Silicon Valley”
movie, the “Seabiscuit” movie, or the Public TV version.
Student Activities
Students are expected to participate actively in their groups and to contribute to
developing creative ideas for possible business ventures. In doing so, students may be
required to learn through reflections. Students can be required to keep a journal of the
activities of each group meeting and to record his or her thoughts and comments about
the process. Students may also use concept mapping to study the issues and track
progress development. IHMConcept Map Software is available free at
http://cmap.coginst.uwf.edu/docs/.
Products
The final products to the cases are usually a written business plan and a final oral
presentation. The final oral presentation can be given to different groups, such as the
local Chamber of Commerce, other business and civic groups, a panel of Online Experts
and/or to the class. A rubric is used to judge the creative and entrepreneurial ventures and
grades are assigned based on the rubric evaluation. The development of the final product
usually follows the outline below.
Phase One – Doing the Research
Research the available avenues to creative music publishing, then write a two-page paper
describing your interest in the area. Explain why you are drawn to this particular part of
the music business, and formulate some goals for your success.
Phase Two – Find a Solution
Working in like-minded groups, select an area of interest to pursue further. Explore that
area and determine the course of action you would like to take, taking into account the
steps necessary to insure success. Create a product, based on research done in Phase One,
and design a business plan to take your product to market.
Phase Three – Taking it Public
Present your group’s solution to a team of peers, educators and experts in the field. You
will submit to their evaluation, just as you would do so in actual practice. You should
employ a variety of presentation techniques, including a written business plan, handouts,
performance of your song or project and a computer-based presentation.
Assessments
Formative
1. Weekly logs
Students will submit a summary of their activities on a regular basis, the frequency of
which will be decided by the instructor. The students should include a concise
description of the activities and an analysis of their effectiveness. It is suggested that the
summary of activities be part of a computer managed instructional program such as
Prometheus, Blackboard or others. This allows the instructor and student groups to
monitor their weekly progress.
2. In-class observations
Instructors will observe group work and interact in the role of facilitator as needed.
3. Position Paper
The paper required in Phase One will be graded for critical thinking and analytical
substance. Instructors will also use the papers to assist in forming like student groups.
4. Teams of peers and visiting experts will evaluate the final presentation for content and
appearance of the final product.
Summative
1. Business Plan Evaluations
Instructors will evaluate the completed business plans for accuracy, content, breadth,
depth, and professional appearance.
2. Presentation Evaluation
Instructors will assess the professionalism of the final presentation, taking into account
the content and appearance of the final product.
This work is part of the Forum for Entrepreneurship Education at Vanderbilt
University and was support in part by The Coleman Foundation Inc.-- Grant number
4446-- Entrepreneurs in Action!, and The National Science Foundation under Grant
No. 0091632 and other related funds. (Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or
recommendations expressed in this presentation are those of the author(s) and do not
necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation).
wil.clouse@vanderbilt.edu