The CCRCI offers coursework that provides career readiness skills for multi-faceted careers in the arts.
JC2360 Jazz Musician as Educator
2 hrs weekly/2 credits/Spring semester. This course is designed to develop skills in the teaching of jazz music. The student will be exposed to a variety of materials, techniques, and philosophies. The course focuses on program development for and performance in MSM’s elementary and middle school jazz education community series. Included are the study of ensemble and rehearsal techniques and other factors pertinent to operating a jazz/ commercial music program.
ME 1500 Practical Foundations for Music Careers
2 hours weekly/2 credits. This course is designed to build career readiness and to prepare students for multi-faceted professional careers. In today’s marketplace, musicians need more than just artistic excellence; entrepreneurial skills as well as vision and initiative are often paramount to building rewarding and sustainable music careers. Course highlights include a focus on audience engagement, communication and promotion, creativity and innovation, an exploration of the arts economy, financial management and fundraising, expanding career, networking, promotional and public speaking skills, and understanding more about value creation and making an impact. The class includes professional networking with guest visits from industry professionals. This is a required class for all undergraduates. Course offered Fall or Spring depending on major.
ME 1700 Becoming an Arts Ambassador
1 hour weekly/1 elective credit. This elective course takes students through the creation of performance modules, combining narratives and storytelling with individual musical selections. Students will perform these creations and participate in a variety of events where they will gain hands-on training in becoming arts ambassador, advocating for their art forms, and interacting with a variety of professionals in the field. Offered Spring only.
ME 1900 Internship
10 hours weekly off-campus/3 elective credits. MSM’s Internship Program offers real-world experience, skills and contacts that enhance on-campus coursework and foster career readiness. Students eager to gain professional arts experience in one of the world’s most dynamic cities have a terrific array of internships possibilities to enhance their education. Internships for current students are arranged for one semester. Students may only enroll once per their degree program. Interested students must apply through the CCRCI office before registering. Available Fall and Spring to juniors, seniors, and graduate students.
ME 2001 Advanced Practicum for Careers in Contemporary Performance
2 hours weekly/2 credits. In this graduate level course students plan and launch their own entrepreneurial ventures. In a supportive “think tank” environment, students create business plans, budgets, and action steps to achieve their desired professional goals. Class work includes relevant readings, research, and mentoring. Past projects have included starting a new festival, creating a performance series, outreach program, and launching an online booking service. This is a required course for graduate students in the Contemporary Performance program. This course may substitute for ME1500 with faculty approval. Offered Spring only.
ME 2600 Career Essentials for the Orchestral Musician
2 hours weekly/2 credits. This course is designed to equip orchestral students with the knowledge and perspective needed to succeed as professional orchestral players in a changing industry. The class covers essential organizational, financial, and programmatic issues affecting orchestras and their entrepreneurial possibilities for the future. There will be guest speakers throughout the semester. The course is required for graduate students in the Orchestral Performance program and is available to others with permission from the instructor. Offered Fall only.
ME 2700 Professional Performance Diploma Seminar
3 hrs weekly/3 credits/Fall semester. This multi-module course provides students with an integrative approach to the fundamental skills and knowledge to build a contemporary professional portfolio. Students in this seminar class will undertake three 4-week modules of study, as follows:
a. Career Readiness-to develop promotional, networking, and collaborative skills for workforce readiness
b. Community Engagement -to enhance pedagogical strategies and best practices for creating meaningful musical experiences for community audiences
c. Technological Fluency -to utilize multiple media and digital tools for artistic expression.
At the conclusion of the course, each student will select a core area of further study to be approved by their major teacher, the chairperson of the core area, and the Dean of Academic Affairs. This course will help students identify opportunities in a subsequent semester for an experiential component, such as teaching fieldwork, internships, independent study, etc. that are required for this diploma program. Individual advisement will be offered to each student by the Dean of Youth Education and Community-Career Connection.
OP 2251 Musician as Educator
Variable hours weekly/1 credit. Students in this course receive training on how to become effective artist-educators. The course will include in-class lectures, group working sessions, and presentations for schoolchildren. Required for all first-year Orchestral Performance students; open to all orchestral graduate students. Students will learn about being a professional teaching artist, will be introduced to a variety of pedagogical methods, and will experience a variety of preK-12 school settings via performance experiences. Offered Fall only.
PT 1050 Arts & Education Training
2 hours weekly/2 credits. This course provides fieldwork opportunities for students interested in becoming teaching artists or music teachers within a school setting. Students enrolled in this course will observe, compare and evaluate music education programs in a diverse array of New York City schools. Class lectures will cover budgeting and advocacy for music education programs. Offered Spring only.
PT 1200 Community Engagement for Musicians
2 hours weekly/1 credit. Students in this course will learn how to create and present effective, interactive, and meaningful performances for underserved outreach audiences. Lectures will focus on music and the brain, memory, and healing. Guest speakers will include experts in the field of gerontology, Alzheimer’s Disease, developmental disabilities, and music therapy. Students will perform remotely or in-person at various local community venues including hospitals, senior residences, and memory care facilities. This is an elective course open to undergraduates and graduates. Offered Spring only.
PT 2101 Fundamentals of Music Education
2 hours weekly/2 elective credits. Students in this course will be introduced to the basic fundamentals of teaching music in a children’s classroom setting. The course will cover: lesson planning and curriculum development for a general music classroom; various teaching methodologies; early childhood music and movement; recorder pedagogy; teaching music to students with disabilities and neurodiversities; classroom management resources; assessment. Offered Fall and Spring semesters.
“The [CCRCI] connected me to an arts administration internship that significantly supplemented and complemented my on-campus classes and performances; this gave me additional experience to run my own new music ensemble.”
