Faculty: Monique Mead

The objective of this course is to make you "roadworthy" as a professional musician, equipping you with the tools, skills, and mindset that would make people want to work with you again and again. You can think of it in three stages: "building the vehicle" (professional portfolio), "tuning the engine" (communication); and "mapping the route" (strategy) to put you on the road to success. This course will put you in touch with innovative artists, managers, web designers, career consultants, and other professionals who want to help you succeed

You will learn to:

• Lead with purpose: articulate your contribution to society and the difference it makes.
• Create a professional portfolio (website, bio, photo, contract, invoice, mission statement, etc.)
• Practice interpersonal skills (communicating professionally with clients, giving introductions, negotiating payment, interviewing, networking, etc.)
• Make an impact by the way you present yourself on stage.
• Develop an audience-centered approach to public speaking and programming.
• Communicate professionally with your client as your plan and perform an event.
• Demonstrate proper etiquette relating to attire, timeliness, payment, email, telephone, dining, thank-you’s, and social media

Testimonials:

“I had the privilege of taking “The Freelance Musician” course with Monique Mead, and I can confidently say that it was an invaluable experience. Monique’s expertise and passion for helping musicians succeed were evident from day one. Monique’s skill-sets in self-promotion, networking, and navigating the freelance landscape equipped us for real-world success, making this course a necessary step for any serious musician.

Monique invited guest speakers—successful freelance musicians, agents, and music business experts—to share their journeys. These sessions provided diverse perspectives and inspired us to pursue our unique paths. Monique’s rolodex of industry contacts was impressive, and she generously connected us with professionals who could offer mentorship or collaboration opportunities. Thank you, Monique, for empowering us to thrive in our music careers!”

~ Victor Valle, MM in Composition and Music Theory, 2023

View the syllabus here

Faculty: Monique Mead

The purpose of this course is to help you perform your best under pressure by learning new skills for effective practicing, audition preparation, and managing performance anxiety. You will hear insights from elite performers, participate in discussions, practice mindfulness, and perform from Kresge stage. All of this will be documented in your journal that will serve as a beneficial resource for you and your students for years to come.

By the end of the semester you’ll be able to:

• Calm and focus your mind using various mindfulness techniques and establish a routine for mind/body self-care.
• Apply these techniques during your practice as well as performance situations such as masterclasses, public speaking, auditions, competitions, and concerts.
• Share what you have learned about performance psychology, practice strategies, and mind/body awareness.
• Feel more comfortable with public speaking and assuming leadership roles.

Preview of "Mental Training for Peak Performance"

Testimonials 

“Professor Mead’s class helped me unpack many of the mental barriers that were preventing me from becoming the best artist I can be. This course equipped me with so many useful tools to get my mind and body primed for performing, and I still find myself using many of these techniques months later. This class was also a great opportunity to meet artists who have found success in a wide variety of paths in the music field, and it was inspiring to learn how they overcame the same challenges I face. Through this class, I was provided with many opportunities to practice public speaking, performing my instrument in front of people, and switching between the two in a presentation. I now feel more confident and grounded than ever when I am on stage. I would recommend Mental Training for Peak Performance to everyone!”

~ Erin Higgins, MM in Viola Performance, 2025

View the syllabus here

Faculty: Monique Mead

This course celebrates the intersection of artistry and citizenship by engaging in conversation around social justice and exploring ways in which music  can uplift our Pittsburgh community. We collaborate with organizations such as Autism Pittsburgh and the Lullaby Project to create meaningful experiences that engage people in collaborative music-making and foster connection within the community. Musicians, artists, and social advocates across campus are invited to participate.

Objectives

By the end of the semester you will …

• Understand the scope of work for citizen artists and identify the sectors that resonate most with you.
• Develop presentation and performance skills to engage audiences of all ages.
• Learn to incorporate culturally responsive pedagogy.
• Engage people through collaborative performance.
• Be able to add two community engagement projects to your résumé.

“I ️ learned a lot in this course and appreciated how Professor Mead brought in guests to help us with both of our larger concerts. The class gave us real world experience that challenged us to move out of our comfort zone. This work done in this class has significant effects on what we do for the community of Pittsburgh.”

—from anonymous Faculty Course Evaluation, 2024

Past projects:

2022 Lullaby Project Pittsburgh

2021 Azure Family Concerts

Faculty: Monique Mead

In a world where cultural institutions are focused on educating new audiences and developing a more diverse community for their art, skilled teaching artists are in high demand, making this one of the most lucrative areas for professional musicians.  In this course, you will be working alongside successful professionals in the field as you work on “real projects” in the community.  Students will learn to be ambassadors for their art, and those going into orchestral careers will learn essential “outreach” skills that will make them an even greater asset to the organizations they serve.

Since students come with specific interests, projects are tailored to your needs and may include:

• Setting up a private teaching studio
• Preparing an inspiring masterclass
• Public speaking and audience engagement skills
• Presenting a workshop or assembly for people of various ages
• Creating online teaching presence

Testimonials

"The Teaching Artist Training course equipped me with the skills and resources to set up my private teaching studio. It offered a unique hands-on experience that inspired me to think outside of the box, allowing me to develop engaging programs that both educate and inspire the younger generation. I am incredibly grateful for the practical knowledge I took away from this course, as it allowed me to successfully launch my own private teaching studio."

~ Dayna Hagstedt, B.M. in Flute Performance, 2021

Faculty: Monique Mead

Who is your audience?  What do they care about?  How will you connect?  These are the questions you’ll answer as you choose from a diverse range of community partners and develop an innovative, interactive program with a student team.  Discover how much fun performing becomes when formality falls away and you create something that fully engages your audience!

You will learn to…

• Make connections between current events, the business community, and your current repertoire to create musical events that add value to modern society.
• Conduct client research that leads to synergetic collaborations.
• Speak to diverse audiences in a way that is inclusive and engaging.
• Draw new audiences to your concerts.
• Create a portfolio that includes a project timeline, media interview, budget, instrumental arrangements, performance script, project management, and documentation. 

Faculty: Monique Mead

This is a student-driven course that houses and launches new student initiatives. Working as a team, you will get to create and manage a music initiative, beta-test it and work on making it sustainable. (This involves collaborating with outside partners, securing funding, managing operations, admin, marketing, etc.)  Student initiatives that continue to thrive in the Pittsburgh community and beyond include the CMU Scottie Sound Bath, Lullaby Project Pittsburgh, and Azure Family Concerts (see below).

Testimonials:

“The music entrepreneurship program helped me to strengthen my interpersonal skills in the workplace. I have enrolled in the course Collaborative Project in Music Entrepreneurship, which provides essential knowledge of starting and running a music business. I’m able to work with different team members to begin new projects and also sustain them. These projects offer opportunities to support and connect with the community. I am very grateful for the experience and Monique Mead’s guidance throughout the course.”

~ Ka Wing Chan, MM in Composition, 2024

Past Initiatives:

2023 Scottie Sound Bath: An immersive, full-body listening experience utilizing vibrations from quartz singing bowls to induce deep relaxation, reduce stress, and promote well-being on the CMU campus.

2022 Lullaby Project Pittsburgh: “Fostering love and connection through collaborative songwriting.” Partnering with parents to create personalized lullabies for babies with traumatic birth experiences.

2021 Azure Family Concerts: An “All behaviors welcome” chamber series for families with autism, featuring audience participation and an instrument petting zoo. A program of Autism Pittsburgh.

2018 Volta Music Foundation: Provides music education and instruments for underserved communities in the U.S. and Latin America.

View the syllabus here

Faculty: Denis Colwell

This class will teach you the fundamentals of how to survive in the music industry. A diverse set of speakers, hands-on projects tailored to your interests and needs and group activities will introduce you to the challenges you'll face during your career. How to manage your money, what you need to know about copyright, whom do you need on your side? We'll cover all of these and more!

By the end of this course you should be able to:

• Understand the basics of copyright, performing rights organizations, contracts, business formation and forms of incorporation
• Understand the state of the industry
• Identify opportunities in the market and develop projects to meet those needs
• Work with teams to develop businesses from the ground up
• Create a business model canvas to help chart the course in any new venture
• Create and execute surveys and focus groups
• Understand your own unique skills and strengths and how to chart a course towards a satisfying career
• Identify competitors in the market and how best to deal with them
• Pitch your ideas in a clear, concise fashion

View the syllabus here

Faculty: Denis Colwell

What is your message? Who is your audience? How do you reach them? These are among the topics we'll explore in this course. Group projects and case studies help us identify the key aspects of one of the most important aspects of any music career. Being a great musician won't do you any good if no one knows you exist!

By the end of the semester, you should be able to:

• Understand such concepts as branding, marketing, reach and advertising
• Identify audience segments and target messages to those segments
• Create compelling marketing materials
• Work with teams to try out a variety of marketing strategies in real-world circumstances
• Learn to capitalize on social media and use it to effectively build and communicate to an audience
• Learn to write effective and powerful marketing copy (bios, sales pieces, etc.)
• Examine competitors and market leaders to look for opportunities and best practices

Faculty: Monica Yunus

We will explore the concept of arts entrepreneurship while cultivating the knowledge base and skill set necessary to make the leap from student to professional. Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of brand building, budgeting, and managing one's career, and guest artist entrepreneurs will present real-world case studies. We will delve into the practicalities of the business as well as the steps involved in building one's own personal creative brand. You are the CEO of YOU LLC, and this course will help prepare you for what happens post-graduation.

Faculty: Jay LeBoeuf

Inside the Music and Video Technology Industry explores how leading audio, music, and video technology companies, such as Sonos, Adobe, Pandora, Avid, Dolby, and iZotope bring products from idea to market. We examine best practices, roles, day-to-day responsibilities, desired skill sets, and department/team function. Students are introduced to full time and internship roles available for College of Fine Arts and Engineering students in this amazing industry, such as marketing, product management, software and hardware engineering, design, and more.

Faculty: Denis Colwell

This course is intended to develop a working knowledge of the business of music, the organizations and platforms in it, and to cultivate an entrepreneurial and curious mindset and imagination about future possibilities in the field. The overarching goal is to provide students with ideas and information about career possibilities in the field of music. Students will examine types of musical groups, ensembles, and institutions from the standpoint of their economic, business and marketplace realities. We will examine contemporary methods of musical content creation, delivery platforms, advertising and marketing avenues, and revenue streams. We will hear from experts in various music specialties and have the opportunity to ask questions both during class and via email afterward.

Students will understand:

• the need to be entrepreneurial, and the attendant need for a growth mindset, and how to cultivate these.
• the economics, challenges, and the governance and financial structures underlying modern large and small musical performing groups as well as in individual careers.
• a broad understanding of the modern recording industry.
• career options beyond composing and performing.
• the philanthropic world as applied specifically to music groups and musicians.
• the value of networking.

View the syllabus here