Description
Book SynopsisAs traditional music career paths become increasingly scarce, 21st-century musicians must reach out to new and diverse audiences to ensure career success and sustainability. Many universities and conservatories now offer entrepreneurship courses for their students, but musicians already in the working world must also learn to build relationships with their communities, jumpstart and fund new initiatives, engage new audiences, and ultimately create successful and meaningful careers. Creating the Revolutionary Artist challenges performers to build increased audiences through creative action and community involvement. Based on Mark Rabideau’s revolutionary online text The 21CM Introduction to Music Entrepreneurship, this book will jumpstart the careers of musicians and artists in all styles and at all levels as it lays out business and project management acumen within a talent-driven spirit of civic-mindfulness. Drawing together the real-world wisdom of world-class musicians and educators, the book includes strength identification and idea creation exercises, inspiring case studies, and a toolkit of how-to guides to lead the reader through a successful community-based project and on to a rewarding career in the arts.
Trade ReviewHere is an innovative framework for ideation and action to create projects that drive impact and income. Highly recommended for artists and arts educators who are committed to creating a new sense of relevance. -- Susan de Weger, founder of, Notable Values and associate lecturer in music entrepreneurship, Melbourne Conservatorium of Music
Mark Rabideau is one of the most enthusiastic and clued-in members of the forward-thinking music community. This book will empower anyone who fully digests its message. -- Mike Block, cellist; singer; composer; associate professor, Berklee College of Music; and founder of the Mike Block String Camp
Mark Rabideau not only asks painfully difficult questions, he goes on to positive and constructive answers, which will arm the contemporary artist-entrepreneur with the weapons needed to fight this good fight. -- John Kenny, professor for contemporary music, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London and professor of sackbut and trombone, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
This book does something astonishing. It leads readers on a journey out of the box, leaving them in a new landscape that they’ll in part have created for themselves and in which they’re ready to be astoundingly creative. -- Greg Sandow, composer, critic, educator
Rabideau has created a thorough and tremendously useful resource for performers. His analysis is spot on, and he has truly captured the essence of the successful 21st-century musician. -- Justin Kantor, co-founder and& managing member ,of (Le) Poisson Rouge and faculty at tThe New School’s Mannes Conservatory
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Foreword How to Use this Book Background 1.To Be a 21st-Cetury Musician 2.Exploring Curiosity: Finding Opportunities to Make a Community Impact 3.Assessing Your Strengths: Tenacity and the Superpowers 4.Thinking about Creativity: Fueling the Imagination 5.Building a Team: Collaboration and Networking 6.Problem Solving: Developing Solutions that Work for You 7.Diversity and inclusivity: Abandoning Bias and Listening to Voices Unlike Our Own 8.The Business Side: Laying the Groundwork for a Successful Project 9.From Inspiration to Action: Your Project Takes Flight 10.Getting the Word Out: Storytelling, Marketing, and Communications Strategy 11.Finding the Funds: Donations, Grants, and Finance Management 12.From Single Project to Rewarding Career: Continuing the Revolution Epilogue Toolkit Index About the Author
