Andrew Surmani, from Alfred Publishing, discusses career opportunities for music educators in the classroom as well as in the music education industry. He explains that with approximately 14,000 unfulfilled music education positions in the United States, there are lots of opportunities for aspiring teachers. He also discusses the many different kinds of positions a music educator could fill at his company including sales, marketing, finance, production, editorial, and licensing.

Todd Brabec, Executive Vice President of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), discusses the importance of entrepreneurship and strategic thinking to aspiring artists today. He notes some practices that are common in the hip-hop world that he feels could be put to wider use.

Andrew Surmani, from Alfred Publishing, offers practical advice on how to start a private teaching practice. He suggests contacting local middle school and high-school music teachers to let them know you are available. He also suggests applying to teach at a local music store or providing your information for the store’s music teacher referrals.

Andrew Surmani, from Alfred Publishing, offers practical advice on getting materials published by a music education publisher such as Alfred.

Jonathan Haas from NYU talks about his road to becoming a professional musician and an entrepreneur. In college, Mr. Haas began putting together concerts to create performance opportunities for himself. After that initial experience in producing concerts, Mr. Haas has since become involved with many other aspects of music in addition to performing. He believes that to be a successful entrepreneur one must be organized and willing to spend free time to do the necessary work.

Jerry Moss, cofounder of the legendary A&M label, compares his experiences in the music industry with his experiences with one of his new avocations, breeding and racing horses – especially as regards the need for a successful executive to recognize and capitalize on opportunities, and to persist until success is certain.

Build a broad base of experiences to be prepared to take advantage of opportunities that come your way. Experience as a performer and composer helps when working with musicians. Business acumen is important as well. But as Sandy Feldstein explains, knowing how to work with people is just as important. It’s not what you know as a manager, but how you motivate people and bask in their success that matters most.

A career in music education can include teaching, writing, arranging, consulting, and more. Sandy Feldstein has had a very successful career in the music education industry and offers insight and an entrepreneurial spirit into the possibilities and opportunities available to aspiring music educators today.

Get a broad base of experiences and then hone in on your focus. You never know how the experiences you have and the opportunities you pursue will affect your career over time. Sandy Feldstein offers personal stories relating to his career experiences that are sure to inspire.

In this excerpt from a lecture delivered at the Self-Employed Artists Conference in 2008, Benjie Hughes, a musician and music business entrepreneur based in Aurora, Illinois, discusses how to dream up business idea, and then take practical steps to turn that dream into a real business. He shares with the audience some key questions that have to be answered if any entrepreneurial effort is to have a shot at success.