Jim Brandmeier

I found that the best way to keep students motivated, attentive, involved and inspired is through hands on experience, student demonstrations and student lectures. I find something that I and the class need to learn more about and make it their job to explain it to us.

Students in the music business class, though perfect strangers have a common love and passion for pursuing a career in music. It is helpful for them to get to learn about each others experience, objectives, insights and aspirations in the music industry. They are not only making a potential professional and personal connection they are learning and clarifying whatb their place in the industry may be as well. As a teacher it is imperative that I get to know their individual goals as well. This serves as a friendly informal ice breaker.

It may not be possible to create a real work environment in the music business out of a classroom. What I have done is positioned myself as an example of a music industry "gatekeeper" that they may encounter in the real world. Soft skills, presentations, dialog, protocols that the student will have to master to make a favorable impression on industry decision makers are to an extent role played on me and personal "practice" connections.

I have found music education of the 20th century to be not woefully inadequate to the needs of any student wishing to navigate an industry currently in flux... I find if they are learning something they can actually apply in todays world and become familiar with the new professional channels in todays world they get extremely motivated and involved. They say if your attention wanders, there's probably somewhere it wants to go. If the student senses relevance and practical insight, their attention does not wander.