Academic Papers 1 (Royal Salon D)
Bruce Ronkin, Moderator
Fame and Fortune
Monika Herzig
Lecturer, Arts Administration
Indiana University
This project chronicles the development and application of “Fame and Fortune”, a music industry simulation game for the classroom as a tool for interactive and practical learning. In their book “Total Engagement – Using Games and Virtual Worlds to Change the Way People Work and Businesses Compete”, Byron Reeves and J. Leighton Read (Harvard Business Press, 2009) make a strong argument that using games in work and business environments can make teams and employees more productive as well as increase the level of ideas and autonomy. Similarly, learning environments in classrooms may benefit from such alternative teaching methods. The effectiveness of traditional method of lecturing in University classrooms has recently been questioned and online teaching and other alternative methods are on the rise. One major argument against a lecture-only approach to teaching is that processing time of the material presented in class is limited and students have little opportunity to integrate and apply the new knowledge. As a result, class materials are only stored in short-term memory and new knowledge fades quickly after the end of the course rather than being applied and processed into long-term memory ( see Barbara Walvoord and Virginia Johnson Anderson: Effective Grading – A Tool for Learning and Assessment, Jossey-Bass, 1998).
A faculty group entitled “Intrinsic Motivation and Play” sponsored by the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning at Indiana University worked collaboratively throughout the school year 2012/13 on developing games for a variety of classroom situations and testing their effectiveness. I developed “Fame and Fortune” during this process as a teaching game to simulate the economic realities between artists, record labels, and consumers. Classes of 15 – 60 students can play the game effectively in one classroom period including introduction and debriefing time that reinforces the concepts learned. Initially, artists and record labels negotiate partnerships based on a variety of contract terms simulating major label, independent label, and DYI situations. Consumers then use their budgets to buy music, concert tickets, and merchandise. At each buying stage, chance cards may change income streams, artist activities, consumer roles, and contract details based on common factors that influence artist careers. Artist/Record Label teams have to keep detailed accounting of their income and divide all earnings according to contract terms. The winning team can document the highest income and during the debriefing period, the class discusses the variety of factors that led to the given outcome.
“Fame and Fortune” has now been tested and revised throughout several trials and feedback sessions. For the MEIEA presentation, I will chronicle the development of the game based on pedagogical needs, demonstrate basic game mechanics, learning outcomes and student feedback, and explore further applications of such classroom tools for practical and effective teaching approaches for the Music Industry educator.
Karmin: Marketing Music Using Social Media
Stephanie Kellar
Assistant Professor
Berklee College of Music
Amy Heideman (Berklee 08) and Nick Noonan (Berklee 08) formed the platinum-selling band Karmin as an acoustic duo in November 2009 with guidance from their college friend Nils Gums (Berklee 06). After nine months of intense artistic and business development—collectively self-development—they launched in August 2010. Nine months later, in April 2011, Karmin’s cover of Chris Brown’s “Look At Me Now” went viral on YouTube, setting off a frenzy of offers from record labels, record producers, music publishers, talent agents, sponsors, and more. Six weeks later, Karmin became the first act signed by L.A Reid in his new role as CEO of Sony’s Epic Records. It was not a 360 deal. They signed a publishing contract with Sony/AVT at the same time, and a talent agency agreement with William Morris Endeavor shortly thereafter.
From then to now, Karmin’s early career highlights abound including the release of their first Epic EP, achieving platinum selling status, two Jingle Ball tours, many radio and TV appearances, a performance on Saturday Night Live, Heidemann’s “Women Who Rock” award and appearance on the cover of Rolling Stone, the Fall ’12 GAP Campaign, and a recent Christmas video for Coach of which Karmin’s manager Gums said “earned them more money than the record deal.”
“Karmin: Marketing Music Using Social Media” is an academic case study written for undergraduate and graduate music business students studying marketing and their faculty. It captures Karmin’s path from the time they formed until December 2012—from obscurity to global celebrity—detailing their highly successful DIY, D2F, low cost, high sweat, one fan at a time business model, with emphasis on branding efforts, creation of digital assets, revenue streams, and SEO marketing strategy, all promoted through four social media sites—their own site (Karminmusic.com), YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.