Lectures

Why Don't We Riot Anymore? New concert paradigms for the 21st century

Using the infamous riot at the premiere of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring as a point of reference, this provocative lecture explores how technology and changing audiences have marginalized traditional concert music — and offers some exciting suggestions on what we can do to bring the classical concert back into the American mainstream.

The Conductor as Curator: artistic programming, organizational identity, and audience engagement

The world of classical concert music is undergoing tremendous changes, and with these changes artistic planners must reexamine the role they play in their organizations. More than planning concerts, the artistic planners of tomorrow must take an active role in shaping the identity of their groups, connecting with their audience, and creating a valued niche for themselves in their communities. Not just for conductors, this talk is for all artistic planners from chamber groups to educational ensembles to large professional orchestras.

"The response to your lecture has been extremely positive, and the issues you illuminate are universal." Craig Kirchhoff, Director of Bands, University of Minnesota

Become Your Own Impresario

Using the historical examples of the impresario and how they worked, this talk encourages performers, composers, and conductors to take an active role in creating opportunities for their work to be presented. Core principles of entrepreneurship are outlined and applied to the life of the freelance musician.

What's Entrepreneurship Got to Do With It?

Artists often assume that art and commerce are mutually exclusive realms, or that commerce is automatically a corrupting force for the artist. These assumptions are often reinforced by our music education, which marginalizes (or ignores altogether) questions of the marketplace or consigns their study to the Business School. This lecture dispels misconceptions about the nature of entrepreneurship and lays out a paradigm in which art and entrepreneurship are not only not opposed to each other, but can actually work together to unlock a powerful synergy.

Workshops

The Entrepreneurial Musician

This interactive workshop challenges artists to define what they do with their art in terms of the marketplace they hope to reach. Entrepreneurial principles are explored through each individual articulating their work through a market-based lens — and will see how this perspective requires them to remain true to their artistic calling.

"I am glad to have the opportunity to implement some of the ideas and techniques you illustrated with my chorus and board!" Woody Faulkner, Artistic Director, Triad Pride Men's Chorus

Consulting Options for Your Institution

In recent years, higher education has become increasingly interested in the power of entrepreneurship to not only unleash the creative and economic potential of their students, but to also foster unique interdisciplinary collaboration. Schools of music have not been immune to this trend, though concerns about maintaining artistic integrity and already overflowing degree plans make integrating entrepreneurship into the music curriculum particularly challenging. As Director of one of the nation's longest-running programs in music entrepreneurship, as well as a practicing musician with a varied career in the for-profit, non-profit, and higher ed worlds, I bring a unique and nuanced perspective to the question of how to fashion a music entrepreneurship program that fits the unique attributes of your institution. Contracts are flexible according to your budget and your needs. Let's get started with a preliminary conversation!

"My experiences with Dr. Nytch have balanced relevance with vision in forming exciting opportunities for students who are interested in expanding their portfolios of possibility. He understands how to work within academia and to move beyond the print in the college catalog. He is a perceptive, well-informed, and action-oriented individual who is helping to expand the horizons of opportunity that exist for students, faculty and institutions that are interested in oving toward an intended future through entrepreneurship." Laurence Kaptain, Dean, College of Music & Dramatic Arts, Louisiana State University

Call me today: 720.371.9200

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