What is Louisiana doing to help educate its musicians in the area of music business?
How is the Louisiana film and television tax credit program doing--three years post Katrina?Does it need to be tweaked or improved?
These are issues that were discussed in part II of a multi-part series with Sherri McConnell, who is the Director of the Office of Entertainment Industry Development.The office includes the television and movie sectors, music, live performances and digital interactive media.
One of the major goals of the department is providing the business skills to musicians in Louisiana so they are able to monetize their assets and make a living.One University in Louisiana, Loyola, does have a music business school and have engaged in closed-circuit type education courses with other classes in Louisiana.The state also has other programs but none are as far-reaching and extensive as that of Loyola in New Orleans.
The film and movie industry is doing great.Despite Katrina, there have been an expansion of the number of films and the industry throughout the state including in Baton Rouge, North Louisiana and Lafayette.Yet, many more states have tax credit programs which make it more competitive for Louisiana.However, Louisiana ranks third in the nation for film and movie productions behind Hollywood and New York—two traditional centers of the industry.According to McConnell, her office is expecting to expand the program during the upcoming legislative session.She said that there are many movie producers who are creating lower budget films which do not meet the $300,000 threshold for the Louisiana tax credit and there are other areas that could make the program more competitive.Her goal is to help address these issues.
While we're at it let's raise minimum wage to $200 an hour - that way no one who works will be poor. Written by kpf, sounds like a plan.....
on 11/6/2008
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Uhhh, we need to send $500,000.00 in grant money so a person can study for a major on Zydeco Rubboard playing..... And I think another $250,000 would also be good so that people can learn to play the spoons.... And $500,000 in grants should be available so that the artists can learn how to look in a phone book to find a booking agent so they can go on the road to Los Angeles and New York and everywhere else to spread our music.... Hey, about another $250,000 in grant money so people can make videos to send to Americas funniest videos...... Oh yeah, and another million dollars in grants so they can be taught out how to file copyright papers to protect their music they wrote, and also be taught calculus so they can figure out what percentage of royalties they are owed... Oh this could be big business...... I wonder why places like Los Angeles and Nashville or Austin haven't ever thought of doing somethings like these? Written by
on 11/6/2008
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I received an email that discussed issues regarding the Film & Music
industry with Sherri McConnell, the Director of the Office of Entertainment
Industry Development.
I would like to share my opinion and address one of the questions asked to
Sherri McConnell, which was, “What is Louisiana doing to help educate its
musicians in the area of music business?”
Sherri McConnell reply was:
“One of the major goals of the department is providing the business skills to musicians in Louisiana so they are able to monetize their assets and make a living. One University in Louisiana, Loyola, does have a music business school and have engaged in closed-circuit type education courses with other classes in Louisiana. The state also has other programs but none are as far-reaching and extensive as that of Loyola in New Orleans.”
I fell that it is unrealistic and untruthful for the Office of Entertainment Industry Development to use Loyola as insinuating that this is the states way of providing music business skills to musicians in Louisiana for several reasons.
1. Loyola does not have a Music Business School, they only have a Music
Business Program within the College of Music, which is designed for students
who are seeking a music business degree,
2. Loyola does not offer continuing education courses in music business that are
geared for nontraditional students.
3. If a non-traditional student wanted to take a music business class at Loyola
they would have to follow the same application process as a traditional student
pursuing a Music Business degree.
4. The application process are as follows: A student would have to be excepted
in the College of Music., Second, the student would have to file an application
with the office admission along with submitting high school and/or college
transcripts so they can be evaluated to see if the University would even
excepted there application to take classes.
5. The Cost to attend a music business class at Loyola is far to expensive for a
Louisiana musician to afford. Current Tuition at Loyola is $775 per 1 credit
hour. In addition, there are mandatory student fees such as:
Student Center Fee: $56.50
SGA Fee: $20.00
Athletic Fee: $45.00
Technology Fee: $87.00
Publication Fee $20.00 (Fall Semester Only)
Total Student Fees: $228.50
6. Most of the Music Business Classes at Loyola are 3 credit hours, which
makes tuition $2325 for one class and combined with the student fees of
$228.50, the cost of tuition would total $2553.50 for a Louisiana Musician to
take One music business class at Loyola.
7. The only musicians who have access to take music business classes at Loyola
are New Orleans Musicians and students who are enrolled in other Louisiana
colleges, which offer closed-circuit type education courses within their Music
Schools. All other musicians within the state don’t have access to take music
business classes at Loyola.
This is not the Office of Entertainment Industry Development providing business
skills to Louisiana Musicians, because Loyola’s Music Business Program is not
being funded through the Office of Entertainment Industry so that Louisiana
Musicians can afford to get the skill they need at an affordable price.
This is Loyola University saying they offer a Music Business Program for
traditional students seeking a music business Degree who are excepted into the
college of music and can find the funding to attend
Furthermore: if the Louisiana Entertainment Department is saying that musicians
need business skills to make a living then how can they afford to take music
business classes at Loyola when their current tuition is $775 per credit hour
plus additional fees such as: student fees, books, gas, food & parking.
Therefore, it is unrealistic and untruthful for Sherri McConnel, to insinuate
that the Office of Entertainment Industry Development’s major goal of
educating musicians in Louisiana is being meant by providing business skills to
musicians through Loyola’s Music Business Program.
Also, if the state has, “other programs but none are as far-reaching and extensive as that of Loyola in New Orleans.” Then what and where are these other programs?
In addition, Louisiana musicians not only need business skills to make a
living, but they also need work opportunities as well. It is only when opportunity meets preparation (i.e skills) that Louisiana Musicians will be able to ”monetize their assets to make a living, nether of which is being offered by the Louisiana Office of Entertainment Industry Development.
Written by Dehlice
on 11/6/2008
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