Eberhardt School of Business News
Artist Rights Workshop
(July 1, 2009) -
Students entering the Eberhardt School of Business can choose from a wide array of business concentrations. But for those students seeking a business career in the entertainment industry, Arts and Entertainment Management stands out as one of the more distinctive concentrations. The Eberhardt School also collaborates with the Conservatory of Music to offer both a degree in Music Management, and a degree in Music with an emphasis in Music Management for those who major in Music but who also need business skills to prepare them to successfully enter the entertainment industry. Bryce McLaughlin, a sophomore in Music Management, decided to help other artists like himself by organizing a workshop that provided some practical information on to how to protect creative works like the lyrics to a song or a Web page design. Under the direction of Professor(s) Brierton and Hatschek the "Artist Rights Workshop" was born. The workshop, which was held on February 21 in the community room in the Holt Memorial Library, turned out to be a great success as over eighty artists from the local community and campus packed the room. Workshop participants were privileged to receive instruction from Michael Aczon, an entertainment lawyer from Berkeley, California who has represented a variety of artists from the young aspiring musician to the band that has sold multi-platinum albums. Aczon has written one of the bestselling books on the music industry, The Musician's Legal Companion, and has practiced entertainment law for almost three decades. Professor Brierton moderated the program with the assistance of Joseph Thuesen, a third year law student from McGeorge School of Law.
From the Eberhardt School of Business, a student can receive a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Arts and Entertainment Management. In each of the programs a student receives an excellent education covering topics such as copyright, trademark, trade name, contracts and First Amendment issues according to Professor Brierton who teaches Entertainment Law in the Eberhardt School of Business and at McGeorge School of Law. With programs that emphasize experiential learning, strong academic skills and practical experience through internships, Pacific music management or arts and entertainment management students are well prepared to enter the entertainment industry. Most of the students in the program are self-starters and refuse to wait until they graduate before they record an album, start a business, market their work on the Internet or even negotiate their own contract with a record label. According to Professor Brierton, employers are very pleased with the depth of knowledge and the leadership skills found in Pacific graduates. We commend Bryce McLaughlin for taking what he has learned in the classroom and using it to further the knowledge of other artists.
Strictly Business Spring 2009 Issue
