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Subject: Dance & Music, Business
Grade: 9-12

Brief Description

Students learn about recording artist contracts and work in teams to write their own contracts.

Objectives

Students learn the issues and components of writing an artist's recording contract and learn the implications of those issues and components from both the artist's and the record company's perspective.

Keywords

contract, recording artist, music, business

Materials Needed

computers with Internet access

Lesson Plan

• Have students review the following sites to gain background about contract issues and language.

  Record Contract Basics
  Music Industry Contracts
  Sample Music Contracts
  Recording Agreements: Part I

• Demonstrate the importance of contracts and related issues by having students read When Someone Refuses to Pay the Band.
  
• Ask the following questions: What issues should be addressed in a contract? What points should be included to protect the interests of both the artist and the record company?
  
• Explain standard clauses in a contract; then have students read an actual contract at Sample Music Contracts.
  
• Organize students into teams of two. One student should represent a record company. The other should represent a recording artist. Have each team use the principles discussed in class to negotiate a contract.

  Assessment

  Evaluate students on the contents of the negotiated contracts.

  Lesson Plan Source

  Submitted By

  Barry R. Hill ([email protected]) Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania

  
  As our highlighted lesson, the submitter was awarded a $50 honorarium. See our guidelines to submit yours!