Notre Dame College Performing Arts programs are now offering bachelor’s degrees that cover the business of music and theatre leadership.
Notre Dame College is introducing two new degree programs that train students not only in music and theatre performance but also in creative and innovative approaches to arts business and leadership.
The College has added Bachelor of Arts degrees in music entrepreneurship and theatre entrepreneurship. The music entrepreneurship major offers emphases in vocal, instrumental or composition, while the theatre entrepreneurship degree provides a concentration in acting and directing. Applications for both majors are being accepted now for programs beginning in fall 2019.
While programs of study in music and drama are common across the country, four-year degrees that combine performance with entrepreneurship are rare. Only about a dozen higher education institutions have offered bachelor’s degrees in music entrepreneurship and most of those colleges, universities and conservatories have been along the East and West coasts. Theatre entrepreneurship tends to be offered only as a minor.
In addition, the demand for study that combines business with music and theatre is growing, especially in the Midwest. Research has indicated in Ohio alone, the number of students completing degrees in music management has increased by more than 200 percent.
Curriculum
Students in music and theatre entrepreneurship at Notre Dame train in vocal, instrumental and acting technique and performance and take courses in music and theatre theory, history and literature. The theatre entrepreneurship major includes classes in music and dance to prepare students for careers in musical theatre production.
Those enrolled in the bachelor’s degree programs at the College also earn credits in entrepreneurial mindset and leadership, general business, finance and management, as well as multimedia information systems and communication to learn how to build, scale, promote and sell creative arts products, services and ventures.
Students in the Notre Dame programs also complete an entrepreneurship in their preferred field.
Experience
The College is home to Mercury Theatre Company, which presents professional musicals and theatre productions throughout the year, as well as several co-curricular vocal and instrumental programs including Concert Choir, Gospel Ensemble, Chamber Singers and Glee Club and Wind Symphony, Marching Band, Pep Band and High School Honor Band. Notre Dame also supports a Dance Ensemble and co-curricular dance, spirit and color guard teams, too.
Scholarships are available for eligible students in all performance groups.
Each year, the College also presents the Joan Cronin Reagan #NDC Performs Series of vocal, instrumental, dance and theatre performances on campus in its newly renovated Regina Auditorium. Details are available online at NDCPerforms.com.
Careers
The Notre Dame degrees prepare students not just for careers on the stage and in recording studios. Jobs for music and theatre entrepreneurship majors range from singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, actor and dancer to agent, talent scout, sales and marketing manager and publicist. Many music and theatre performers work as sole proprietors of their own services, too, some as contractors with agencies and others owning their own businesses.
Students at the College also earn skills for leadership positions in arts, music and theatre industries. Careers include concert hall and theatre directors, sales and stage managers, tour coordinators, sound technicians, even copyright and licensing administrators or music and theatre attorneys.
Application
Students interested in the music and theatre entrepreneurship programs at Notre Dame are required to complete an in-person or phone interview with performing arts faculty for pre-admission to the degree programs. Full admission is granted by performing arts faculty directors after a formal audition that takes place at the end of the second semester of enrollment. Extended or early audition is available with approval of the directors.
To learn more about the music and theatre entrepreneurship majors at Notre Dame, schedule a campus visit online now at NotreDameCollege.edu or inquire via email to admissions@ndc.edu or performingarts@ndc.edu.
July 2019
About Notre Dame College
For almost a century, Notre Dame College has educated a diverse population in the liberal arts for personal, professional and global responsibility. Founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame in 1922, the College has grown strategically to keep pace with the rapidly changing needs of students and the dramatic changes in higher education. But it has never lost sight of its emphasis on teaching students not only how to make a good living but also how to live a good life.
Today, the College offers bachelor’s degrees in 30 disciplines plus a variety of master’s degrees, certification programs and continuing and professional development programs for adult learners on campus and online. Notre Dame College offers NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletic programs for men and women and is located in a picturesque residential neighborhood just 25 minutes from the heart of Cleveland. Hallmarks of the Notre Dame experience include stimulating academics, personalized attention of dedicated faculty and staff, and small class sizes.
Notre Dame College is located at 4545 College Road in South Euclid. For further information contact Brian Johnston, chief communications officer, at 216.373.5252 or bjohnston@ndc.edu.