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Drafting a Recording Contract
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 (brh153@psu.edu) Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
As our highlighted lesson, the submitter was awarded a $50 honorarium. See our guidelines to submit yours!
