The next two activities introduce ways in which composers create and sell music for a particular purpose – for television programmes and for radio, Internet, and TV advertising.

Class Activity 1

IMAGINE that you are a hungry musician…and a local radio station has asked you to select music to introduce a high profile news and current affairs programme. You will be rewarded handsomely if you get it right.

The radio station producers have a few ideas, including:

• The first 26 seconds of Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians.
• The first 16 seconds of Richard Strauss’ Festmusik Der Stadt Wien.
• Wagner’s Flying Dutchman Overture.
• The first 24 seconds of John Adams’ Short Ride in a Fast Machine.

After listening, vote as a class on which excerpt would work best to introduce the news programme, and discuss why.

Reflection Activity

How have the decisions you made in this vote reflect what you have learned about successful entrepreneurship?

Consider the following:

• The composers of these musical pieces wrote them for a very different purpose to the one that they are now being considered for. However, they are now being selected, adapted and developed in order to engage a particular market.
• The ultimate purpose of selecting the right kind of music is to increase the listening figures of the news programme. This in turn increases profits for the radio station.
• The choice of music must be very carefully considered in order to have the intended effect – to engage a target market with the radio programme.

The producers are relying on people with knowledge and awareness of the components of music and the effects these create, who can advise them on how to use music to increase their viewing figures and profits. This means that those responsible for choosing the theme tune are using their musical skills in order to help make money, even though – at this stage –they are not creating the music themselves. Do you think choosing the right music could be a job for you?