Linkedin Learning

I'm not sure about how credible of a source Linkedin Learning is, so that's why I put it in my Extracurriculars. Like I said on my Home page, I love learning! I might already have plenty on my hands with school, but when I get the chance I come here to learn some skills I might not be acquiring in school. Linkedin is an incredible, affordable resource and I think it has helped me discover possible career paths as well as form me into a more well-rounded person.

These are all of the courses I have completed so far: 

Introduction to Songwriting

Becoming a successful songwriter takes equal parts inspiration, mechanics, and marketing. You need to know how to craft compelling songs and understand music theory and sell yourself in a competitive industry. Join Cliff Goldmacher in this course for an introduction to the major aspects of songwriting. He starts with breaking down what it means to be a songwriter and the skills you need to succeed. He reviews the fundamental concepts such as rhythm, harmony, melody, lyrics, and music notation. He then dives into the business side of music—topics like publishing, record labels, placement, copyright, music law, and contracts. Last but not least, Cliff reviews the various jobs available in songwriting, which range from staff songwriter for a record label to music supervisor for TV or film.

An Insider's Guide to Today's Music Biz: 1 The Big Picture

If you are looking to do something big in the music business, something great, getting your head around the big picture is one of the most important elements of success. It's not about marketing and promotion, how to make records, how to book a tour, or how to manage your social media. Those are all important pieces of the puzzle if you want to be successful. But it's been Steve Rennie's experience—from working in the music biz over 36 years—that if you can understand how the music business works, what's really important, then the rest of the pieces will fall in line.

This course kicks off An Insider's Guide to Today's Music Biz, a series of 9 courses designed to teach the ins and outs of the music business to bands, managers, and songwriters. Here, Steve provides tips on assessing your talent, committing to a plan, picking partners, figuring out financials, finding ideas, and surviving in what can be a tough business. Steve's experience, and his honest take on the ups and downs of the industry, will help anyone interested in breaking through be better prepared for the realities of getting by in the music biz.

Real Estate Investing 101

Have you been thinking about investing in real estate, but aren't sure where to start? In this course, get a step-by-step guide on how to dive into your very first real estate investment deal (and come out successful). Learn how to determine why you want to invest and how real estate can help you reach your financial goals. Discover which real estate investing path is best for you, and identify whether you want to be an active or passive investor. After taking this course, you'll be equipped with key strategies for overcoming barriers and effectively managing your first foray into real estate investing.

Logic Pro X Essential Training

These days, the studio is as much a part of music making as the musician. Logic Pro X combines the best of both worlds: features to bring fresh musical ideas to life, and tools to derive the most from a performance. In this course, Scott Hirsch takes you over the Logic learning curve, showing how to compose, record, edit, and mix great sounding tracks. First, get comfortable with the setup and workflow, and then learn how to record audio and MIDI; work with virtual instruments; use samples and Apple Loops, and conform their time and pitch to better fit a song; and leverage key editing and arranging techniques. Moving deeper into the program, Scott covers how to work with music notation and score to video. He wraps up with information on mixing, working in surround, and finishing a project.

An Insider's Guide to Today's Music Biz: 2 Making Great Music

The music business is built around great songs by great artists. The music business exists to bring those songs to life. Managers, producers, engineers, record labels, promoters, publishers, and concert venues: They're all there to help connect music with audiences. But the songs don't write themselves.

This installment of An Insider's Guide to Today's Music Biz is designed for songwriters who want to make great music, and for industry professionals who want to understand the process behind it. Music insider Steve Rennie provides tips on what makes a great song, what a successful writing process looks like, the costs involved in recording, and the role of a producer. Steve's experience, and his honest take on the industry, will help anyone interested in getting their music into the hands of music biz movers and shakers.

An Insider's Guide to Today's Music Biz: 3 Treating Your Career as a Business

Doing something you're passionate about and making a living out of it is a difficult thing to do. Especially considering the long odds in the music business. But with a focused, business-minded approach to your career, you can optimize your chances for success. In this installment of An Insider's Guide to the Music Biz, Steve Rennie explains how to approach the music business with the mindset of an entrepreneur and look at a career in music as a business.

He talks about hobby versus career and the key elements of success in the business world, from distribution and marketing to management and finance. He gives you some thoughts about how you apply those things to your music career. Since successful businesses don't happen overnight—they develop over time in identifiable stages—Steve also covers the stages of development in the business life cycle and how that applies to your music career. Last but not least, he offers tips on drafting a band agreement that will keep the relationships professional and strong.

An Insider's Guide to Today's Music Biz: 4 Building a Professional Team

Picking a great team of professionals is one of the most important and impactful decisions you are going to make in your music career. Steve Rennie knows music professionals; he has over 35 years in the music business. His series, An Insider's Guide to Today's Music Biz, teaches the ins and outs of the music business to bands, managers, and songwriters. In this installment, you'll learn about the key players you need on your team and what they do, how much they get paid, how you find them, and when you need them. It starts with perhaps the most important member of your team, the manager. Steve also explains the role of lawyers, agents, business managers, publicists, and the digital team in charge of PR, social media, and other online distribution and promotion strategies.

An Insider's Guide to Today's Music Biz: 5 Managers

Most artists know they need a great manager. But finding one is tough. Before focusing on who your manager will be, you need to look at the what, where, why, and when of the manager's role. Once you understand those job requirements, it will make identifying a manager a lot easier.

This installment of Steve Rennie's series, An Insider's Guide to Today's Music Biz, talks about the artist-manager relationship and how to get the most out of it, whether you are an artist or other music professional. Learn how to get the attention of managers, the right questions to ask when you meet with a manager, and the important things to think about when you hire your manager.

An Insider's Guide to Today's Music Biz: 6 Marketing and Promotion

How to stand out from the crowd has always been the great challenge in the music business. It was true back when the record industry released 5,000 records a year and it's even more true now that millions of artists are creating and distributing music. Marketing and promotion is what gets your music in front of music consumers. Marketing is about telling your story; promotion is about ongoing efforts that keep your story top of mind.

In this class, industry insider Steve Rennie talks about how to market and promote your music and turn music consumers into permanent fans. He'll talk about the key elements of any good marketing plan, whether you are a major label or indie artist. He'll also talk about how to craft your image with your music, photos, and videos and how you can assemble them in a way that gives you the best chance of success. Plus, learn how radio, touring, publicity campaigns, and your web presence play into a music marketing mix.

Live Sound Engineering Techniques: On Tour with Rush

Follow along with Brent Carpenter on tour with Rush, as he demonstrates what it is like to be a live sound engineer for a major rock show. We shadow Brent and the Rush sound crew as they prepare for the Denver, Colorado, show on their Clockwork Angels tour, where the band is set to perform for 12,000 fans. After the gear is loaded into the venue, Brent explains how he and the crew set up the rigging, amp racks, and fly the speaker arrays to make sure well-balanced stereo sound reaches every seat in the arena. He also shows how he sets up his console to mix the onstage sound for Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart and configures the in-ear monitor system and balance of audience mics for each member of the band. Then we get to sit backstage with Brent and watch what he does during line check, sound check, and the actual show. After the fans file out, see how all the equipment comes back down and is packed away so the cycle can start all over in the next city.

Working with Upset Customers (2020)

More than any other topic, frontline employees ask for advice on how to serve angry and upset customers. This course reveals proven techniques for effectively neutralizing negative situations. Customer service expert Jeff Toister also shares specific actions employees can take before and after encounters with upset customers that will reduce the likelihood of problems occurring in the future.

An Insider's Guide to Today's Music Biz: 7 Record Labels

Record labels have a valuable role to play in the music businesses. Despite the controversies around contracts and creative license, they are not going away. Understanding what record labels do is important whether you are an artist or a music professional.

In this installment of An Insider's Guide to Today's Music Biz, Steve Rennie explores the role of record labels in the music business. He starts by talking about the different types of record labels and what they do, from marketing to manufacturing and radio promotion. Then you'll learn about why you need a record label, how to get a record deal, what a music contract will look like, and how the signing process works. As a little bonus, Steve gives you some insights on your commitments and compensation (advances and royalties) once you get signed.

An Insider's Guide to Today's Music Biz: 8 Music Publishing

One of the most important aspects of the music biz is music publishing. It can also be one of the most complicated parts of the business to understand, even for the most seasoned veteran.

In this Insider's Guide to Today's Music Biz, Steve Rennie explains what you'll need to know about music publishing to turn your songs into money. He'll talk about copyrights and their value, and why music publishing is important to a successful artist's career.

He also talks about the main sources of publishing income: what they are, who pays, and how much you get. He explains the difference between performing rights organizations and music publishers and how to find and make publishing deals. Start with the first lesson, which explains how a dollar of publishing income is split between the songwriter and publisher.

An Insider's Guide to Today's Music Biz: 9 Touring

Having a successful live tour is an important part of building a successful music career. Live performances are where artists, their songs, and their fans all come face-to-face. In the final installment of An Insider's Guide to Today's Music Biz, Steve Rennie explains how to turn those great performances into money. Discover who the players in the live music biz are, how you get paid, and what you can do to start building a great live show today. Then learn about booking gigs and venues, and some new tools you have at your disposal to help you plan and organize your own tour. It all starts with booking that first gig.

The Business of Songwriting: The First Steps

When it comes to making money in songwriting, writing great songs is only part of the equation. In this course, author Garrick Chow introduces you to all of the major organizations, rights, and procedures that songwriters have to deal with in the music business. First, he'll start with understanding performance and mechanical rights, covering topics such as split letters, copyright, performance rights organizations (PROs) like ASCAP and SESAC, SoundExchange, Harry Fox, master recording licenses, and synch licenses.

The second half of the course is geared toward the DIY musician. Garrick discusses ways to self-distribute and promote your music with TuneCore, CDBaby, Topspin, Bandcamp, and ReverbNation. Plus, learn the importance of websites, social promotion, and music placement, as well as making music videos, signing with a record label, and building a solid team.

Music Law: Managing a Band's Business

Any band can encounter problems such as financial mismanagement and contract disputes. Learn to avoid the major music business pitfalls that can break bands apart in this course with Richard Stim, attorney and music law specialist.

It starts with what it means to be the manager of a band, and what types of business structures are available for bands. Once you've decided on a business structure, you can create a band partnership agreement that covers voting rights, postbreakup scenarios, new members, and terms for resolving disputes. Richard also exposes potential sources of disputes, like ownership of the band name, songs, equipment, and recordings. He includes advice on negotiating solid band contracts and managing financial basics: taxes, income, cash flow, and bookkeeping. Finally, he'll address how to protect your work, including your copyrights, band name, and songs, and explains how to find a lawyer—and save money on attorney fees.

DISCLAIMER: This course is taught by an attorney (or other instructor) and addresses US law concepts that may not apply in all countries. Neither LinkedIn (including Lynda.com) nor the instructor represents you and they are not giving legal advice. The information conveyed through this course is akin to a college or law school course; it is not intended to give legal advice, but instead to communicate information to help viewers understand the basics of the topic presented. The views (and legal interpretations) presented in this course do not necessarily represent the views of LinkedIn or Lynda.com.

Pre-Investing: Before Investing in Real Estate

New to real estate investing? Not sure where to start? There are over a dozen different ways to invest in real estate, from fix and flips to rentals, wholesaling, and lease options. But every good investment starts with preparation. In this course, real estate investor and consultant Symon He explains everything you need to know before you make your first investment. Learn how to develop an investment strategy, use comparable sales method to value property, and understand how a real estate market's different phases may impact you. With these tips, you can build the foundational knowledge you need to become an informed and profitable real estate investor.

Real Estate Contracts

Contracts are complicated documents, and working with them can often be intimidating. But if you want to be a successful real estate investor, you need to become a contract pro. This course takes you line-by-line through the most common real estate investing contracts, demystifying these essential documents and highlighting how to approach them with confidence. Learn how to skim contracts for the most important sections. Discover how to check the five clauses that must be included in a contract for it to be legally binding. Plus, get an overview of the key sections of purchase and sale agreements, as well as how to navigate contingencies.

Super Fans: The Future of the Music Industry

Who are super fans? They're the fans who want to connect on a deeper level with recording artists—and are willing to pay for it. And while records are no longer sold like they used to be, artists now have the technology to connect to their audiences directly and build their base, one super fan at a time. Benji Rogers, founder of PledgeMusic, travels to SXSW to explore this topic directly with artists and industry experts.

In this short documentary, copresented by PledgeMusic, Benji talks to Kevin Wortis, director of label services at Girlie Action Marketing; San Fermin, an up-and-coming Brooklyn-based band engaging with fans through Twitter; professors (and brothers) Jay and Chandler Coyle from Music Geek Services and Berklee College of Music; and Nicole Atkins, an established artist who found out she had more fans than she ever knew, when she turned to direct-to-fan platforms to fund her new record. It's a brave new world for artists and fans. Find out how they're using it to build long-lasting and career-sustaining relationships.

20 Unofficial Rules of Songwriting

While there are technically no limits when it comes to songwriting, here are 20 "unofficial" rules that songwriters employ to make songs more engaging and memorable. And it's not just commercial songwriters. These rules are used in many of the popular and GRAMMY-winning songs you hear today. In this course, Cliff Goldmacher reveals tips from the professional songwriter's rulebook, starting with 10 rules about lyrics: staying conversational, using concrete details, and keeping your rhyme schemes the same in similar sections. He then discusses five rules for melodies, including why you should keep melodies simple, unique, and accessible, and how to make them more memorable with repetition. The last five rules tackle familiar song structures and tips for shortening sections of songs.

Understanding Patents: A Deeper Dive

Want to patent your invention or technology—or avoid infringing on someone else's? Learn the defining characteristics of successful patents, including what is and is not patentable and the types of patents available. Lawyer Dana Robinson shows how to distinguish between good ideas that can be patented as well as good ideas that don't meet the strict requirements of patent law. He also outlines the process and timeline of the patent application process and explains how businesses can avoid infringing on existing patents with a simple search.

DISCLAIMER: This course is taught by an attorney and addresses US law concepts that may not apply in all countries. Neither LInkedIn nor the attorney teaching the course represents you and they are not giving legal advice. The information conveyed through this course is akin to a college or law school course; it is not intended to give legal advice, but instead to communicate basic information to help viewers understand the basics of intellectual property.

How to Speak so People Want to Listen

Do you want to be an engaging speaker? In this audio-only course from How to Be Awesome at Your Job, international speaker Julian Treasure shares tactics and techniques that improve how you communicate. Julian stresses the importance of learning how to listen first. Understanding how your audience listens will improve your speaking. Julian shows you words to avoid and roadblocks to work around. If you’re more concerned about looking good or being right than you are about giving value to your audience, then your presentation won’t have any impact. Julian shows you ways to vary how you speak to keep your voice engaging. Change up your pace, tone, pitch, and volume to make your speaking more dynamic. You can also resonate your voice from your chest to sound more authoritative. Julian encourages you to keep your posture straight for more powerful speaking. Hunching prevents you from using your voice at its best. Julian concludes with the four C’s of good listening.