This consists of people who put together the concerts, represent the artists, set up the stages, sell the tickets, and provide support in various other ways. This basic subject will be used to create several small lessons. Each will examine the budgets of various arts organizations to show how the income from the ticket sales is divided for each musical style. Use tickets from symphonies, operas, or country, rock, or folk concerts. Typically, ticket sales generate no more that one third of the operating costs of an orchestra.
Corporate donations can amount to half the budget, with individual donors contributing the balance.
Given the need for fiscal prudence in a non-profit organization, the use of figures to predict future budgetary needs would also be effective in this lesson. Tied in with the classical examples could be a look at the Metropolitan Opera in New York to get an understanding of the expense of this art. Interview one or two concert managers and musicians' agents about the popular music business. Contrast the high income from recording and concert ticket sales to the budget of a non-profit musical organization. Look at the less popular side of things with a couple of road musicians like Robin Williams or Claudia Schmidt.