Entrepreneurial Musicianship

Gathering of students in a glass house outdoors for an event.

Providing students and alumni with individual advising and career coaching, courses focused on professional skills within the conservatory curriculum, pathways to gain professional experience through hands-on learning, and opportunities to fund and incubate new creative work.

NEC is committed to ensuring every student and graduate has the tools to build a life in — and beyond — music.

Advising

Entrepreneurial Musicianship Advising

EM Advising is the most sought after service by students and alumni. Hybrid meeting options, available in person or virtually, provide flexibility and regular access to our EM advisors. Individual advising with EM Staff has resulted in participants feeling empowered to meet their career goals.

Students and alumni who come to these sessions most often ask career-specific questions. Discussion topics include:

Students and Alumni will also come to advising sessions searching for assistance on marketing and fundraising for outside musical projects and entrepreneurial ventures.

Guest Advising

Guest Advising provides the opportunity for students to engage with guests from industries such as law, finance, marketing, record labels, and music publishers. Guest advisors from this program have represented organizations such as Warner Music, Minerva Financial Arts, Greater Boston Arts and Business Council, Atlas Music Publishing, and Boston Philharmonic Orchestra. Guest advising may occur either in person or virtually, depending on the advisor’s schedule.

Please note, guest advising is only available for currently enrolled students and alumni seeking support on their Alumni Award Project.

EM CAREER & PROJECT ADVISORS

David An

Music Career: Composition Focus
Resume and Cover Letter Drafting
Securing Commissions
Crafting Pitches

Schedule Appointment

Ryan Mewhorter

Music Career: Voice and Opera Focus
Interview Prep
Resume and Cover Letter Drafting
Grant Applications
Fulbright Applications
Project Consulting: Marketing and Fundraising

Schedule Appointment

GUEST ADVISORS

Taylor Rossi

Marketing: Designing Your Website

September 23 & 25

Schedule Appointment

Kiyoshi Hayashi

Career Advising & EM Class Support

October 17 & 20

Schedule Appointment

Derek Beckvold

Fundraising & Grantwriting Support

October 6 & 20

Schedule Appointment

Laura Sinclair

Building Your Own Private Teaching Studio

November 11

Appointments open in October

Two people making a presentation on stage.

The Entrepreneurial Musicianship Program

Explore NEC’s academic catalog to learn more about the Entrepreneurial Musicianship program and EM course offerings.

ACADEMIC CATALOG

Grants and Awards

EM offers up to $30,000 in grants and funding for innovative projects and professional development opportunities. The grants provide financial support for unique ideas and collaborations, travel to professional opportunities outside of Boston, advising and career coaching for new graduates, and for students and alumni to develop the business side of their musicianship.

With the support of these grants, internships, and specialized training, NEC graduates go on to perform with world-renowned orchestras, establish private teaching studios, launch arts nonprofits, compose for film and video games, and produce for leading tech companies.

Learn More About Past Grant Winners

EM Grants Alumni Awards

How to Apply

EM Grants, offered two times throughout the year, provide up to $1,500 for students to enact their unique ideas and collaborations. Our grants fund innovative and impactful projects and help students develop skills critical to their success: communicating a vision, creating a production plan, developing a marketing strategy, and balancing budgets. The competitive application process is modeled on real-world grants, and students are coached through every step, from first draft to final pitch, by the EM Team. The final round consists of a 3 minute pitch followed by a 5–7 minute Q+A from a panel of faculty and staff.

Awarded projects are paired with a Grant Officer from the EM Team to provide critical project support. All awarded applicants are required to meet with their Grant Officer at least two times before completing their project. However, they are welcome to meet with their officer any time they need help.

Students cannot receive funding for their completed projects until they have uploaded photo and video documentation, final budget with corresponding receipts, and a 100 word written statement on their experience to the EM Grant Exit Form. EM Grant funding is disbursed in two parts: (1) upon notification of funding, and (2) upon completion of the project. Awarded applicants will not receive their second portion of funding until all parameters of their project have been completed.

Having trouble finding your exit form? Reach out to your assigned Grant Officer for help.

2025-2026 EM Grant Application Timeline

Take the Next Step

The Alumni Award, sponsored by the Entrepreneurial Musicianship and Alumni Engagement teams, provides funding and support for the aspiring projects of NEC alumni. Granted annually to NEC graduates, the award funds projects up to $1,000 as well as project consulting from the Entrepreneurial Musicianship team and access to guest advising on a case by case basis.

Alumni cannot receive funding for their completed projects until they have uploaded photo and video documentation, final budget with corresponding receipts, and a 100 word written statement on their experience to the EM Grant Exit Form. Alumni Award funding is disbursed in two parts: (1) upon notification of funding, and (2) upon completion of project. Awarded applicants will not receive their second portion of funding until all parameters of their project have been completed.

Having trouble finding your exit form? Reach out to your assigned Grant Officer for help.

2025-2026 Alumni Award Application Timeline

Take the Next Step

The Spark Award invites graduating students to take deliberate steps toward their career goals. Co-sponsored by the President’s Office and Alumni Engagement, the award includes a $1,000 stipend as well as individual project advising and career coaching with the EM Team.

All funding is provided up front when notified. Applicants are still encouraged to document their progress via the EM Grant Exit Form and to meet with EM Staff to further support their project.

2025-2026 Spark Award Application Timeline

Take the Next Step

Professional Studies Program

Internships

In collaboration with several arts organizations throughout the city of Boston, students in this program get the opportunity to obtain professional experience in marketing, fundraising and development, production management, and box office management, as well as shadow leaders of award winning institutions. Alumni from this program have left their internship with paid job offers, connections that will develop their career, and professional performance opportunities.

All internships are paid between $15–16 per hour and work between 6–10 hours per week, with required on-campus professional development sessions three times throughout the year.

2025-2026 Internship Application Timeline

Apply Now

Described as offering “a refreshing corrective to classical music’s rigid hierarchies” by WBUR, A Far Cry is known for its innovative and compelling programs, stellar communication, and a democratic process that is the group’s north star.

A Far Cry was founded in 2007 on the belief that every voice deserves to be heard. Instead of one artistic director, the collective of musicians (“Criers”) curate and submit program ideas inspired by individual curiosities and what is happening in the world at large. The result is ensemble-playing at its most intimate, representing a diverse mix of music and collaborators.

Current undergraduate and graduate string students attending New England Conservatory are invited to audition for A Far Cry’s annual collaboration with the conservatory. As guest Criers this season, students will be selected to join the ensemble in the rehearsal process and performance.

Job Description

Boston Music Project is a creative youth development program committed to ensuring the long-term social and musical success of our students. In BMP music classes, students unleash their musical creativity while developing their instrumental skills and gaining new skills in music composition, improvisation, and active listening. BMP’s unique curriculum fosters the development of social-emotional skills empowering students to find success in music, school, and life.

The BMP intern will gain hands-on experience in building a replicable public relations strategy. Students in this role will assist the executive director and program manager with day-to-day operations while learning about the various components of managing a school-based arts nonprofit, including marketing, communications, press releases, and social media management.

Job Description

A uniquely modern ensemble with deep roots in the past and built on a foundation of innovation and versatility, Cantata Singers promotes the rich heritage of choral music.
Cantata Singers offers fresh, inspiring interpretations of iconic music interspersed with intriguing, unfamiliar yet accessible works, including those by female composers and composers of color. Committed to adding to the choral canon, to date Cantata Singers has commissioned 16 works by distinguished composers of the 20th and 21st centuries. It has presented more than fifty Boston premieres of both old and new music.

Cantata Singers seeks a motivated, responsible, communicative, and detail-oriented Arts Production and Engagement Intern. Working closely with the Executive Director, Operations Manager, Marketing and Community Programs Manager, and Administrator, an intern at CS will support several aspects of our organization’s processes and outreach. This position provides a well-rounded, hands-on experience in all areas of a performing arts nonprofit with a team marked by camaraderie, professional development, curiosity, and an all-hands-on-deck approach.

Job Description

Community Music Center of Boston is an arts education nonprofit, founded in 1910 with a mission to transform lives by providing equitable access to excellent music education and arts experiences. Over 3,000 students of all ages, from pre-school to seniors, participate in our programs every week. We are proud to act as the largest external provider of arts education to the Boston Public Schools, supporting rigorous, relevant, and culturally-inclusive musical instruction for one of the most diverse school districts in the nation.

The Youth Employment Program at the CMCB provides professional and creative space for young people to gain invaluable hands-on work experience in an arts administration nonprofit. We aspire to empower youth by increasing self-efficacy, providing meaningful mentorship, and ensuring financial freedom through personal and professional growth!

Job Description

Rooted in Boston’s North End, the North End Music and Performing Arts Center‘s mission is to enrich lives through accessible, exceptional music education and performing arts programs that embrace our vibrant, inclusive, and diverse communities. NEMPAC envisions dynamic Boston neighborhoods where music and performing arts fill the city with creativity, spark connections, and inspire us to be our best selves.

NEMPAC is excited to open a position to help manage its nonprofit fundraising and development activity. The Development Intern will assist with fundraising administration, prospect research, solicitation support, stewardship of donors, and more. The NEMPAC organization delivers meaningful, impactful arts programming to our community, and this position requires an individual who is positive and passionate about NEMPAC’s mission to ensure music and performing arts are accessible to all. The position may require occasional evening and weekend work.

Job Description

Fellowships

Fellowships in the EM Department offer students paid professional creative opportunities both on campus and throughout the community. Whether producing the next big concert at NEC or performing on stage with a Grammy-nominated ensemble, students in these programs participate in unique opportunities that greatly impact their future as successful musicians.

All Fellowships come with a paid stipend upon completion. Stipends vary between fellowship offerings. All fellowships come with mentorship opportunities from both community leaders and EM Staff.

The Nova Fellowship brings together four students to produce two events on NEC’s Campus: NEC Musical Showcase and The NEC Nova Celebration. Fellows in this program are responsible for planning and executing their vision for these two events. Upon selection, Nova Fellows are assigned to the roles of Executive Director, Production Manager, Communications Manager, and Finance & Box Office Manager. Fellows work closely with EM Staff to receive support in marketing, budget management, team management, and production planning. Other professional development opportunities are available.

2025-2026 Nova Fellowship Application Timeline

APPLY NOW

The Boston Chamber Music Society is an ensemble of superb musicians who come together in different combinations to prepare and perform chamber music. Since its founding in 1982, BCMS has built a reputation for impassioned performances, ripened over time by the long personal and professional histories of its member musicians. BCMS invites guest artists, chosen for their particular affinity for the works they will play, to join its members, expanding the artistic possibilities to virtually all works in the chamber music repertoire.

BCMS’s mission is to provide the public with exceptional performances of chamber music repertoire from the Baroque era to the present day while fostering understanding and appreciation of the art form, making it more accessible to all.

APPLY NOW

Career and Project Resources

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Bridge – Online Opportunity Board

Search thousands of jobs and opportunities from around the world, tailored to you: orchestra jobs, teaching positions, festivals, competitions, arts administration roles, arts grants, and much more. Bridge only posts arts opportunities so you don’t have to waste time searching through non-arts job boards. It also offers custom job searches based on the location, type of opportunity, instrument, or musical area that matters most to you.

Browse the board, or turn on notifications — we’ll email you every time a new job is posted that fits your specific interests. NEC students and alumni have access to this program entirely free of charge.

Bridge is also available to use for individuals and organizations outside of NEC. Bridge access can be granted via paid subscriptions: Individual ($60) or Institutional ($175).

BRIDGE

Music Referral Service – Paid Gig Alert System

The Music Referral Service (MRS) provides exceptional musicians for all types of events, occasions, and private instruction. The MRS connects available and talented NEC students and alumni with local clients in need of musicians in the Boston Metro Area. Our instrumental and vocal musicians are classical, jazz, pop, and folk pros.

Alumni have access to MRS for up to three years post graduation.

MUSIC REFERRAL SERVICE

Organizations Looking for NEC Interns and Musicians

If you are interested in hosting an NEC student for an internship, we suggest you post your opportunity to the Bridge Opportunity Board. The most successful job descriptions include a list of intended learning outcomes for the student; projected work responsibilities; and an outline of where, how, and with whom a student will work.

NEC understands that some organizations do not have brick-and-mortar offices; however, NEC does require that at least 50% of working hours are supervised in person, and that all supervised hours are completed at a non-residential location, such as the organization’s offices, at NEC, or at a coffee shop. As an internship is meant to be a learning experience, an intern’s job description must not be a responsibility that a host organization would otherwise pay an employee to do. Once an internship is agreed upon, both intern and host must sign a contract that includes job description details and which qualifies the intern as a volunteer.

During the internship, interns must log their hours on the provided schedule and their supervisor must sign off. Both supervisor and intern must also complete mid-semester and final evaluations, to be provided by NEC’s EM Department. Questions? Email EM.

Internships for NEC students must comply with Federal internship guidelines from the U.S. Department of Labor.