Kari Dion Email and Phone Number

The Business of Chamber MusicARTSADMN 406 / 506Instructor Kari Dion dionk@umich.edu Chamber music provides vibrant and rewarding career paths for individuals and ensembles, but too often goes unexplored because musicians lack the skills and knowledge needed. This course fills this gap by exploring chamber music outside of the rehearsal room, providing students with the insights and tools needed to jumpstart sustainable career in professional chamber music. Students will learn an entrepreneurial approach to small ensemble music making, including such topics as: for-profit and non-profit business models, the importance of branding, DIY marketing, financial planning, legal pitfalls in the field, fundraising, and how to engage with audiences, managers, and granting organizations. The course will be led by clarinetist, U-M alumna, and award winning chamber musician Kari Dion, who is one of the founding members of the nationally acclaimed Akropolis Reed Quintet. She also holds a masters degree in Arts Management and serves as Marking and Programs Manager for the Ann Arbor Summer Festival, presenting 140+ concerts and events annually in the heart of Ann Arbor. Class meetings will include periodic visits from additional members of the Akropolis Reed Quintet and a weekend intensive on Feb. 13. Coursework will include in-class activities, short presentations, and several written assignments designed to help students create personalized building blocks to construct their own professional goals. At course’s end, participants will walk away with a detailed business plan, outlining their path to success as an entrepreneurial chamber musician.

A2SF offers a mix of regional, national, and international talent for nearly 4 weeks each summer, presenting 140+ events with a growing an audience of 80,000+.dion@a2sf.org

A2SF offers a mix of regional, national, and international talent for nearly 4 weeks each summer, presenting 140+ events with a growing an audience of 80,000+.dion@a2sf.org

www.akropolisquintet.comDescribed as playing with "imagination, infallible musicality, and huge vitality" (Fanfare Magazine), the Akropolis Reed Quintet performs an innovative, living repertoire with acclaimed precision. Gold Medalist at the 2014 Fischoff Competition and winner of the 2015 Fischoff Educator Award, the ensemble matches its performance artistry with a commitment to educational outreach. Winner of five additional national chamber music prizes including Grand Prize at the Plowman and MTNA competitions, Akropolis' dynamic concerts feature modern compositions framed by fresh arrangements of classical music spanning four centuries. Founded in 2009 at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Akropolis is Tim Gocklin (oboe), Kari Dion (clarinet), Matt Landry (saxophone), Andrew Koeppe (bass clarinet) and Ryan Reynolds (bassoon).

Fluent in Google AdWords, and is responsible for creating, updating, and tracking all of the Google advertising for all events throughout the season. Trained in Word Press, and frequently maintains UMS’s interactive bloging website, www.umslobby.org Operator of a “reaction video booth” interviewing audience members during performances such as the world premier of the recent staging of Philip Glass’s opera Einstein on the Beach.Actively contributes to notating, recording, and organizing noteworthy interviews for the upcoming documentary of Hill Auditorium’s 100th Anniversary.

The Web Development Intern will be responsible for supporting the existing web infrastructure as well as developing new pages. The ideal candidate must display superlative written and oral skills with demonstrable interpersonal and organization abilities. A candidate for this position must be able to work in a logic oriented, deadline driven, fast-paced business environment. Flexibility, a sense of humor and tolerance are required.