Getting creative with your digital content.
by: Annie Bosler, D.M.A.
In today’s world of online lessons, acapella-style horn choirs, and more screen time, the demand for high quality and engaging online content is greater than ever. Have you thought of creating an online course? What would you teach? How would you present the material? Who is your target audience?
Over the last six years, I have produced close to 50+ hours of content for online courses and virtual programs. In my most recent online program, College Prep for Musicians™, I teamed up with famous peak performance psychologist Don Greene, PhD, and college admissions expert Kathleen Tesar, EdD, to present everything students and parents need to know about applying to college as a musician. The course is divided into six-modules and covers organizational tools, preparation assessments, career options, and more. Useful aids such as repertoire spreadsheets, an audition matrix, and many PDF guides are also included. This information is delivered through seventeen lectures where each of the three course creators brings a different perspective and background to the subject, from top conservatory admissions experience, to years of teaching and professional performing, to Olympic coaching and audition preparation.
Creating online content merges my love for teaching, passion for music, and desire to create user-friendly, self-study interfaces. Having easily accessible online educational products has led to an overall larger reach than I possibly could have experienced while teaching individual lessons and group classes. If you are interested, here are the steps to take to create online course content:
Step 1: Determine the topic of your online course.
Step 2: Outline your material and how you want to structure your program.
|Step 3: Make handouts or a workbook to go with your course.
Step 4: Film and edit your content.
Step 5: Choose your online platform (i.e. Udemy, Thinkific, Teachable, etc.).
Step 6: Market your course.
There are many companies that specialize in course creation, but they can charge upwards of $50,000 to create a course for you. Since I self-produce most of my content, the overall cost is drastically reduced. If you can afford it, I recommend hiring someone to edit your film and design your handouts. However, if you are on a tight budget, checkout the programs Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro X for your video editing and software such as Canva or Adobe Spark for your handouts. It is important to note that if you are an educator or student, there might be discounts for the software.
Often course creators will design a flagship course that contains the majority of their content. This course is often the main marketed product. If you decide to add additional material on a separate topic, you can then make mini courses. These would take less work but could also draw a unique audience.
Before taking the plunge into the land of online content creation, make sure to do your homework and see what you like and do not like with other course creator’s content. You may be able to sign-up for a few free trials so you can get a feel for how different platforms work. Many people have made a substantial living, even into six figures, off online courses, so this could be a good source of passive income.
Dr. Annie Bosler, co-author of the book College Prep for Musicians, has licensed online programs to organizations around the world, including the Colburn School, Melbourne Conservatorium, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. She wears many hats in her career as a Los Angeles freelance horn player. Annie has performed with Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney on CBS's The Beatles: The Night That Changed America, Ariana Grande and Chance the Rapper at The Grammy’s, P-Diddy at The American Music Awards, and Wu-Tang Clan at Coachella. Annie can be heard on many motion pictures, video games, theme park rides, and TV shows as well as seen playing horn on Fox's TV show Glee. Named a TED Educator in 2017, Dr. Bosler co-wrote How to practice…for just about anything. The video went viral receiving over 35 million views on social media. She is currently the secretary/treasurer of the IHS. For more information, visit anniebosler.com, 1M1hollywoodhorns.com, and CollegePrepforMusicians.com. IG: @CollegePrepforMusicians
