Career Opportunities and Work Life

Skills You'll Need

The Classroom Experience

Certificate & Degree Options

Career Descriptions

Music Education
Music teachers are needed at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. A teacher's day can be long, starting early in the morning and sometimes ending in the evening, especially if there are concerts or rehearsals to attend. But the satisfaction from helping students learn and understand the magnificence and strength of music can carry a teacher through the hardest schedule. Most music education programs introduce student teachers to numerous music skills, not just in the area they may prefer or specialize in. Teaching at the elementary and secondary levels requires that a teacher be flexible and multi-competent in instruments as well as vocal techniques, as teachers are often required to teach vocal and instrumental music at this level.

Instrumental Performance (Classical/Pop/Rock/Jazz)
Background knowledge and education are important for a career in classical, pop, rock, and jazz performance. The ear is a primary tool for both singers and instrumentalist who should be able to perform what they hear. The successful musician pleases the target audience while at the same time not compromising personal visions and sounds. Therefore, it is important that you expand your musical library by listening to a wide variety of music that can provide you with new insight on types of music styles. Often it is necessary for performers to teach to supplement their income. Working hours are irregular and extend way beyond the typical nine-to-five schedule.

Vocal Performance
Most vocalists earn their living through concerts, recordings, club work, radio and television commercials, Broadway musicals, and even teaching. Flexibility is essential and performers must be competitive. This career often demands years of experience to gain a solid reputation and a high skill level. A vocalist who can sing well, can sight-read music, knows a variety of music styles, and has good knowledge of music theory is going to be in demand. A vocalist must be proficient in ear training, sight-reading, and theory. If you want to be a vocalist, get the best vocal instruction available, listen to and learn as much music as possible to develop a large and varied resume, take any opportunity to sing, and develop a reputation for being reliable.

Conducting
When at a smaller operation, a conductor may also have to be a fundraisers and handle some of the operations of the orchestra including scheduling. As the orchestra increases in size and budget, the conductor tends to confine activities to performing, programming, supervising personnel, and working in educational programs.

Composing
Composing requires a wide range of skills. A composer, like a conductor, should have a broad music background. If you are interested in composing you must be able to perform on at least one instrument, have training in theory and music history, and an undergraduate major in music. It is also helpful to have as much graduate work in composition as possible. Most composers need to supplement their income with activities like teaching music at colleges, universities, or conservatories. Others may find jobs within the music profession.

Music for Worship
Religious musicians are responsible for administering the congregation's music program with clergy or appropriate committees. They develop and maintain a music program that keeps up with the spiritual and educational expectations of the congregation. Typical responsibilities include conducting, choral and instrumental ensembles, playing the organ or piano, teaching voice, supervising the maintenance of musical instruments, preparing and controlling the music budget, attending regular staff meetings, and serving as an arts resource person to the congregation and the community.

Music Business
Music sales professional should have music experience or training to understand what customers need. This is especially true in stores where handling requests for many different instruments, vocal music, textbooks, and scores. Anyone considering a career in instrument sales should be familiar with a wide range of instruments and how each works. This knowledge allows music sales people to sell the necessary instrument accessories. You should be able to demonstrate the instrument for a customer.

Instrument Making and Repair
Before you can repair an instrument, you must know what materials make the instrument, how it's constructed, and it's special characteristics. It is also good to understand how the instrument is played and its fingerings. A music repairman must know what tools to use and where tools and supplies can be found. Having a good ear for tuning is also important.

Music Publishing
Music publishing involves choosing the right materials to publish, editing and proofreading music manuscripts, promoting performance, and nurturing composers. Everything else is common to any other business with similar marketing and distribution procedures. Publishing is a business so it important to understand business procedures. If you want to enter this field, you should have a broad knowledge of music and the arts, as well as competence in all the fields of business including accounting and some basic knowledge of law. Having good written and verbal communication is vital in this field.

Music Communications (PR)
Music industry public relations professionals can work for municipal agencies such as city parks and recreation departments; for local, regional, and state arts councils; for colleges and universities; churches; and other community groups to working in the recording industry for artists and recording companies. At the local level, music industry public relations specialist promote and plan programs, coordinate local agencies activities, organize community-performing groups, teach various kinds of music classes, conduct research studies, perform, and make presentations for different area groups. At the larger end of the scale, PR specialists can manage the media relations for nationally known artists and the record companies for which they work.

The Recording Industry (Producer, Mixer, Studio Arranger, Music Copyist)
Recording industry professionals must know basic electronic skills, equipment maintenance, studio setups, and have remote recording experience. They must also have knowledge of state-of-the-art recording equipment, and be responsible for inventory control, assist in scheduling, and entertain clients. Having a good education in music theory, arranging and composing will only make you more successful. A career in this field. It can be stressful and require long hours.

The Radio and Television Industry (Commercial Musicians, Program Director, Music Advisor, Disc/Video Jockey)
Breaking into the radio and television industry is hard, but it an ideal background to help you get your start includes college-level studies in music business (copyright law, promotion, marketing, production), television production, graphic arts, visual design, and communications. Knowledge of computer programming would make you more hirable in today's technological careers. College internships and work experience will help you gain contacts within the industry. These networks will prove to be invaluable when looking for a career.

Music Technology
Music technology promotes interaction between musical creation, technology and musical research. A career in music technology means intensive studies of advanced music technologies. This is an ever-changing field, which requires you to stay up-to-date on the latest equipment. Contemporary composition and performance practice technology demands are on the rise. A career in music technology could lead you into a studio where you would work with sound and video, or this career could lead you into theatre where you would be a music instructor designer.

Music Librarianship
A successful music librarian has a strong background in classical, ethnic, popular, and jazz music. To be able to answer the questions of users, the librarian needs to be familiar with research tools such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, indexes, catalogs, and periodicals. To run a music library smoothly, you must be coordinated. At any time you must be able to look up and retrieve materials, answer questions, get new materials, update databases, and take care of audio equipment.

Music Therapy
A music therapist uses music to help people with disabilities. Music therapists work among physicians, clinical psychologists, social workers, and rehabilitation specialists and usually do their work in hospitals, training centers for the developmentally disabled, and rehabilitation centers. A music therapy session helps the client improve the use of expressive experiences of performing, composing, listening, and moving to music. Music therapists must be able to sing, arrange music, and direct vocal and instrumental groups. Not only are music skills needed but also, music therapists must be able to report music behavior in clinical terms. They must be able to translate medical, psychological, or educational prescriptions for any group or individual into musical experiences.

Source: www.MENC.org