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How to build a career in music ?
How to build a career in music
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Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Daniel !
Like I always say - you're in the best city to start a career as a musician !
Firstly, I agree with Kim's advice on education. My advice specifically is to go to college. A formal education with a Degree in Music will give you more than just a degree. This is where you will meet other musicians, professionals as well as gain opportunities and people will get to know you first hand and in person. You will pick up tips, knowledge, advice and gain many friends and acquaintances that will be beneficial contacts going forward. Taking the academic route will maintain your creativity as you are assigned projects, perform on and off campus and this experience can not be compared with other routes. You can even take some courses in editing and the production end of music.
Following the advice to attend college for a degree, you will need a resume and reel that will sell you for auditions. You'll learn these ropes in college and will learn about industry journals, magazines and websites to keep up with the industry. The degree will help you obtain employment at a studio, perhaps at first while you pursue performing. You might also be able to go into some realm of administrative work in the industry, too.
While in college, you can apply for Work Study through the federal financial aid application. This will enable you to work in the music department, possibly. Become familiar with the Work Study program at colleges by doing a search for it online. Also, at any time, you can offer music lessons for the instrument that you play. As a freelance music instrument teacher, you can give private lessons to children or adults for extra income. You'd have to advertise, post flyers and obtain your business cards to hand out. Through the academic environment, if you choose to go to college, you will discover many opportunities and connections as you go along.
At some point, you will want to join the union so that your salary would be higher than non-union work. There are four musician unions: The American Guild of Musical Artists, The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, The American Federation of Musicians and Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians which serves musicians in New York City. Visit their offices or website and see what the fee is to join and what the dues and payment structure for dues are. Then return there when you are ready to join as the information may change.
The music industry is much like the other performance and art fields, you have to be out there in the industry and make connections, do showcases and build a substantial resume that reflects your involvement, education and talents. I hope that this is helpful for a start. Don't give up - you can do it !
Like I always say - you're in the best city to start a career as a musician !
Firstly, I agree with Kim's advice on education. My advice specifically is to go to college. A formal education with a Degree in Music will give you more than just a degree. This is where you will meet other musicians, professionals as well as gain opportunities and people will get to know you first hand and in person. You will pick up tips, knowledge, advice and gain many friends and acquaintances that will be beneficial contacts going forward. Taking the academic route will maintain your creativity as you are assigned projects, perform on and off campus and this experience can not be compared with other routes. You can even take some courses in editing and the production end of music.
Following the advice to attend college for a degree, you will need a resume and reel that will sell you for auditions. You'll learn these ropes in college and will learn about industry journals, magazines and websites to keep up with the industry. The degree will help you obtain employment at a studio, perhaps at first while you pursue performing. You might also be able to go into some realm of administrative work in the industry, too.
While in college, you can apply for Work Study through the federal financial aid application. This will enable you to work in the music department, possibly. Become familiar with the Work Study program at colleges by doing a search for it online. Also, at any time, you can offer music lessons for the instrument that you play. As a freelance music instrument teacher, you can give private lessons to children or adults for extra income. You'd have to advertise, post flyers and obtain your business cards to hand out. Through the academic environment, if you choose to go to college, you will discover many opportunities and connections as you go along.
At some point, you will want to join the union so that your salary would be higher than non-union work. There are four musician unions: The American Guild of Musical Artists, The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, The American Federation of Musicians and Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians which serves musicians in New York City. Visit their offices or website and see what the fee is to join and what the dues and payment structure for dues are. Then return there when you are ready to join as the information may change.
The music industry is much like the other performance and art fields, you have to be out there in the industry and make connections, do showcases and build a substantial resume that reflects your involvement, education and talents. I hope that this is helpful for a start. Don't give up - you can do it !
George F Spicka
Compose Music \ Play Jazz Piano \ Curator of Paleontology
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George F’s Answer
Suppose you're considering a career as a professional performer in classical or jazz music. The first and foremost step is to become proficient in your chosen instrument. This typically involves enrolling in a college that provides specialized courses in the field.
Choosing a college located in a city known for its vibrant music scene could be beneficial. This setting allows you to network and establish connections, as well as gain valuable insights from those with more hands-on experience in the music industry.
Choosing a college located in a city known for its vibrant music scene could be beneficial. This setting allows you to network and establish connections, as well as gain valuable insights from those with more hands-on experience in the music industry.
Updated
Stephanie’s Answer
Hi Daniel! If you're interested in pursuing a music career, the good news is that there are many options for you to consider that will allow you to craft a sustainable career for yourself in the music industry.
Consider what you would envision as your dream career first (performing live, producing music, songwriting and/or composing, teaching music lessons), and think about what types of music you are primarily interested in creating or contributing to. If you're interested in classical music or contemporary classical, attending college for music would be an excellent first step as this would enable you to hone your skills to a professional level and meet potential mentors and collaborators. For pop music, jazz, and other "contemporary" genres, a music college like Berklee (I'm biased since I did my master's there :) would be a good option to provide you with professional artistic skills as well as a sense of your career trajectory and some music business basics you can apply.
In order to have a steady income as a music professional, it helps to have multiple streams of income throughout the year. These can include teaching music lessons, producing or mixing songs for clients, royalties from your own music releases or songwriting, and hourly wages from working in a studio or working as a staff songwriter. As Michelle described above, if you want to work as a performer you will definitely want to join your local musicians' union as this supports fair wages for both you and your colleagues and will allow you to be eligible for union gigs.
There are also a lot of music networking and career mentorship programs for early-career and student musicians, and these can provide you with meaningful connections in the industry and career ideas (a premier example would be GRAMMY U).
To get some ideas of the variety of careers in the music industry, I'd recommend checking out the Berklee Career Communities site, where you can see lists of jobs in music and descriptions of what each one entails: https://www.berklee.edu/careers
The one piece of advice I wish someone would have given me as a student is that there are SO MANY OPTIONS besides just performance for working as a professional musician. If you want to perform as your primary career, that is wonderful and you can do it! However, if you want performance to just be one piece of your career in music, or maybe not even an aspect of your career at all, there are many opportunities in the contemporary music industry to do creative work that may or may not include live performance.
Check out career options in music and see what speaks to you
Picture what you'd like your day to day career as a musician to look like
Look into college programs in music that align with your career goals
Find examples of musicians whose careers are similar to what you want to do, and research how they got there
Consider what you would envision as your dream career first (performing live, producing music, songwriting and/or composing, teaching music lessons), and think about what types of music you are primarily interested in creating or contributing to. If you're interested in classical music or contemporary classical, attending college for music would be an excellent first step as this would enable you to hone your skills to a professional level and meet potential mentors and collaborators. For pop music, jazz, and other "contemporary" genres, a music college like Berklee (I'm biased since I did my master's there :) would be a good option to provide you with professional artistic skills as well as a sense of your career trajectory and some music business basics you can apply.
In order to have a steady income as a music professional, it helps to have multiple streams of income throughout the year. These can include teaching music lessons, producing or mixing songs for clients, royalties from your own music releases or songwriting, and hourly wages from working in a studio or working as a staff songwriter. As Michelle described above, if you want to work as a performer you will definitely want to join your local musicians' union as this supports fair wages for both you and your colleagues and will allow you to be eligible for union gigs.
There are also a lot of music networking and career mentorship programs for early-career and student musicians, and these can provide you with meaningful connections in the industry and career ideas (a premier example would be GRAMMY U).
To get some ideas of the variety of careers in the music industry, I'd recommend checking out the Berklee Career Communities site, where you can see lists of jobs in music and descriptions of what each one entails: https://www.berklee.edu/careers
The one piece of advice I wish someone would have given me as a student is that there are SO MANY OPTIONS besides just performance for working as a professional musician. If you want to perform as your primary career, that is wonderful and you can do it! However, if you want performance to just be one piece of your career in music, or maybe not even an aspect of your career at all, there are many opportunities in the contemporary music industry to do creative work that may or may not include live performance.
Stephanie recommends the following next steps:
Updated
Kim’s Answer
Building a career in music can be an exciting journey, Ki
Here are a few steps to help you get started:
1. Hone your skills: Practice your instrument, develop your vocal abilities, or work on your songwriting. The more you practice, the better you'll become.
2. Get educated: Consider studying music theory, composition, or music production to deepen your knowledge and understanding of music.
3. Perform and network: Start performing at local venues, open mic nights, or even online platforms. Networking with other musicians and industry professionals can open doors to new opportunities.
4. Create your own music: Write and record your own songs. Share them on social media, streaming platforms, or create a YouTube channel to get your music heard.
5. Build an online presence: Utilize social media platforms to connect with fans and promote your music. Engage with your audience and share updates about your musical journey.
6. Collaborate: Collaborating with other musicians can expand your network and help you grow as an artist. Seek out opportunities to collaborate on projects or join a band.
7. Seek professional guidance: Consider working with a music manager, agent, or joining a performing rights organization to help navigate the music industry and protect your rights as an artist.
Remember, building a career in music takes time, dedication, and perseverance. Stay passionate, keep creating, and never stop learning.
Here are a few steps to help you get started:
1. Hone your skills: Practice your instrument, develop your vocal abilities, or work on your songwriting. The more you practice, the better you'll become.
2. Get educated: Consider studying music theory, composition, or music production to deepen your knowledge and understanding of music.
3. Perform and network: Start performing at local venues, open mic nights, or even online platforms. Networking with other musicians and industry professionals can open doors to new opportunities.
4. Create your own music: Write and record your own songs. Share them on social media, streaming platforms, or create a YouTube channel to get your music heard.
5. Build an online presence: Utilize social media platforms to connect with fans and promote your music. Engage with your audience and share updates about your musical journey.
6. Collaborate: Collaborating with other musicians can expand your network and help you grow as an artist. Seek out opportunities to collaborate on projects or join a band.
7. Seek professional guidance: Consider working with a music manager, agent, or joining a performing rights organization to help navigate the music industry and protect your rights as an artist.
Remember, building a career in music takes time, dedication, and perseverance. Stay passionate, keep creating, and never stop learning.