Saturday, December 6, 2008

Learn a Musical Instrument Prepare for a Career


For a skilled musician, there is an additional career path that is invisible to the non-musician. This is an additional benefit beyond the pleasure of playing music, the attention it brings, and the better academic performance than students who do not learn to play a musical instrument. It is a broad range of extra career opportunities that non-musicians never even consider.


But if you're a musician, you can apply. Let's take a look at these careers that are available only to musicians


Education: Are you a musician who has also studied education? If so, there are numerous music education opportunities that may interest you:


? Music educator at a college, conservatory, university; thousands of positions to apply for in both public and private colleges.


? Music teacher at secondary or elementary school; thousands more all over the US and the world.


? Private music instructor; there are hundreds of thousands of private piano teachers, guitar teachers, drum teachers, etc. working for themselves in private studios and/or teaching in a music store.


? Music supervisor; many opportunities to oversee musical programs in both public and private venues.


? Choir director; thousands of schools from elementary to college; thousands of churches who use choir directors.


Therapy: Are you a musician who has also studied psychiatry? You can practice the trade of music therapy in a wide array of settings. Some of the sources of employment for music therapists are the following:


? Schools


? Universities


? Nursing Homes


? Mental health clinics; the author worked as an assistant music therapist one summer when he was in college; it was a great experience.


? Correctional Facilities


? Private practice


Business: Ever wonder what it takes to work in business management? Besides business smarts, an ability to talk the language of music will take you places the non-musican cannot go:


? Artist Manager or Agent


? Talent Agent


? Concert Promoter


? Independent Radio Promoter


? Music Business Entrepreneur


? Music Business Consultant


? Record Company Executive


? Music Publisher


? Tour Coordinator


Performance: Actors are more highly valued if they have a musical education. Today, with so few actors multi-skilled as they were in the era of the large studios, this can be a real advantage. Below are some of the jobs for which an actor who is also a musician may incidentally be qualified.


? Performing artist


? Soloist, instrumental or vocal


? Studio musician


? Background vocalist


? Theatre musician


? Accompanist


? Church musician


? Product demonstrator for instrument manufacturer


Movies / Video Games: If you study movies or video game production, a background as a musician will help you prepare for music-related jobs such as the following:


? Conductor


? Music Composer


? Music Editor


? Music Supervisor (to scout for music)


? Arranger (to determine the mix of song elements per the conductor or producer's specifications)


? Sound designer (of effects to accompany music score)


? Jingle writer / composer


From education to video games, there are careers available for those who happen to have a background in music which the rest of us never see. Each of these fields requires time and study for proficiency, but they represent a career path that is nonexistent for non-musicians.


Sure, you already knew that playing music could improve your quality of life. Now you know it can improve the quality of your career.
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