A Career Guide for Music Majors

A Career Guide for Music Majors Throughout history, music has been an important While music is a performing art, few individuals are element in most cultures, serving as a rich and able to support themselves as full-time musicians. diverse experience used in many ways. Music can Many music majors elect to combine performing with be a form of communication, artistic expression, jobs that allow them to be closely related to music entertainment, therapy or worship. Within the in the workplace. Some music majors continue broad field of music, there are many areas of their education in a graduate or professional school specialization. A concentration in music, with its program. emphasis on performance, analysis, and critical interpretation provides a foundation for careers in education, business, communications and the arts. Skills The study of music develops skills ranging from sensitivity, enable graduates to contribute to and musical expression to analysis of musical works. succeed in many professions. For example, the Music also develops the ability to concentrate ability to put feelings and impressions about music intensely, listen introspectively, observe keenly, into words is needed by such diverse professionals work under pressure, meet deadlines and maintain as a music librarian, a music critic and a music composure when faced with the unexpected. Well- therapist. A sample of representative skills and developed communication skills, along with aural abilities follows: Artistic/Technical Communication Research/Analysis Education Creating and performing Writing and speaking Gathering and analyzing Informing and explaining music effectively information Interpreting symbols and Ability to give and accept Considering historical Group dynamics images constructive criticism perspectives Sensitivity to and Conveying complex Hearing and recognizing Organizing information and appreciation of diverse information tonal and harmonic materials musical styles balance, rhythm, and tempo Doing detailed and Describing impressions Working with primary Teaching a skill, concept or accurate work about music sources principle Directing a performance Presenting theories/ideas Perceiving patterns/ Program planning structures Career Opportunities There are many career and job options for music retail, wholesale, manufacturing, importing, majors. There are all kinds and types of performance exporting, publishing, recording, repair and settings from symphony orchestras to wedding gigs. rebuilding and tuning. People who are successful What you are paid and how often you work depends in the music industry frequently have training and on your skills, reputation and the demand for your experience in both music and business. Many new music. However, most professional musicians work businesses have grown out of recent developments at a combination of jobs and professional activities in technology and computers. that are equivalent to or more than, full-time in other fields. Many music majors make a living in non- The recording industry is huge, covering thousands performance jobs and perform on weekends. of independent labels as well as the handful of major record labels. Technical jobs entail the actual The music industry is broad in scope and includes studio work of recording, producing and Conductors Fine Arts Career Services • The University of Texas at Austin • DFA 1.103 • http://www.utexas.edu/finearts/careers [512] 232-7333 • [email protected] • twitter.com/utfacs • http://www.facebook.com/utfacs 1 A Career Guide for Music Majors mastering the music. Production jobs entail the funds, rehearsing, scheduling and performing. As duplication and packaging of the recordings and the orchestra increases in size, length of season their promotional materials. Administrative jobs and budget, the conductor and music director tend to cover the promotion, research and budgeting of confine their activities to performing, programming, the industry. Then there are the jobs connected supervising personnel and working in educational to sales and merchandise, and contracts and legal programs. In addition to his or her performance issues. People in the industry often move from job responsibilities, a conductor may also take on the to job, acquiring diversified skills and climbing the duties of a music director. ranks to better jobs. Information Science Performance Music librarians work in libraries with large Musicians perform music of all types. If you are just collections of music books, recordings, musical getting started it may be worth it to do some volunteer scores and periodicals associated with music. They or low pay “gigs” for the experience. Research the can be found in public and academic libraries, radio performance options in your own community, read and television stations, music publishing companies the local newspapers’ calendar sections and look and professional music associations. for the entertainment listings on the web for your town, city or region. All performance careers start Music Therapy locally! Music therapists use music to accomplish these therapeutic aims: the restoration, maintenance and Church/temple musicians combine music improvement of mental and physical health. Music performance and teaching. Most are employed therapists work at hospitals, treatment centers, part-time, although large congregations may employ nursing homes, hospices, rehabilitation centers, a full-time music director or minister of music. In prisons and mental health clinics. addition to being competent performers, church or temple musicians must understand composition, Media transposition and arranging. They must also be This encompasses a wide range of music careers familiar with the theology and liturgy of worship. including composition, scoring, production, editing, clearing copyrights and licensing. There are many Music Education types of media including video games, radio, Music teachers work at elementary and secondary television, internet and print. When you use any of schools, colleges and universities, private studios these media and you notice music played, printed and public or private community music schools or referred to, chances are there was a person paid (which may be associated with a performing to make that happen! organization). Music Criticism Composition Music critics are a unique combination of journalist Composers often write works on commission. and musician. Their views are published daily, often They look for grant and competition money to pay providing quotations to be used as publicity for for the commissioning of new works. In the more performing artists. They affect their audience both commercial arena, composers may create music for indirectly and directly. Indirectly, by determining movies, jingles, multi-media projects, video games which artists will survive in the performance media or Broadway revues. They may also arrange, adapt and will therefore be available for the public to or transcribe the work of other composers. choose from, and directly, by influencing the choices the public makes, its understanding of Conducting performances and its reactions to them. Conductors have a wide spectrum of activities and responsibilities. At the level of the smaller community The preparation of music critics is largely as one and metropolitan orchestras, the conductor may might expect. More than two-thirds of the music have to function as a jack-of-all-trades: raising critics in large US cities majored in music, with Fine Arts Career Services • The University of Texas at Austin • DFA 1.103 • http://www.utexas.edu/finearts/careers [512] 232-7333 • [email protected] • twitter.com/utfacs • http://www.facebook.com/utfacs 2 A Career Guide for Music Majors performance and then music history identified as a museum is likely to have staff members in the leading areas of specialization. Nearly half of education that work with school groups to introduce the music critics have earned at least a master’s children to the exhibits. An opera company, concert degree. Music criticism is a highly specialized field, hall, or theatre needs box-office and front of the one that blends music and expressive writing skills. house workers to manage ticket sales, write press The glamour of attending concerts and meeting releases, market the productions in the community, performers is an undeniable benefit, but the quick and create visibility. Some theatre companies pace, objectivity and late and sometimes long hours need general managers to schedule tours, monitor may be less appealing. Music critics must have a union agreements, and run the business side of sincere desire and dedication to the profession. performances. Arts Administration Over the last decade, arts management has become Arts organizations, like most for profit companies, a growing field with increasing specialization and have a number of administrative, business or training. A number of new graduate training and management functions. These roles require people certification programs have emerged. These with creativity and an understanding and passion programs may be useful, depending on your interests for the arts, as well as skills in a range of areas from and goals. Some arts managers, for example, finance and marketing to education. suggest eventually pursuing a business degree with a specialization in nonprofit management. Almost The specific positions available at an arts without exception, however, arts managers advise organization will depend on what the organization getting

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