Careers in Music
The following is information contained in MENC Careers in Music brochure. It has been prepared to give an overview of music careers in ten areas and more than fifty specialties. Brief summaries of some careers are given here. It also contains some basic information about potential earnings, education required to enter the particular career, and the personal qualifications, knowledge, and skill you will need.Music Teaching
Music Teaching in Elementary and Secondary Schools
Clearly, the largest number of full-time music teaching positions exists in
public and private schools. In preschools, kindergartens, elementary schools,
and day-care centers, the music teacher provides guidance for activities such
as singing, listening, playing instruments, moving and dancing, composing, and
experimenting with music patterns.
Teachers, supervisors, or directors of music in middle, junior high, and senior
high schools provide direction for choral and instrumental organizations, small
ensembles, and musical theater productions. Music instruction in the secondary
school also includes courses in general music, theory, music history, literature,
and the related arts Music educators in the public schools may find opportunities
for extra remuneration for service as conductors of church choirs, community
music organizations, or recreational programs. In many communities, the music
department of the public schools is the focal point of the community's musical
life.
Music Teaching in Post-Secondary Schools Music teachers at institutions of higher
education usually are expected to specialize in one or two areas, such as music
theory, music history and literature, music education, musicology, performance,
electronic music, composition, conducting, or music therapy. The salaries for
college or university music teaching vary considerably with the type of institution
and its location. In many cases, college faculties are recruited from people
who have had successful professional careers as performers or as music teachers.
A college music educator, however, usually must have earned at least a master's
degree in music. A great many institutions require a doctorate. The music programs
in institutions of higher education constitute one of the main sources of music
standards and performances.
Private/Studio Teaching: The studio of a private teacher may be located in a
home, school, office building, or music store. Those who teach in the home are
self-employed, whereas others have a business relationship with a school or
store. Many self-employed music teachers teach only part-time due to other responsibilities.
Satisfactory teaching arrangements sometimes can be made with the various types
of schools that need individual music instructors.
Salaries and Requirements for Teacher/Supervisor
1. Public school (approximate earnings $17,000-$45,000)
2. Parochial school (approximate earnings $16,000-$35,000)
3. College, university, conservatory (approximate earnings $18,000-$70,000)
4. Private school, studio (approximate earnings $5-$60 per lesson)
5. Supervisor, consultant (approximate earnings $20,000-$50,000)
6. Administrator, university (approximate earnings $30,000-$100,000+
Personal Qualifications: Music talent, Ability to work with people, Ambition
to continually study and improve, Be inspiring, convincing, patient, Enjoy people
and desire to help them learn.
Knowledge and Skills Required: Broad cultural background, Extensive knowledge
of music, Performance skill on one instrument or voice, Ability and skill in
teaching people, Administrative ability necessary for supervisor and self-employed
studio teacher.
Recommended Precollege Training: Completion of high school, Ability to read
music, Some performance skill on one instrument or voice, Study music in school
or privately, Keyboard skill.
Minimum College Training Required: Public School: teaching certificate, bachelor's
degree, College, university: doctoral degree or equivalent training, All others:
degrees not always required but the equivalent training is necessary.
Music Therapist
With increased awareness of the rights of children and adults with disabilities,
the importance of trained music therapists has increased. These highly skilled
individuals combine music, teaching, and therapy to help persons with disabilities
improve their physical and mental health. Emotional stability and insight are
essential for competent therapists.
Music Therapist (approximate earnings $16,000-$70,000)
1. Hospitals: general, psychiatric
2. Schools
3. Outpatient clinics
4. Mental health centers
5. Nursing homes
6. Correctional facilities
7. Private practice
Personal Qualifications: Music talent and skill, Ability to work with disabled
people, Human understanding and insight, Emotional stability.
Knowledge and Skills Required: Skilled and a versatile musician, Knowledge of
behavioral and physical sciences, Facility on piano, guitar, or other instruments,
Skilled in adapting music, Knowledge of instruments and voice.
Recommended Precollege Training: Completion of high school, Ability to read
music, Some performance skill on one instrument or voice, Study of music in
school or privately, Keyboard skill.
Minimum College Training Required: Bachelor's degree in music therapy, including
six-month internship.
Performer
To many young people, music performance as a career means giving concerts. The
glamour f becoming a concert artist attracts many people, but opportunities
for a career in music performance are very limited, and great perseverance and
stamina are required for success. In addition to solo performance careers, there
are performance opportunities in chamber music, folk, rock, and pop music, as
well as free-lance concert and studio opportunities. Performance careers differ
widely and depend a great deal upon the instrument played and the performance
medium. Most performers combine their activities with other careers in music.
In general, concert performers pay their own travel and management fees.
Salaries and Requirements for Music Instrumentalist
1. Armed forces: bands, orchestras (approximate earnings: base pay)
2. Symphony orchestra (approximate earnings $300-$1,200 per week (22-52 weeks)
3. Dance band, nightclub (approximate earnings $350-$700 per week)
4. National TV (very limited) (approximate earnings $1,500-$2,500 per week)
5. Small ensemble (approximate earnings $50-$4,000 per concert)
6. Concert soloist (very limited) (approximate earnings $1,000 per concert)
7. Rock or jazz group (approximate earnings: great variance in income)
8. Clinician (approximate earnings $0-$1,000 per day)
Personal Qualifications: Musical talent and skill, Ability to work with people,
Ambition to continually study and improve.
Knowledge and Skills Required: Specialized skill in one or more instruments,
Fluency in sight-reading, transposing, improvising, Skill in ensemble playing,
Knowledge of instrumentre literature.
Recommended Precollege Training: Completion of high school, Ability to read
music, Some performance skill on one instrument, Experience in high school orchestra,
band, or small ensembles, Solo experience.
Minimum College Training Required: Degrees not always required but the equivalent
training is usually necessary.
Salaries and Requirement for a Vocalist
1. Church choir soloist (approximate earnings $30-$500 per performance)
2. Community choral group (approximate earnings $200-$3,000 yearly )
3. Radio, TV shows (approximate earnings Local: $75 and up per show Network:
$125 and up per show )
4. Dance band, nightclub (approximate earnings $225 and up per week)
5. Concert choral group (approximate earnings $80 and up per performance)
6. Opera chorus (professional) (approximate earnings $350-$750 per week)
7. Opera soloist (very limited) (approximate earnings $350-$8,000 per performance)
8. Concert soloist (very limited) (approximate earnings $350 open)
Personal Qualifications: Musical talent and skill, Ability to work with people,
Ambition to continually study and improve, Excellent voice, Showmanship.
Knowledge and Skills Required: Specialized skill in singing and interpretation
of songs, Knowledge of choral music techniques, Knowledge of foreign languages
and vocal literature,
Skill in sight singing and memorizing, Practical facility at the piano.
Recommended Precollege Training: Completion of high school, Ability to read
music, Background in piano, Some performance skill in singing, Experience in
singing groups.
Minimum College Training Required: Degrees not always required but the equivalent
training is usually necessary.
Church/Temple Musician
A career as a church or temple music director or organist combines music performance
and teaching. Most musicians for religious institutions are employed part-time,
although large congregations may employ a full-time music director or minister
of music. In addition to being competent performers, church or temple musicians
must understand music composition,transposition, and arranging, and must be
familiar with the theology and liturgy of worship.
Salaries and Requirements of Church/Temple Musicians
1. Organist
2. Choir director
3. Minister of Music
4. Liturgist
5. Choir soloist
$7,800 to $44,500 part-time (less than 30 hours per week)
$27,500 -$59,300 full-time)
Personal Qualifications: Musical talent, Commitment to earning, playing and
teaching religious music, Ability to work with and motivate people, Well-organized.
Knowledge and Skills Required: Organ performance, Conducting and voice pedagogy,
Sight-reading and open score reading, Keyboard transposition and improvisation,
History of music and liturgy, Knowledge of languages, especially Latin and German.
Recommended Precollege Training: Completion of high school, Ability to read
music, High-level keyboard skills (organists), Foreign language study.
Minimum College Training Required: Degrees in organ or sacred music not always
required but equivalent training and professional certification necessary, Foreign
language study, Choral and instrumental techniques.
Music Industry
The music industry is broad in scope and encompasses retail, wholesale, manufacturing,
importing, exporting, publishing, recording, repair and rebuilding, tuning,
and other businesses.
Persons who are successful in the music industry have education and training
in both music and business. Many new businesses have grown out of recent developments
in the world of computers. State-of-the-art products and services in the music
industry are providing new, exciting, and profitable business opportunities.
Salaries and Requirements for Music Industry (approximate earnings: according
to the wage and salary scale of each industry; varies widely)
1. Publisher or editor: music books, periodicals, music software
2. Manufacturer, importer, wholesaler: instruments, accessories, electronics,
recordings, computer software
3. Music software programmer
4. Manager, booking agent
5. Music dealer: management/sales
6. Newspaper critic, reporter
7. Tuner technician, instrument repair
Personal Qualifications: Ability to work with people, Interest in music and
business.
Knowledge and Skills Required: Specialized skill and knowledge in one or more
of the music industries; varies widely.
Recommended Precollege Training: Completion of high school, experience in one
or more of the related music industries.
Minimum College Training Required: College degrees not always required but recommended
especially program in music/business, Technical careers: at least 2-3 years
training or apprenticeship is usually necessary.
Television/Radio Industry
The television and radio industries encompass a wide range of careers, including
composition, scoring, production, editing, clearing copyrights, and licensing.
Career opportunities are available at television and radio stations, production
houses, postproduction facilities, and a host of related organizations involved
in producing and distributing programming for television and radio.
Society is increasingly dependent on the media as a source for news, information,
entertainment, cultural and performing arts, and leisure activities. The proliferation
of cable networks has greatly expanded the number of outlets for video productions
and the need for related personnel. Television and radio are growth industries
that offer many opportunities for those with appropriate backgrounds, technical
skills and experience, and perseverance.
Salaries and Requirements for Television/Radio Industry (approximate earnings:
according to the wage and salary scale of each industry; varies widely)
1. Copyright/clearance administrator
2. Music license administrator
3. Music editor, producer, composer
4. Sound mixer
5. Post production/scoring
6. Disc jockey, video jockey
7. Program director (radio)
8. Music advisor, music researcher
Personal Qualifications: Musical talent, Interest in music and media, Ability
to work with people, often under tight deadlines and intense pressure.
Knowledge and Skills Required: Specialized skill and knowledge in one or more
or the television/radio industries; varies widely.
Recommended Precollege Training: Completion of high school, Experience in one
or more of the related fields.Page 6 (TV/Radio industry, continued)
Minimum College Training Required: College degrees not always required, but
recommended; the equivalent training is necessary, especially in production-related
areas.
Music Librarian
Colleges and public libraries offer opportunities for trained music specialists
with knowledge of library and research techniques. Music librarians are involved
in research and reference, indexing, cataloging, selecting materials for purchase,
and community relations. Skills in handling computerized information are increasingly
important. Some opportunities for music librarians also exist in radio, television,
and motion pictures.
Salaries and Requirements for Music Librarian
1. College, university, conservatory (approximate earnings $26,000-$28,000 (entry
level, full-time, may be augmented by teaching))
2. Public library (approximate earnings $1,300-$30,000)
3. Orchestra, band, chorus (very limited) (approximate earnings up to $72,800
)
4. Radio, TV station music coordinator (approximate earnings $14,000-$27,000)
Personal Qualifications: Ability to work with people, Interest in music, books,
recordings, professional problems, and research.
Knowledge and Skills Required: Thorough knowledge of music and musicology, Working
knowledge of German and French, Library training or some knowledge of library
and research techniques, Some knowledge of copyright and performance rights.
Graduate degree in Library/lnformation Science.
Recommended Precollege Training: Completion of high school
Minimum College Training Required: Bachelor's degree with major in music performance,
music history, or music theory (preferably, plus at least one year graduate
study in music),Graduate library degree.
Other Careers
In addition to the careers in music mentioned above, some opportunities exist
for musicologists, music business attorneys, architectural acoustic consultants,
and arts administrators. In the publishing industry, most large newspapers and
magazines and many smaller periodicals hire a music reporter or critic who combines
knowledge and enjoyment of music with a writing or editing career. Other careers
include music historian, biographer, and Iyricist. Reflecting dignity and prestige,
each of the music careers brings satisfaction and happiness to the lives of
countless people. Thousands of persons in the United States find great pleasure
through music as an avocation. A number of the occupational areas described
in this brochure are carried out on a
nonprofessional basis, particularly in small communities.