Careers in Music

Earnings Potential

Salaries in the music industry vary greatly depending on your area of concentration and field. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, musicians and singers make an average of $17.85 an hour. Musicians who work for performing art companies make an average of $20.70 an hour, while musicians who work for religious organizations make an average of $12.00 an hour. Music composers and music directors make an average of $30,000 a year.

Facts at a glance

• It is unusual for musicians to have employment for more than three months.
• According to the Belmont University Achievers, Mark Volkmann an instructor at the university and a musician who sold over $60 million records will launch a website to educate beginning musicians about the pitfalls of the music industry.
• Musicians who know how to play many instruments and how to perform in different music styles have a better chance of employment.
• Musicians who work for television, production companies, or symphony orchestras have a steady job and income.

Summary of what this career entails

To be successful in the music industry you have to be well educated in both music and business. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, some musicians start studying an instrument and singers start training their voice at an early age. Hopefully, by the time, the musicians are adults they would have learned to play numerous instruments and/or have their voiced trained because competition for employment is intense. Employment is not always guaranteed and some musicians go without work for very long periods of time, when musicians finally get a gig, the pay is not so great. Musicians would need to have a good reputation to get good paying gigs, which is why it is key to learn the fundamentals of the business before a person jumps right into it.

Examples and or details of work

Even though you may have a career in music, there are many different tasks and responsibilities assigned to a role. A musician needs to spend an extensive amount of time studying and learning his instrument. The person can take formal training classes or some advance courses in college to get familiar with their instrument. It can take years before he or she masters it. Singers put meaning to music and text and project sounds with their voice. Some singers are not so successful because they have little or no voice training at all.

Degrees that lead to this career

Some of the degrees you can receive in music include:

• B.A. in Music Technology
• B.A. in Creative Arts
• B.A. in Musicology
• B.A. in Music
• M.A. in Music
• D.A. in Music

Specific Career openings in this field

Some of the jobs you can get if you are looking for work in the music industry include teaching music, music therapy, performance, composers, conductors, singing, television, film, orchestra, and radio. There are many other careers in the music industry that you can choose from and many jobs are exciting and interesting.

References:

http://forum.belmont.edu/achievers/archives/2006/10/06/volman_develops.html

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