How to Choose a Career in Music
- 1). Determine the type of music you want to perform. A successful performing career can embrace many styles of music, but boundaries help determine your career strategy. It is very difficult to simultaneously train as a rock guitarist and an orchestra conductor. Honestly assess your strengths and weaknesses and ask a trusted teacher to help with this self-evaluation.
- 2). Set goals. It is helpful to write down what you want to be doing in 5 years even if the situation 5 years from now turns out to be radically different than you'd imagined. While few goals will be precisely realized, they are necessary to retain a sense of forward career motion. Review and revise these goals every year or two.
- 3). Strive for knowledge in the field. Whether this involves formal education at a music conservatory or 5 years of intense rehearsal with a garage band, the more experience you can acquire, the better. Some musicians are leaders and others are primarily collaborators--and there is plenty of room for both. The process of striving to be the best musician you can be will be a journey of self-discovery about working methods and preferences.
- 4). Research the standards for employment. Ask experienced people how they seek jobs. If you are a violinist and want to play in an orchestra, you must prepare a very rigid list of music for auditions and follow all of the procedures exactly. If you're a singer, you must learn how to prepare for specifc styles of auditions. If you're a drummer and want to play rock or jazz, the process is much less formal and personal contacts are essential.
- 5). Take every gig possible. Early in their careers, musicians often accept engagements for little or no money. Many offered gigs will not allow you to be individualistic, creative or fulfilled. Nevertheless, you will learn something new from every show.
- 6). Broaden your skills enough to be in demand. There is nothing wrong with specializing in Venetian Renaissance music, but doing so to the exclusion of all else narrows your employability. Flexibility and versatility are prized in the musical community. Playing more than one instrument or singing in many styles can significantly raise your income. Study the careers of famous musicians and notice the diversity of their experience even if they are identified with one type of music.
- 7). Develop parallel and complementary abilities. Even if you can't stand the idea of a full-time day job, developing new skills is crucial. Musicians might learn how repair instruments. Consider private teaching, either in the home or at a music school. Every performer encounters dry periods with little freelance work, so you'll need to make money in other ways.
Source...