Career Center - Performance

You want to be in the spotlight!

MANY PEOPLE DREAM of having a successful career as a performer. Most also know how much dedication, perseverance, and in many cases, good fortune, it takes to get there. Though we can't help you with those traits, or the good fortune, the resources on this page may give you an idea of how to get headed in the right direction.

If you haven't yet seen our Music Careers Glossary or online brochure "Careers in Music", you might find them to be helpful guides to the many performance venues. One of the first things to take into consideration though, no matter what the venue, is getting the right education. In most cases, performing musicians have spent many years studying their instrument or training their voice with a private instructor, or possibly attending a school for the arts or conservatory. Many have also gone to college to earn undergraduate and graduate degrees in music, and continue to study throughout their careers.

NOTE: MENC cannot help you find a manager, dance teacher, or vocal coach, land a recording contract, etc. However, we hope the resources we've provided are helpful.

Performance Opportunities:

Vocal/Instrumental Performance
Military Music Opportunities
Conductors
Composers
Finding a Performance Job

Vocalist/Instrumentalist Classical Music  Many music students in conservatories and universities are not made sufficiently aware of the practical aspects involved in making a living as a classical instrumentalist. The emphasis is frequently on competing on a soloist level with a view toward a glamorous career. In addition, however, theory, languages, academic subjects, and secondary piano should be required and taught on a high level.

Vocalist, Pop/Rock/Jazz
Most pop vocalists earn their living in a variety of music areas - concerts, recordings, club work, radio and television commercials, Broadway musicals, and even teaching. Versatility is absolutely essential in this career, especially to the vocalist who may not have the good fortune to gain star status. Performance situations are competitive, often demanding years of experience to gain a solid reputation and a high level of proficiency. A vocalist who sings reasonably well, can sight-read, knows all styles of music, and has a solid knowledge of music theory is going to be in demand.

Instrumental, Pop/Rock/Jazz
Your background and education are important for a career as a performer of pop, rock, or jazz, but usually not as significant as talent, persistence, showmanship, and a little luck. Emotional maturity is another prerequisite and, of course, music training is definitely helpful. In pop, rock, and jazz the ear is and should be of prime importance; as a singer or instrumentalist, you should be able to execute what you hear. The musician who succeeds is the one who has mastered the technique of satisfying the particular audience he or she is aiming for, while not compromising his or her personal, unique vision and sound. Consequently, it is important that you expand your musical orbit by carefully listening to a wide variety of music, as these influences can provide ideas and inspiration for you.

Vocal Careers

• American Choral Directors Association - ACDA is committed to advocating for better standards for choral programs all over the country. The Choral Journal, ACDA's chief publication, contains articles and columns of a practical nature, but also reviews recordings, books, and printed music.
• Chorister's Guild - The Chorister's Guild nurtures the growth of music in children by hosting youth choirs and fostering continuing education programs for children's music educators.
• Chorus America - Chorus America is the source for the study of choral music.
• MENC's Network Community for Chorus - The Network Communities are a great place to check out resources, and discuss your ideas and ambitions with others.
• Opera America - Opera America provides information about the field of opera, services and publications, auditions, and more.
• Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America - Click on "Harmony" or "Director's College" to get information about training in the art of Barber Shop singing.
• Sweet Adelines International Educational Programs - Sweet Adelines International offers educational information, which can be found by clicking on "Education". The Young Women in Harmony program offers an introduction to Barber Shop singing for women, and information about starting a program in your area.

Instrumental Careers

• International Association for Jazz Education - IAJE promotes the understanding and appreciation of jazz and jazz heritage through curriculum programs and workshops. The association also takes an active part in organizing clinics and festivals to help students with their jazz performance.
• MENC's Network Communities for Band and Orchestra - The Network Communities are a great place to check out resources, and discuss your ideas and ambitions with others.
• U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics - The "Occupational Outlook Handbook" provides helpful information about several music careers, including salary and employment outlook.

Military Performance Opportunities
The following Web sites pertain to musical opportunities within four branches of the US Military:

• U.S. Air Force Bands and Music Program
• Army Band Program
• U.S. Marine Music Program
• Navy Music Program

Conductor
The career of a conductor can be associated with a wide spectrum of activities and responsibilities. At the level of the smaller community and metropolitan orchestras, the conductor may have to function as a jack-of-all-trades - raising funds, rehearsing, scheduling, and performing. As the orchestra increases in size, length of season, and budget, the conductor and music director tend to confine their activities to performing, programming, supervising personnel, and working in educational programs.

• American Choral Directors Association - ACDA is committed to advocating for better standards for choral programs all over the country. The Choral Journal, ACDA's chief publication, contains articles and columns of a practical nature, but also reviews recordings, books, and printed music.
• The Conductor's Guild - The resources here are best for those who have already received training and are now practicing conductors, but may be of interest to anyone looking into a career in conducting.

Composer
Composing requires you to develop as wide a range of skills as possible in addition to your compositional training. A composer, like a conductor, should have a broad, eclectic music background: solid performance skill on at least one instrument, thorough training in theory and music history (subjects you may very likely be teaching, at least at the beginning of your career), a practical working knowledge of instrumentation - in short, an undergraduate major in music and as much graduate work in composition as you can afford. A number of institutions offer first-rate doctoral programs in composition. It would be a good idea to investigate the requirements and offerings of such schools.

• American Composer's Forum - The American Composers Forum links communities with composers and performers, in the making, playing and enjoyment of new music.

Composer, Educational
The term "educational composer" is commonly used to describe one who composes performance music and instructional materials for beginning, intermediate, and advanced students. Performance music includes works for all media, including concert bands, orchestras, choirs, jazz bands, marching bands, and various smaller ensembles. Instructional material includes method books that teach instrumental and vocal techniques, sight-reading, solo interpretation, theory, and all other areas of musical learning. Both areas include works for beginning, intermediate, and advanced students.

• ASCAP - ASCAP is a membership association of more than 295,000 U.S. composers, songwriters, lyricists, and music publishers of every kind of music. ASCAP is the only U.S. performing rights organization created and controlled by composers, songwriters and music publishers, with a Board of Directors elected by and from the membership.
   

Finding A Performance job

• Music Industry Career Center - This is a free service for music industry employers and job seekers to exchange information about open positions, and create and view resumes.
• New England Conservatory Career Services Center - NEC provides a helpful online Career Center, with handouts, workshops, job bulletins, and an "advice columnist". This site does require a fee for using their service.
• U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics - The "Occupational Outlook Handbook" provides helpful information about several music careers, including salary and employment outlook.
• American Federation of Musicians - The largest organization in the world representing the interests of professional musicians. AFM is committed to raising industry standards and placing the professional musician in the foreground of the cultural landscape.