Career Options for Playing a Musical Instrument
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Music as Career
Most people agree that learning to play a musical instrument has many benefits. It is proven that music learning can bring positive impacts to our lives in many ways. Parents are willing to send their child for music lessons, putting in time and money into what they believe to be worthy for their child's development. They are very confident in the benefits that their child can get in music learning, even if they do not pursue a career in music in the future, or put their musical skills into practical use.
However, deciding to pursue a career in music is another story. Most people doubt it as a good option. It is not difficult to visualize the scene of jobless musicians and starving artists. Unless you are among the elites of the industry, it is hard to imagine how one can thrive in playing a musical instrument for a living.
Contrary to what many believe, the truth is that there are plenty of opportunities for any musician to be as successful as they wish. Let us explore some of the career options here.
However, deciding to pursue a career in music is another story. Most people doubt it as a good option. It is not difficult to visualize the scene of jobless musicians and starving artists. Unless you are among the elites of the industry, it is hard to imagine how one can thrive in playing a musical instrument for a living.
Contrary to what many believe, the truth is that there are plenty of opportunities for any musician to be as successful as they wish. Let us explore some of the career options here.
Music Teacher
Those that know, do. Those that understand, teach.
— Aristotle
Music continues to be played and performed today because the knowledge and skills of music-making were passed down from one generation to the next. Education is the key that allows us to discover, preserve, and disseminate all these information. Being a music teacher can be a very rewarding career. In fact, some of the best musicians in the world run their own teaching studios. It is also common to see great musicians holding teaching positions in universities or conservatories.
Most music teachers we see today usually teach at schools, from their private studios, or travel to teach at their student's home. The demand for music teachers is good in most parts of the world. Music teachers tend to do better when the economic climate is good, as most people regard music playing as a leisure activity. People are more likely to pick up their hobby when their financial situation is comfortable. It is common for music teachers to encounter students who are learning it for the long term and also students who are just looking for activities to spend their leisure time.
Teaching music can be a lucrative business. However, being a music teacher may not be like "living the good life", as how some people see it. There are struggles to the job. The repetitive nature and the irregular work hours of the job may take its toll on the teachers. First of all, for the freelance teachers, you do not get all the students right away. It will take a couple of years to establish your studio. If you are lucky, a teacher who is leaving her job may send all her students to you. For the unlucky ones, that means squatting at your friend's apartment for a while. Once you get enough students, you noticed that kids grow up and go to college, which also means leaving your studio. Before you realized it, you are at the start of the new cycle all over again. On top of that, freelance music teachers have to deal with endless lesson-rescheduling and sometimes unreasonable expectations of the parents. If the relationships between teachers and parents are well-managed, it may turn into conflict and add pressure to the job.
I find that to be able to stay in this profession for the long term and to feel happy about the job, music teachers need to possess two traits: The love of music and a strong desire to educate.
We know that everyone loves music, but things can be very different for a music professional who is doing it all the time. The love for music has to be a part of your life that you cannot live without, and that passion will translate into an inspiring force that students can feel it when they are learning with you. The students will, in turn, show more eagerness to learn when they are inspired. If both sides are equally engaged in the learning, the process will be enriching and satisfying.
Having a passion for music alone is not enough. To be an educator for the long term, you must believe in the values of what you are teaching, and have the patience to nurture them in the students. Students come with different learning abilities, backgrounds, and mindsets. If you wish to see all the students doing what you want them to do, you must have the desire to educate them, and that includes finding ways to communicate and deal with each unique personality of the students.
As a music teacher myself, I find that the most meaningful part of my job is to be able to walk into the lives of students and making their lives better by giving them the benefits of learning music. It Is not about how many competitions they have won or how much money I am getting paid, but it is the state of mind knowing that I am doing something good for the community and the world.
Most music teachers we see today usually teach at schools, from their private studios, or travel to teach at their student's home. The demand for music teachers is good in most parts of the world. Music teachers tend to do better when the economic climate is good, as most people regard music playing as a leisure activity. People are more likely to pick up their hobby when their financial situation is comfortable. It is common for music teachers to encounter students who are learning it for the long term and also students who are just looking for activities to spend their leisure time.
Teaching music can be a lucrative business. However, being a music teacher may not be like "living the good life", as how some people see it. There are struggles to the job. The repetitive nature and the irregular work hours of the job may take its toll on the teachers. First of all, for the freelance teachers, you do not get all the students right away. It will take a couple of years to establish your studio. If you are lucky, a teacher who is leaving her job may send all her students to you. For the unlucky ones, that means squatting at your friend's apartment for a while. Once you get enough students, you noticed that kids grow up and go to college, which also means leaving your studio. Before you realized it, you are at the start of the new cycle all over again. On top of that, freelance music teachers have to deal with endless lesson-rescheduling and sometimes unreasonable expectations of the parents. If the relationships between teachers and parents are well-managed, it may turn into conflict and add pressure to the job.
I find that to be able to stay in this profession for the long term and to feel happy about the job, music teachers need to possess two traits: The love of music and a strong desire to educate.
We know that everyone loves music, but things can be very different for a music professional who is doing it all the time. The love for music has to be a part of your life that you cannot live without, and that passion will translate into an inspiring force that students can feel it when they are learning with you. The students will, in turn, show more eagerness to learn when they are inspired. If both sides are equally engaged in the learning, the process will be enriching and satisfying.
Having a passion for music alone is not enough. To be an educator for the long term, you must believe in the values of what you are teaching, and have the patience to nurture them in the students. Students come with different learning abilities, backgrounds, and mindsets. If you wish to see all the students doing what you want them to do, you must have the desire to educate them, and that includes finding ways to communicate and deal with each unique personality of the students.
As a music teacher myself, I find that the most meaningful part of my job is to be able to walk into the lives of students and making their lives better by giving them the benefits of learning music. It Is not about how many competitions they have won or how much money I am getting paid, but it is the state of mind knowing that I am doing something good for the community and the world.
Tips to Run a Successful Private Music Lesson Business
- Build Your Clientele
If you work in a music center, then the center will likely to provide you with your clientele. When you are on your own, you must advertise. Word of mouth will probably be how you start, but you will need to keep it going with frequent flyers and mailings to people where possible, and perhaps using social media outlets to drum up business.
- Giving the First Lesson
Make sure they are prepared for the lesson and make it very clear what is required before that first lesson. Allow parents to sit in for the first lesson and find out what the student's goals are that they hope to achieve from the lessons. How you approach things is going to depend on the information that you gather, but you also need to make it fun, so they want to come back and want to do well.
- Tailor Lessons to the Individuals
There are no set-in-stone priorities that you must accomplish. You can ask the student what they are working on and see how you can build on that to improve that particular skill. Remember, if you are doing what the student wants and providing them with what they need, then they are going to keep coming back for more.
- Notes and Records
Notes and records are especially important if you have multiple students; you don't want to rely on your memory in this case, because you might end up repeating things over and over again.
- Always be a Student Yourself
Music Performers
There is a common misconception that if you are an average musician, you have no business being a performer. The truth, however, is that there are plenty of opportunities out there for anyone. For a start, if you play an orchestra instrument, check out the local orchestras for job vacancies. If you play the piano, find jobs at local churches, restaurants, or hotels. You can also look for instrumentalists and vocalists who need piano accompaniment for their recitals or exams.
If you have a band or an ensemble, start looking to play for weddings, parties, corporate functions, or even funerals. Playing for gigs pays well, but it can be very competitive at the same time. If you do not have a strong network, consider looking for an event management company and come up with a deal with them. They may help you to find gigs and then take a commission from your pay.
It is also possible to organize your own concert. Undoubtedly, it takes effort to convince people to buy tickets. Nonetheless, it is possible to make money out of it. While it may be challenging to make a living just by doing concerts, having a public performance once in a while helps to boost your reputation as a musician, which in turn increases the chance of people hiring you to play for gigs.
Some other performance opportunities include playing for theater productions, recording for demos, commercials, or movie soundtracks, and street busking.
If you have a band or an ensemble, start looking to play for weddings, parties, corporate functions, or even funerals. Playing for gigs pays well, but it can be very competitive at the same time. If you do not have a strong network, consider looking for an event management company and come up with a deal with them. They may help you to find gigs and then take a commission from your pay.
It is also possible to organize your own concert. Undoubtedly, it takes effort to convince people to buy tickets. Nonetheless, it is possible to make money out of it. While it may be challenging to make a living just by doing concerts, having a public performance once in a while helps to boost your reputation as a musician, which in turn increases the chance of people hiring you to play for gigs.
Some other performance opportunities include playing for theater productions, recording for demos, commercials, or movie soundtracks, and street busking.
Tips to Performing Comfortably for a Crowd
When it comes to performing, most people are not comfortable doing it in front of people. It is more than just knowing how to do well at your chosen craft, it is about doing it well in front of people. It is the "in front of people" part that gets us every time. How many of us sing like a bird in the shower, but then when people are watching, we cannot carry a note. Here are a few tips to get you on the road to comfort when you are called on to perform.
With time, playing in front of and for other people will come much more relaxed. You'll be a natural. So make good use of every opportunity to show your stuff!
- Practice, practice, practice. Whether you sing or play an instrument, practice is the key to being relaxed. The more familiar you are with what you are performing, the less anxiety you will have about messing up.
- Step out of the practice room. Create a slightly more intimidating environment so you can train yourself to be mentally prepared as well. Have a mock performance in front of family members or a group of close friends.
- Calm your mind down. Visualize the entire process of yourself going on stage and completing the performance. Meditation, long hot shower, or herbal tea may be helpful for some people before the performance.
- Do not back up. Music teachers pass this on all the time. If you mess up in the middle, or any place in your piece, don't back up and repeat the passage. Keep going. Chances are your audience did not even notice.
- Try not to be too critical of your technical skill. Focus on your overall performance. How does it sound as a whole? If you're a pianist and you worry during your piece about your fingerings, then you are ignoring the entire piece of music and how it sounds. Worry about technicalities only when you practice.
- Do not forget to enjoy the moment. Performance opportunities are rare and precious. It is time for you to share your gift with the audience. Approach that moment with gratitude instead of fear.
With time, playing in front of and for other people will come much more relaxed. You'll be a natural. So make good use of every opportunity to show your stuff!
Everything Else
Creative thinking inspires ideas. Ideas inspire change.
— Barbara Januszkiewicz
Having a career in playing a musical instrument does not limit you to only teaching and performing. With your knowledge of music, you can choose to write on it, either by publishing articles or books. You may also offer to present seminars or workshops at schools or music festivals.
If you are digitally savvy, you can start a blog or video channel. There are plenty of opportunities by taking advantage of the digital network. As long as you can produce good content, be it for education or entertainment, there are many platforms available for you to monetize these contents. People have been publishing videos on Youtube to generate advertising revenue, writing articles on Hubpages, teaching courses on Udemy, and offering services on Fiverr.
There are also related career paths where your knowledge in musical instruments may come in handy, such as music composer, conductor, concert tour manager, booking agent, recording engineer, music therapist, music critic, instrument making/repair, music researcher/musicologist, and others.
Music is essentially an art form that requires creativity, and you should use the same creativity to create job opportunities for yourself. Musicians need to embrace the entrepreneurial spirit, and collectively we can work to make the music industry more vibrant.
If you are digitally savvy, you can start a blog or video channel. There are plenty of opportunities by taking advantage of the digital network. As long as you can produce good content, be it for education or entertainment, there are many platforms available for you to monetize these contents. People have been publishing videos on Youtube to generate advertising revenue, writing articles on Hubpages, teaching courses on Udemy, and offering services on Fiverr.
There are also related career paths where your knowledge in musical instruments may come in handy, such as music composer, conductor, concert tour manager, booking agent, recording engineer, music therapist, music critic, instrument making/repair, music researcher/musicologist, and others.
Music is essentially an art form that requires creativity, and you should use the same creativity to create job opportunities for yourself. Musicians need to embrace the entrepreneurial spirit, and collectively we can work to make the music industry more vibrant.