Entertainment is big business worldwide and musicians are a significant part of that industry. There is music for lovers, celebration, sad and angry moments or even for motivation whilst you work. Behind that music there are various people who will have invested talent, time and money into the project.
Music like all arts is not easy to build a career in. The majority of the time you will have to be self-employed unless you join an existing band or organisation. Many musicians find it challenging to make it in their career as they sometimes won't have funds to cover their start-up period. Being a successful musician is rarely a part time job and in the end some very talented people forego this career choosing instead to go for a "more formal" job. It is always a sad turn of events when someone leaves what they really love, so if you are aiming for this career, be prepared for the emotional strength which you will require and plan for how you will manage the financial side of things.
In this first article we will just take a short look at some of the careers a musician can venture into:
Singer: when people think of musicians they normally just think of the singer so these guys need no introduction. Being a singer is full time work, in the background a singer spends time rehearsing vocals and dance moves, though of course this depends on the type of music. In order to be noticed and build up a fan base, they will usually go around doing live shows and performances. Singers generally have a "voice talent", but they can also take lessons on voice control and dance moves or sometimes even learn an instrument or two.
Music Producer: their general role is to manage the recording and production of albums for musicians. Music producers have to understand music as they will sometimes have to suggest improvements in the songs and beat arrangements for artists. Typically some of the roles such as mixing and mastering will be done by sound engineers but a music producer might also do all these. Music production is gruelling work which will involve marketing, driving or managing social media interactions and understanding the financial side of music.
Skills required will include understanding the type/s of music you are focusing on, software skills amongst others and social skills. Like all fields, hands-on experience will also play a role in finding your own unique flavour of doing this job.
Club/ Party DJ: well you probably know these guys from clubs, weddings, and parties or similar. These guys understand mixing technologies and know different songs and song sequences to suit the mood and moment.
Sound Engineer: Recording a song is not merely a matter of having microphones and a computer. Different voices and instruments have to be balanced in a way that captures the emotional twists and turns, ups and downs of a song. Once the recording is completed, the album will then be taken through Mastering: which is applying any final touches that will allow the song to play as it should on various media.
Song Writer: some people make a career of writing songs and not necessarily singing themselves.
Music Teacher/ Lecturer:-if one has a passion for teaching and also a passion for music, then this is the career for you.
Other careers to consider in music are Radio DJ, advertising, composer, blogger and researcher.
In the next article we will look into paths you can consider for your career.