Posted in: Live Music by clavier on June 25, 2009 | 2 Comments
Let’s face it. Musicians are oftentimes torn between developing the musical career and providing for the family or even just for one’s own living expenses. Before you get frustrated to turn in and give up your passion to accept a non-musical job in order to just “get by,” scan through some of these music careers.
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Musicians who hold these jobs find creative ways to manifest their passions. According to Abby White and Marie Wakefield, experts on musical careers, it is possible to have a “real job” with music. Here are some of the lucrative music careers.
Writing Music for Television
The trend of writing music for television continues to grow as an outlet for musicians, both indie and major. Even music colleges and conservatories inform their alumni and students of the prospects of this field. If you have the knack for songwriting or composing, you may a tune in your files that could be a theme for a sitcom or an opening theme for a talk show.
One of the best ways to share your love of music is by teaching. Schools can hire you as part time teacher if you still want to do gigs or give time to your other music-making ventures. If you discover that it is in teaching where you find fulfillment, then you may put up a studio and make a full-time career out of it. Keep a good balance and know your purpose. Some musicians shy away from a teaching job not because they are afraid of standing in front of groups of people, but more out of fear of getting too comfortable and “settling” with the for the job and eventually letting their own dreams of go.
If you can balance your teaching and music-making activities well, a good teaching job can actually facilitate a life in music.
If you’re looking for a way to share your musical talents with your community, there’s nothing more rewarding than joining a nonprofit organization. These organizations are established for educational, charitable or humanitarian purposes, and they are grateful when artists contribute their time and skills.
Find an organization that inspires you. You may start with churches, youth organizations, or municipal outreaches. There are dozens out there. If you can’t find one, you may create your own. From this venture you may come across talents that may jumpstart your career.
Do you love an instrument so much that you know almost everything about it? If you’re someone who can rattle off model names and numbers, facts and figures, construction materials, design specifications and all the exact reasons why yours is the best guitar/ keyboard/ you-name-it on the market, then a clinician’s job might be for you.
Children’s music doesn’t always have to involve a purple dinosaur or monotonous melodies. If you can make songs for a child while putting them to sleep, then probably you can develop an arrangement to be recorded for children and for parents alike. Some composers have discovered that making children’s music can be a rewarding creative outlet aside from being an additional supplemental income while they continue with their other musical styles.
If you have been trained in the area of music technology and production either in college or as an extracurricular activity, why not put that into good use. If you have a composition you may find that producing your own records allows you to delve deeply into the creative process. Understanding the expected output or sound of your own composition makes you a more effective producer, given the right training.
Leonardo davinci Evans August 28th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
When I achieved the music job I wanted (entertainment) it attracted a home invasion attempt. Luckily I outwitted it because they had guns and knives.
simplyoj September 24th, 2009 at 9:05 am
I like music production, thanks for this article.