How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice. This may be a joke, but it couldn’t be farther from the truth. For a career in music, one must train and practice extensively, usually starting from a young age and continuing as long as the musician shall play.
Full-time work for a musician can be difficult to secure. Many professional musicians supplement their incomes with part-time jobs. For those artists willing to work nights and weekends, there is work with performing arts companies including orchestras, small chamber groups, opera companies, musical theater companies, and ballet troupes. For a different tune, musicians can work in nightclubs, at weddings, and even for the U.S. Armed Forces’ bands.
There are plenty of musicians in the world and although most of them won’t pursue a musical career, there are many more musicians interested in making a living playing music than there are jobs. Stiff competition means that experience, training, and skill level are crucial to an eager musician’s opportunities for regular work. The best prospects for wage and salary jobs in the coming years will be for religious organizations.
The earnings you can expect to make as a musician varies depending on where you work and what type of work you do. In May 2008, singers and musicians earned median wages of $21.24. Music directors and composers earned a median annual salary of $41,270. More well known musical performers and composers may earn the kind of money most of us only dream about.
Aspiring musicians, singers, musical directors, conductors, composers, and arrangers pursuing music degrees should take courses such as music theory, conducting, and composition. A solid understanding of the fundamentals of music in addition to being able to perform, write, or direct gives musicians the knowledge necessary to succeed in the music business.
