Professional Careers in Music: Performer, Composer, Conductor

PROFESSIONAL CAREERS IN

MUSIC PERFORMER COMPOSER CONDUCTOR

Institute Research Number 11 ISBN 1-58511-011-6 DOT Codes 152.041-010, 152.047-014, 152.067-014 O*NET Codes 27-2042.02, 27-2041.01, 27-2041.03

PROFESSIONAL CAREERS IN

MUSIC PERFORMER COMPOSER CONDUCTOR Your Passion for Making Music Can Become a Fulfilling Lifelong Career IS MUSIC CENTRAL TO YOUR LIFE? DOES A GREAT MELODY GET YOUR FEET TAPPING?

Do you wish your life had a soundtrack?

Well, maybe you can fill your days (and nights) with music for a lifetime – if you pursue a career in music. This report will give you the information you need to start seriously considering a career in classical music. It will tell you what options are open to people who become professionals in this field. If you haven’t been playing a musical instrument or taking voice lessons since you were a child, it is unlikely you will be able to work professionally as a performer. Perhaps you have played a musical instrument for many years, but you don’t believe you have the ability to achieve a career as a professional instrumentalist. Even if performance is not for you, you could work as a composer or conductor. Musical performers can fall into many different categories. The first division is between vocalists and instrumentalists. Classical vocalists often sing opera, though they may also sing other pieces – a requiem or oratorio, for example. Vocalists are divided by the ranges they can sing. The lowest female range is alto. Next comes mezzo-soprano, and then soprano. The lowest male range is bass; baritone and tenor follow that. 2

Instrumentalists are divided into strings, winds, and percussion. Strings include instruments like violins, violas, and cellos. (Harps also fall into this category. At least, they fall into this category technically. When you say the word “strings,” most people will not think of harps.) Winds are divided into the brass – instruments like trumpets, trombones, French horns, and tubas – and woodwinds, which include flutes, piccolos, oboes, and clarinets. Percussion does not only cover drums – though, of course, a variety of drums, from the kettledrum to the snare drum, are important to musical performance. Percussion also includes xylophone, triangles, and many other instruments that make the unique and important sounds that complete a piece of music. All musicians are also noted by the kind of music in which they specialize. You probably know about the differences between musical genres like heavy metal, pop, country, and classic rock, just to name a few. Classical music can be divided into different genres too – different sounds that vary according to the period in which the piece was composed. Baroque music, like that composed by Vivaldi and Monteverdi, is ornate in its composition. Music composed by composers of the Classical period, like Bach and Mozart, is simpler and more lyrical. Schubert and Wagner are among the composers who wrote music in the Romantic period. Composers and conductors are different from musical performers not only because their work does not focus on playing an instrument themselves, but also because they are required to have a strong knowledge of all different instruments and all musical genres. How could conductors successfully conduct orchestras if they didn’t have a clue about what a trombone should sound like? Or if they didn’t have the vocabulary to explain to a violin player how a certain musical passage should sound? Likewise, how could composers create entire symphonies and concertos if they didn’t understand how all the instruments work together? If they didn’t know which instruments compliment each other, and which instruments are easy to overwhelm by the sounds of an orchestra? Professional musicians may also use their knowledge in other positions – as musical therapists, as school music teachers or as private vocal or instrumental instructors, as music critics or as music store owners. Keep in mind that the broad base of knowledge required for a successful career in classical music could serve you well in many allied fields.

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HOW TO TELL IF THIS IS FOR YOU THERE ARE A FEW WAYS YOU CAN TELL THAT A CAREER IN CLASSICAL MUSIC MIGHT BE

the ideal one for you.

Do you enjoy listening to classical music radio stations and recordings? Do you love the musical parts of the religious services you attend? Do you like going to classical music concerts in different venues? Do you create harmonies when you sing along with the radio? Do you enjoy taking music lessons? Do you play with your school’s band or orchestra? Yes? You might have a future in musical performance ahead of you! There are other signs to watch out for. For instance, have you already tried to compose your own songs or instrumental pieces of music? Do you always have a song in your head? Do you walk to a certain rhythm? When you hear a piece of music, do you tap your fingers or your feet in time to it? Then you might want to consider developing your composition or conducting skills. No doubt you already have some interest in this career. Now is the time to find out whether your interest might grow and become a life fulfilling passion. Attend a classical music concert. Observe the musicians and the conductor; try to imagine yourself doing what they are doing. If there is a pre-concert lecture, attend it. Does the topic interest you? Did you learn something about the musical group, the pieces they will be performing, the composer, or the conductor? Visit your local university or music conservatory. Check out the class schedule for the school’s music program. What kinds of classes do they offer? Do any of them appeal to you? Set up an appointment with one of the administrators in the department, and ask for information about the music program. What are their requirements? Have many of the graduates gone on to careers with prestigious orchestras or other organizations? Is the program accredited? Do your own research at www.arts-accredit.org. 4

Talk to the students. Why did they decide to major in music? What do they like about their classes? What are their goals? Go to your school or public library and check out some books on your favorite composers, contemporary classical musicians or music groups, or the musical genre you like best. If you take music lessons already, try finding out more about a different instrument. If you don’t take music lessons, ask your school’s band or orchestra director if you can sign up for the class even though you have no experience. Only you can decide if this career is the one you want. Do you have the passion to pursue a career in music?

HISTORY OF THIS CAREER THE FIRST PAINTINGS WE KNOW OF WERE MADE AROUND 60,000 BC. WE KNOW that

because we can see the paintings, and date them through scientific tests.

But how do we know when the first song was sung, or when the first instrument was played? We do know when some very early musical instruments were created, even though we weren’t around to hear them played. (And that still doesn’t give us a clue about when the first song was sung!) Fragments of harps and lyres, and bas-reliefs depicting concert scenes, have been discovered in excavations of sites where Sumerians lived in 3000 BC. Additionally, ancient Egyptian paintings and bas-reliefs depict musicians playing instruments. These instruments include harps, like the Sumerians’, but also flutes and cymbals. There are a few early written records about music. The Bible is one of these, and the music described within the Bible includes the psalms. This isn’t the same as an accurate historical record, however, since the psalms were written down long after they were first sung. The written psalms include only the words, of course. We can’t really know how they sounded when they were originally sung, because we weren’t there. If only tape recorders had been around before the 1930s! For the ancient Greeks, music was of extreme importance. In fact, the word music is derived from the Greek word mousa, which means muse; one of the three original Greek muses was called Song. Many famous Greek myths – like the one where Orpheus conquers death by playing his lyre – center around music. 5

In later centuries, religion played an important role in the evolution of music. The early Christian churches used music in their services. Some of this very early music still survives, though other music of the time – the popular and folk music – does not, because it was never written down. Pope Gregory I, who lived from 540 to 604, is credited with making a standard collection of sacred songs that we, today, call Gregorian chant. But it was not until the ninth century that musical notation first appeared – using marks called neumes, from the Greek word neuma, which means figure or sign. This notation may seem rather primitive to us today, but it was a great advancement at the time. Popular songs began to be preserved after troubadours appeared on the scene. These musicians – some of them noblemen, some of them simply traveling singers – were native to southern France in the 11th century; they flourished between 1150 and 1210. After the Norman Conquest in 1066, many troubadours and minstrels – traveling instrumentalists – came to England. At the end of the 13th century, they even formed a corporation in Yorkshire, England. Some time before this – prior to the year 1000 – people began singing simultaneously, in two parts. It was a long time before music evolved to what we are familiar with today, with multiple voices, multiple instruments, multiple harmonies, but it all started with two voices singing together on different pitches usually separated by a fifth (five whole tones on today’s piano). German meistersinger (master singers) had composing and singing schools beginning in the 15th century. Instruments played by this time included early versions of the trumpet and trombone, the harpsichord and organ, and a variety of viols (similar in shape to a cello or double bass, but in a range of sizes, from violin-size on up). Around this time, composer Guillaume Dufay, who died in 1474, made a revolutionary change: rather than relying on Gregorian chant as the backbone of his compositions, he used popular songs of the day. Between 1600 and 1750, music made great strides. During this century and a half, opera was born, as was the symphony. Music was written in major and minor keys, as it is today. Great composers and performers took the stage over the years – Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Puccini; and schools of music – Classical, Romantic, Impressionist – became the style, and then were overshadowed by other, newer schools. Around the turn of the 20th century, the modern period began, with composers like Schoenberg and Webern, writing 6

atonal music that did not depend on key. Some contemporary composers have built on the foundation that these composers constructed, while others have turned to older traditions, following in the footsteps of the Romantics or the Impressionists. In the 19th and 20th centuries, music began to be put to other uses. Stage musicals like Show Boat, Porgy and Bess, Girl Crazy, Hello Dolly, The Music Man, and My Fair Lady became hugely popular, and later reached new audiences when they were made into films and shown in movie theaters. The advent of television required music for TV shows and commercials. And, of course, live music – whether in a stage musical, an opera, or a symphony concert – remains popular. Many composers incorporate music from other traditions into their compositions now: music from other cultures, or dance music, or jazz. Likewise, performers – particularly vocalists – strive to carve out individual niches for themselves. You may have noticed this yourself when you hear a new version of a song you like. How does this vocalist interpret the song? How does it compare to the original performer’s version of the song? If music can be described as any one thing, it’s change. It has changed over the centuries, and it will continue to evolve. You can make your contribution to this centuries-old tradition. Perhaps, by creating a new style or sound, all your own.

WHERE YOU WILL WORK THE LOCATION OF A MUSICIAN’S WORKPLACE IS BOTH THE MOST BASIC AND THE

most varied aspect of the career.

In other words, there are really only two places a musician works: in the practice room or studio, and on-stage. But that practice room and that stage may be located anywhere in the world. Many musicians practice at home. They may practice roughly the same hours that other people work in their offices: from 9 AM to 5 PM, or from 8 AM to 3 or 4 PM. (They probably work – practice – seven days a week, though, unlike most people employed in other fields.) Though they work at home, they are focused on what they have to do to improve their playing abilities. They may warm up, then play – or sing – a few scales or exercises, and then proceed to practicing performance pieces. They may finish up their practice sessions by sight-reading – performing in a rough way new pieces that they’ve never played before – or just by playing pieces they enjoy, or even by improvising their own compositions. 7

The practice room will be spacious enough for them to move around. A violinist or cellist, for example, needs plenty of room to move the bow across the strings. A percussionist may need space for a variety of drums and other percussion instruments. A pianist, of course, will require a great deal of space for the piano. Even for those musicians whose primary instrument is not the piano, space for a piano may be vitally important. A tuned-up piano can help a violinist, a flutist, or an oboist to ensure that their instruments are in tune before they begin playing. If they are sight-reading, and are unsure that they are hitting the right notes, they can turn to the piano to hear the proper notes. If instrumentalists go on vacation or are on tour with a musical group, their practice room is wherever they happen to be: in their hotel room, in a space in the performance hall where they will later be giving a concert, in a meeting room. Likewise, performances can take place in a variety of different venues. You have probably already experienced or noticed this in your own town. Perhaps there is a nearby performing arts center where famous musicians or orchestras perform. A local university may offer smaller concerts by faculty or students. Local musical groups may perform outdoors during the summer months, allowing audiences to enjoy a concert while they relax during a summer afternoon. Even major professional musicians may perform in various spots: from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City to the Hollywood Bowl, an outdoor venue in Southern California, to just about every place in between. The Three Tenors (José Carreras, Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti) have performed in Rome, Tokyo, and in South Africa – just to name a few locations. Musicians may also perform in recording studios for music albums, or for television or film soundtracks. Or their main venue may be the religious organization – perhaps a church or a synagogue – that has hired them to play music or to sing as a soloist or cantor during religious services. Conductors, too, have varied workplaces. Wherever their group – a choral or an instrumental ensemble – goes, they go. Conductors are also employed as guest artists for orchestras and music festivals around the world. Composers have an even more widely varied workplace. Most composing is done in quiet, in solitude, probably in a home office – whether they are at their primary residence, or whether they are visiting, for just a year or two, in a different city, state, or even country. The 8

composer’s workspace may have much in common with the musician’s, though. There will be collections of sheet music and recordings. There will probably be a piano. Composers may use other instruments as well – and contemporary composers often also use computer programs to help them construct new compositions. As you can see, though the workspaces of professional musicians are so basic – all they really need is a room to work in – it is also one of the most fascinating aspects of the career: a professional musician can work anywhere in the world, and many of them do.

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DESCRIPTION OF A MUSICIAN’S WORK THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS ARE FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD.

Whether they are instrumentalists or vocalists, composers or conductors, they have to practice to become very proficient at what they do. Once they have a job that pays them to do what they have become very proficient at doing, they have to make sure that they know their material – whether they will be performing it, conducting it, or molding it into a new musical composition – to entertain and interest the audience. There are, however, other responsibilities that may be part of the profession. For example, many orchestral and choral groups have educational programs in which individual musicians partner with local schools. These musicians may have to follow a schedule in which they visit a school a certain number of times a year. They may lead assemblies that teach the students about their instrument, or about a certain composer or a certain type of music (like a concerto). Some music groups have a schedule that includes two different kinds of concerts: the kind where music-lovers purchase tickets for the privilege of listening to them perform, and the kind where they perform for free so that people from underprivileged areas can also enjoy their music. A musician’s day is usually broken into two parts: practice and performance. Practice is perhaps the more important of the two parts, since without sufficient practice, a musician will be unable to perform successfully for an audience. You probably already have a good understanding of musicians’ practice times. Both vocalists and instrumentalists do warm-up exercises, scales, and other activities to help their bodies – the hands of the instrumentalists and the vocal cords of the vocalists – prepare for a lengthy practice session. Then they set to the real work: learning a piece of music, and constantly improving their performance of it. There is another important part of the practice session, though. That is called sight reading. When a musician sight-reads a piece of music, it means that the musician has never seen that piece of music before; the musician is playing it for the first time. Even when musicians sight-read music that they have heard before, it is a challenge. Because they have never practiced it before, they aren’t sure exactly how it will sound. They will probably make a lot of mistakes in the rhythm of the piece, as well as in hitting the right notes. They have to make choices, too. Players of string 10

instruments like violins, violas, cellos, and basses may have to decide how to bow a piece. Wind players may have to decide when they should breathe. Conductors also practice every day. Many conductors memorize the pieces their organizations will perform. They know every instrument or singer’s part, and how each section should sound, so that the entire piece will sound exactly the way they think it should. The conductor may also make suggestions to the instrumentalists or vocalists – telling violinists how to bow, or vocalists or wind players when to breathe. Composers may create new music in a variety of ways. Often songwriters sing their compositions directly into a tape-recorder. Those who are proficient in musical notation may then write down what they have just sung, and add, change, and shape the song from there. Other songwriters, less familiar with musical notation, may just give the tape over to a music arranger to be written down. Some composers use computer programs to create new music. Others may prefer to work at the piano. Composers who focus on orchestral or band pieces face a special challenge, because they must consider the way the instruments work together, how they will sound together, and how the various instrument combinations can best create the sound they want the audience to hear. If composers work for someone else – creating a piece of music on commission, or composing the theme for a TV show or the music for a movie soundtrack – they must also face an additional challenge: satisfying the person who has given them the job.

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MUSICIANS TALK ABOUT THEIR CAREERS I Am the Concertmaster – Leader of the Violin Section – in a Regional Orchestra “Sometimes I feel like I must have been

born with a violin in my hands. I first started taking lessons when I was four years old. My parents have kept that violin, and sometimes I take it out just to admire the tiny instrument. It wasn’t always fun – but the fun times definitely outweighed the times when practicing felt like work. Through elementary school, playing the violin was just that: playing. It was exciting to learn new things, and to hear how much better I sounded each day. It felt like every day I was audibly improving. I was already playing with a community orchestra – at the time I auditioned, I was the youngest member ever accepted into the group – but in junior high school, I started playing with the school orchestra. It was like a party every day. I got to hang out with kids my own age – kids who also shared an interest in classical music. Sometimes I felt set apart because the teacher always made such a fuss over me. I guess, just because I had started so much earlier and practiced for so much longer, I was probably a better musician than the other kids in the group. They never acted like I was anything special, though – at least, they didn’t act like I was something special just because of the way I played. I liked being part of a group. It wasn’t until high school that the violin started to feel like a weight I was too weak to carry. My homework responsibilities were pretty heavy, and my social life was starting to get pretty busy, too. It was tough to find time for dating when I had to make sure I was practicing at least three hours a day. (Any less than that, and my violin teacher could tell I’d been slacking off.) I toyed with the idea of quitting completely, and I did drop out of the school orchestra after my freshman year. I just couldn’t handle the time commitment. In college, I started out with a pre-law major. I figured I’d go into the family business. But something weird started to happen. I 12

found that I missed creating the music. I had a craving to play the violin again. Fortunately, I’d never quit it completely, so it wasn’t like I had lost an unbelievable amount of ground. I could hear a difference right away, though, and I didn’t like it. My bowing was sloppy, I wasn’t hitting the notes right on, and my sight-reading skills were weaker than they had been. I put aside new music for a while, and focused on some of the pieces I knew by heart, remembering my teachers’ comments: ‘Louder here, watch that B sharp, don’t bow so heavy.’ Soon I could play them just as well as I ever had. I wasn’t too far into my sophomore year when I changed my major to music. I think I was very lucky that I discovered my mistake so soon. My skills could have disintegrated much farther than they had – and who knows if I would have had the patience to rebuild them? Or how long that would have taken? As it turned out, I managed to land a position in a regional orchestra after college, and I worked my way up to first stand over the course of a couple of seasons. Now I’m the concertmaster: part of the group, but the leader of the violin section. Funny thing is, this time I don’t mind standing out from the crowd!”

I Play Guitar With a String Ensemble “I guess lots of kids dream of being

part of a band. And I know lots of kids start bands in their garage. I was just different because my parents encouraged me, instead of complaining about the noise I was making! I guess they understood because they both came from musical families. Maybe they were disappointed that I wasn’t into classical music – my mother had sung on-stage, and my dad played the French horn – but they never really complained about it. They insisted that I take guitar lessons – acoustic guitar – and even after I finally got an electric guitar for my 15th birthday, they made me go for an acoustic lesson every week.

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It didn’t bother me too much at the time, even though those lessons took time away from my band’s practice sessions. It didn’t even bother me that so much of my daily practice sessions had to be filled up with fingering exercises and scales. I wasn’t sure when I’d ever use stuff like that, but I could tell that my fingers were getting stronger and surer. I guess that even if I hadn’t been the one to start the band, I’d still have been the lead guitarist. I was just a better player than the other guys. We played together all through high school, and we even got a couple of paying gigs – backyard parties and stuff like that – but once we graduated, the band just disintegrated. I was on my own again, and my teacher knew it. He made up for lost time by piling on the pieces I was supposed to learn. Tough pieces. I felt like all my years of practice had been wasted. I struggled with these concertos and suites, and even when I’d learned all the notes and had the whole piece memorized, it still didn’t sound anything like the recordings my teacher made me listen to. Sure, I knew the notes and the rhythm, but I couldn’t make my hands play them as fast as they were supposed to! I kept at it. It was no surprise to anyone that I enrolled in the local university as a music major. They have a great music department, and I’d always expected to go there. One of my favorite bands came out of that school! (They didn’t major in music when they were there, but I didn’t let that bother me.) I had to take all these very serious classes in music theory, and conducting, and even lessons to learn how to play other stringed instruments, like the violin and the harp. I tell you, it was a relief to get back to my guitar. And I found that it was much easier to play those tough pieces after a grueling session on the double bass! I’ve been out of college about 15 years now, and looking back, I can really see how everything combined to make me the musician I am today. I still play with a band – just not the kind of band I dreamed about! We’re a string ensemble specializing in the music of the Baroque period, and we’ve played at performing arts centers and concert halls across the country, and in Europe too. We’re working on our third recording right now. 14

I’m not the lead guitarist – I’m the only guitarist. I also perform on a variety of guitar-like instruments of the period, including the mandolin and lute. And those tough pieces my teacher gave me look like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star compared to some of the stuff we do now. But nowadays, I enjoy the challenge! On my own time, I still like to pick up my electric guitar and do some hot licks from this century!”

I Play the Trumpet on Commercials, TV, Movie Soundtracks “I’m not sure what made

me choose the trumpet. I’m not even really sure what made me decide to sign up for orchestra when I hit junior high school. Neither of my parents were musical. I had hardly ever heard classical music. I thought the uniforms the band wore were stupid. But I knew playing the trumpet was something I wanted to do. And do well.

I didn’t know what I was getting myself into! It was much more difficult than I expected. That’s a pretty silly thing to say. You’d think that anyone would know how tough it is to learn to play an instrument! But I was so ignorant. And all the instrumentalists I’d ever heard sounded pretty good. So I figured it couldn’t be that tough for me to play pretty well, too. Wind instruments are difficult because you have to learn how to hold your mouth, and you have to learn how to breathe. It’s like changing your body into something completely different when you pick up a trumpet and start to play. The day I finally squeezed a clear note out of that thing was one of the best days of my life! For a few minutes, I was filled with a sense of accomplishment. That didn’t last too long, though. After all, one note was not much of an accomplishment. I had to learn how to play a lot of notes. I had to learn how to string them together. I had to learn about rhythm, and reading music, and controlling my breath. 15

The band director was a trumpeter, too, even though he knew about all the band instruments. He had a real soft spot for the trumpet, and by the time I was a senior, he had a real soft spot for me, too. He met with me twice a week to give me extra instruction. He gave me sheet music from his own collection so I could learn pieces besides the ones the band was playing. And he helped me gather information about college-level music programs around the country. In the end, I decided to audition for one of the most prestigious music schools in the country. I didn’t think I’d make it, and I was right. I was embarrassed when I heard some of the other trumpeters practicing before their auditions. So I went back home, found myself a couple of jobs – as a teacher’s aide, as a teacher for beginning trumpeters, and as a cashier at a store down the street. I got used to the idea of paying my own way, making sure I paid off all my bills, and I got myself a trumpet teacher who worked me so hard, I actually thought about giving up my entire plan. I’m stubborn, though, and I stuck with it. At the end of that year, I went back to the school for another audition. This time I made it. I still felt embarrassed when I heard how much better the other trumpeters were – but this time, I could tell that there were other trumpeters who weren’t quite as advanced as I was. I had improved a lot. And over the next few years, I improved even more. I’d thought my private teacher was tough – was I wrong. I didn’t know what tough was until I had to buckle down to full-time trumpeting. I lived, ate, and breathed music. And I got very good. It isn’t always easy finding a spot with a band or orchestra, though, and I was unlucky enough to hit one of those really tough times after I graduated. I ended up giving private trumpet lessons for about nine months as I searched for open spots with groups around the country. Then one day I ran into my old band director. When I told him how I’d been doing, and the trouble I was having finding a job, he got a thoughtful look on his face. I should’ve known he was the right guy to turn to – he’d always helped me out before. This time he surprised me, though. He called a friend of his who worked in Hollywood, told him a little about me, and 16

convinced his friend to let me play for him a little bit. I didn’t really understand what was going on, but I went out and auditioned for this guy. That was four years ago, and I’ve been playing ever since. Whenever there’s a soundtrack for a TV show, I go out for it. Whenever there’s a trumpeter needed to riff a little for a commercial, I go out for it. I’ve played for live audiences, for movies, for game shows. It’s a kick. It’s nothing like I ever imagined myself doing. It’s the best career I could ever have!”

I Am an Opera Singer “As soon as I had the

opportunity to join the school choir – in fourth grade – I jumped at the chance. My music teacher was the one leading the group, for one thing. For another, I thought it sounded like fun. I just never thought that it might turn into a career for me! In junior high, I signed up for choir to fulfill the art and music requirement. In high school, I sang with the women’s ensemble and the chamber singers. In college, there was no doubt that I would major in music. Except then I did feel some doubt. And I decided to sign up to major in education. I didn’t quit music completely, though. I had to fulfill a requirement for my bachelor’s degree, and I did that through a vocal music class. Many of the music professors offered private lessons at a very low rate to students who were not enrolled in music courses, or who just wanted to take some private lessons. I took full advantage of that, and felt like I was really learning and improving. I started brushing up on my piano skills, too – I hadn’t played since I was a kid – and when the school had its annual piano sale, my parents bought a baby grand so that I could practice at home. Still, I didn’t really give much thought to a career in music. I knew how risky it would be. There isn’t as much security in this field as there is in, say, bookkeeping or engineering. It took a long talk with my uncle to really set me straight. He’d gone into the family business straight out of high school, and it sounded like he never really had a choice about it. It’s not like he hated his job, but he didn’t love it, either. He told me that 17

the most important thing in life is always to choose the path that will make you happiest as you walk along it. That way, even if you stumble and fall, at least you know that when you get up, you’ll still be going along that path you chose. I knew then that I didn’t want to be a full-time teacher. I wanted to be a professional singer. I changed my major to what it should have been all along – music – and I crammed my schedule full of all the classes, private lessons, recitals, and practice sessions I could handle. It was a wonderful time. My senior recital was especially thrilling. I sent out invitations to everybody. My kindergarten teacher came. Friends I hadn’t seen since high school came to hear me sing. The fall after I graduated from undergraduate college, I headed off to graduate school for a Master of Fine Arts in vocal music. I attended a different university this time – one located in a big city with its own opera company – and over my years of study, I landed a couple of small parts in the operas performed there. I also won a position in the chorale, which sang during performances of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and other choral works. It isn’t easy making a living from singing, but I’m getting by. My opera roles are getting bigger and bigger. I do some teaching, which I enjoy much more than I expected. (Maybe that’s because I know that most of the time, I get to do what I really love – perform – and that the rest of the time, I’m helping others do what they really love – perform!) Music isn’t just a job to me. It’s a way of life. It’s the path I chose – and I love every second I’m traveling along it!”

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PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS WHEN IT COMES TO PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS, YOU MIGHT THINK THAT TALENT IS

the most important qualification they could possibly have. Whether an instrumentalist or vocalist, a composer or a conductor, talent is absolutely central to a successful career. But talent is only part of the equation for success. After all, there have been plenty of talented people who have not been successful (take the familiar example of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who ended up dying in poverty), and there are plenty of professional musicians who were not child prodigies – that is, they were far less talented than Mozart. Talent might make it easy for you to learn your craft when you’re first starting out, but you simply cannot rely on your talent alone. You have to be determined to succeed, to master your craft, and you must commit yourself to gaining that success. That’s actually the professional musician’s most important personality trait: determination. You have to be determined to stop making unpleasant noises when you first start playing an instrument. Then you have to feel determined to improve your sense of rhythm. Later on, you must remain determined to conquer difficult compositions, and play them well. You will need to feel an ongoing determination to forge a career out of music, and you will need to be determined to succeed – perhaps to become first chair of your section, or concertmaster, or to be accepted into a very prestigious orchestra. Though you might not think so at first, music can be a physically exhausting pastime. Just holding up an instrument, like a violin or a French horn, can become very tiring. You will need to develop stamina so you can physically endure hours of practice as well as performances which can last several hours under the hot lights of a stage. You must not suffer from stage-fright – or, to put it more accurately, you must be able to perform despite any stage fright you feel. For most performers, the joy of playing an instrument or of conducting a group of musicians overrides any sense of anxiety they might feel about exposing themselves to the eyes of an audience. Before you can worry about any of these things, though – determination, bravery onstage, physical stamina – you have to have a love for the music. Otherwise, why would you want to pursue this career in the first place? 19

If you have a love for music, for any aspect of it – the way the instruments blend together, a particular composer, the sense of exhilaration you feel from listening to and from playing music – you will find that the determination to continue playing music will help develop your drive to succeed.

ATTRACTIONS OF THIS CAREER IF YOU LOVE MUSIC, AND IF YOU HAVE ALREADY STARTED PLAYING AN INSTRUMENT

you love, a career as a professional musician probably looks pretty appealing to you. Perhaps it looks even more appealing to those people who have not yet discovered which instrument is the one for them, or who think they might prefer composing or conducting, but have not really started pursuing studies in those fields. It’s one of those romantic professions – or so it seems to those who are not involved in it. That’s probably because music is an art, and we tend to idolize and idealize art itself, as well as the people who create it.

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Professional musicians may not view their careers as so glamorous, but one thing’s for sure: If they didn’t love the work, they wouldn’t be doing it. When you love your job, going to work doesn’t feel like work; it feels like fun. And for many professional musicians, their careers are a pure delight. They enjoy practicing for hours, because they know that time helps them to improve their craft. They enjoy rehearsing with an orchestra or band because they get to combine their talents with those of the other musicians surrounding them. And they love performing, because they know their audiences appreciate their abilities to make music. There are other benefits that you might not have thought about. Travel is one. Extensive travel is not always part of the picture for musicians – but it is not uncommon for choirs, orchestras, and bands, as well as soloists, to travel to other locations to play for different audiences. Like when a rock band goes on tour, an orchestra or choir or pianist may go on tour and play, for example, in the great cathedrals or music festivals of Europe, of South America, Asia or Australia. Composers and conductors may travel even more than the musicians do. Composers and conductors sometimes are often “in residence,” working with different orchestras or opera companies. They may agree to spend one or two years with a particular orchestra or musical group, thus expanding their resume and improving their own skills, while meeting new people who might help them to further their careers. There is also, of course, the potential for great fame and a healthy salary. Think of the classical musicians who have become well-known over the past decades: conductor Zubin Mehta, opera singers “The Three Tenors,” violinist – and child prodigy — Sarah Chang. Pieces of music used in movies or television shows earn additional renown for their performers or composers. Even the films themselves, like the 1998 Hilary and Jackie or the 1996 Shine, have pointed the spotlight on performers, helping their names – and their talents – to reach new audiences.

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UNATTRACTIVE FEATURES THERE ARE ALSO LESS PLEASANT ASPECTS TO BEING A MUSICIAN. FOREMOST

among these is the lack of security in the field. This stems from the fact that music is an art; not everyone appreciates art or has any need for it in their lives. While some small towns have everything from a hometown choir to a hometown band, some large metropolitan cities have very poor orchestras, for example. Take a look at the musicians in the orchestra the next time you attend a classical music concert. Note the apparent ages of the performers. Though there will be, no doubt, a combination of younger and more mature performers, you will likely find that the gray heads outnumber the others. Once musicians land spots in an orchestra they enjoy working with, they are reluctant to leave for any reason – retirement, potential career advancement, even a change of scenery. This makes it even more challenging for musicians new to the scene to land a seat in a top-ranked orchestra. Salary can also be low, especially for beginning professional musicians. Conductors and composers have it, if possible, even tougher than instrumentalists. There is often less demand for contemporary composers’ music, since people enjoy hearing music by familiar composers – Beethoven and Mozart, for example. Even if an orchestra has 300 musicians, it still only has one conductor. It is even tougher for a conductor to find a spot leading an orchestra than it is for a violinist, for example, to land one out of 40 or 60 seats. Nowadays composers occupy a very unusual position. Many people claim, and perhaps even believe, that they do not enjoy contemporary music. They do not, therefore, enjoy listening to the music of new composers or of the composers-in-residence with their local symphony. But today’s composers can’t simply recycle what has gone before them; they have to find their own unique creative expression in music, and that will probably require writing some experimental pieces. Composers can find other paying work, though, notably writing music for film and television. The challenge in this case is that the composer is not writing music according to individual creative inspiration, but for a producer or a director who wants a film or program to sound a certain way. Composers who write for stage or screen are answerable not only to themselves, but to other interests who may not like what they have composed. And, in addition to this challenge, sometimes people think less of music composed for film or television precisely because it is composed for a specific purpose – it is not simply art for art’s sake. 22

EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR MOST PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS, THE ROAD TO A CAREER IN MUSIC BEGINS IN

early childhood. Instrumentalists often start playing their primary instrument when they are very young indeed – perhaps four or five years old. Some start much later, when they are 10 or 12, and they decide to take up an instrument so they can play with their school’s band or orchestra. Singers start later, after their voices mature. Many get their start in school stage shows and choirs, though, even before their voices have fully matured. Whenever they start exploring the world of music, though, all musicians require extensive training. This is typically a three-phase program: The future musician must practice alone Study with an experienced and able teacher Perform with a group of other musicians. Not all musicians are able to follow this plan, though. Some may not be able to afford independent music lessons, so they may pursue music lessons through their schools, where they can learn free or, at least, for less money than they would have to spend on private teachers. A degree in music is not absolutely necessary for the pursuit of a career in the field, but as in so many other careers, the extra education – and the proof of advanced study – can be helpful. College classes for music majors include extensive classes in their chosen specialty – vocal performance or instrumental performance. Music majors also typically study music interpretation, musical theory and history, composition, and conducting. In most schools, music majors must study other instruments related to their chosen one. A broad understanding of music, and an understanding of the other instruments in a band or orchestra, add to the musician’s base of knowledge. For example, a college program may include classes in theory, composition, choral or orchestral conducting, the history of music, and music analysis and criticism, in addition to more rigorous classes in the area of specialization: vocal performance, instrumental performance, conducting, or composition. Because ability is the main criterion for musicians, a degree is not usually necessary for an instrumentalist or vocalist to get a job. If you play the violin better than the other person auditioning for an open seat, you will get the job regardless of your education. 23

EARNINGS AS IN JUST ABOUT ANY ARTISTIC FIELD, MUSICIANS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO EARN

very high salaries. But there are many variables which will affect how much you actually earn in this field. For example, what instrument do you play? Or do you sing or conduct? How long have you been playing? Do you have a following of fans? What organization do you perform with? Is it in a city that values the performing arts, or is it in a smaller town where interest in the arts is not as high? Median annual earnings of professional musicians are about $35,000. During a recent performing season, the American Federation of Musicians (the union representing professional musicians), minimum salaries in major orchestras ranged from $25,000 to $100,000 per year. As you can see, that’s a pretty wide range. Add in musical superstars like the Three Tenors, or violinist Itzhak Perlman, and that high value will go even higher. Each of the Three Tenors received over a million dollars for one particular tour, which lasted less than two weeks, for instance. Most professional musicians do not make their own schedules, like superstars can. Most professional musicians perform with a group – an orchestra or a chorale – that has a set schedule each season. That season may last as little as 24 weeks, or as long as 52 weeks – a full year. The length of the season naturally determines how much the musicians earn: The less time they spend working, the lower their salaries will be. Since many musicians have time throughout the year when they are not performing with their music groups – and since many of them would like to bolster their income – most professional musicians hold more than one job. Some musicians are forced to maintain full-time jobs, often in unrelated fields, to support their music vocation. Others are lucky enough to need only part-time employment to supplement their earnings from music; this employment may be music-related, like working in or running a music store, offering music lessons, or writing music reviews. Because some professional musicians are not considered full-time employees, due to their light performance schedules, they may be ineligible for benefits like health insurance, sick leave, or vacation pay. For composers, the situation becomes even more complicated. In the past, many classical composers had patrons who supported them. Sometimes they even invited the musicians to live with them while they 24

composed. Thus the composer was somewhat subsidized. Today, some composers may still have patrons, but that is not how the career works on the whole. Composers may be commissioned to compose a piece for a certain occasion – the anniversary celebration of a historical landmark, the birthday of a member of a wealthy family, or the opening celebration of a festival. A composer may be “in residence” with a performance group, which will then perform the composers’ compositions throughout the season the composer is in residence. Or they may be basically self-employed, composing music on their own time and earning money through their musical skills (offering lessons, for example) or through employment completely unrelated to music. Their earnings will come as royalties and fees paid for the performance of their music. The financial rewards of a career in music are by no means guaranteed. However, the potential to support yourself and your family is certainly there. And if music is what you love to do, then you already know that there are greater rewards than monetary ones.

OPPORTUNITIES NO MATTER HOW TALENTED YOU ARE, AND HOW MUCH YOU PRACTICE, YOU WILL

still have to work very hard in order to land a paid position in music performance. Competition is exceedingly tough because of the way most people perceive the career: It appears glamorous, even romantic. It ranks up there with careers like actor, artist, and movie star. There is the potential for fame and fortune, as well as the fun of the job itself. You will have to prove yourself: be a musician who craves a chance to prove yourself. Then go out and do just that. Many job openings will occur, not because currently-employed musicians are retiring, but because they are leaving the profession since they cannot make a living solely by performance. Most new jobs or job openings will be in religious organizations – churches or synagogues that require the services of cantors and musicians, for example – though people will also continue attending concerts and other stage performances, too. Many musicians hire managers or agents who can do the job-hunting for them. This can be a catch-22, though. You need an agent to get work for you, especially if you are not well-known enough to do it on your own; 25

but if you aren’t very well known, you may have difficulty finding an agent willing to represent you. Don’t think pessimistically, though. Continue to practice. Work hard to improve your performance, composition, or conducting skills. Audition for different jobs with different musical organizations. Sooner or later, you will find your niche.

GETTING STARTED AS YOU BEGIN DELVING DEEPER INTO YOUR INVESTIGATION OF A CAREER AS A

professional musician, you should check out two very important web sites: American Federation of Musicians www.afm.org American Guild of Musical Artists www.musicalartists.org. These sites will give you information about the day-to-day responsibilities of career musicians. They will also inform you about the musicians’ unions and their responsibilities. They may also include listings of auditions, job opportunities, and other helpful information. One excellent Web site you can check out is MusicalOnline : www.musicalonline.com . Try an on-line search for “classical musician,” or more specific terms like “violinist,” “percussionist,” or “bassist.” You will find everything from personal web sites of individual musicians, to general sites with more career information you can use. You can also search for your favorite musicians, composers, and conductors and read about how they got where they are today. It’s also a good idea to go to your local or school library, and look through a directory of publications like Standard Periodicals, Bacon’s, or Ulrich’s International Periodicals Directory. With these tools, you can create your own comprehensive list of publications for classical music and professional musicians. In addition to discovering the titles of periodicals that you probably never knew existed, you will find contact information so you can purchase a subscription to one or several of the magazines to learn even more about your chosen field. Many magazines offer free sample issues to potential subscribers, so you might want to ask if the 26

publisher could mail you a free sample before you commit to a subscription. This Web site has a complete list of music publications: www.music.indiana.edu/music_resources/journals.html Don’t forget that information might be right at hand. Your local or regional daily newspaper probably has an arts section or an arts column. Interviews with local professional musicians, or with musicians who will be visiting your town on tour, probably run in this section. You can pick up a lot of helpful hints about the industry by reading about other people’s experiences. Continue your investigation to find out everything you can about a career in music – and don’t forget to keep practicing. Good luck!

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ASSOCIATIONS n

American Choral Directors Association www.acdaonline.org

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American Bandmasters Association www.americanbandmasters.com

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American College of Musicians www.americancollege.citysearch.com

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American Federation of Musicians www.afm.org

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American Guild of Musical Artists www.musicalartists.org

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American Harp Society www.harpsociety.org

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American Pianists Association www.americanpianists.org

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American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers www.ascap.com

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American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers www.asmac.org

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American Symphony Orchestra League www.symphony.org

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American Viola Society www.americanviolasociety.org

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American Women Composers

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Associated Male Choruses of America www.tc.umn.edu/~thoma075/amca.html

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Association of Professional Composers www.procomposers.org

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Cathedral Organists’ Association

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Chamber Music America www.chamber-music.org

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Choristers Guild www.choristersguild.com

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Chorus America www.chorusamerica.org

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Company of Fifers and Drummers http://companyoffifeanddrum.org/

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Conductors Guild www.conductorsguild.org

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Film Music Society www.filmmusicsociety.org

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Guild of Chamber Musicians

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Guild of International Songwriters and Composers www.songwriters-guild.co.uk

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Guild of Temple Musicians

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Incorporated Society of Musicians www.ism.org

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International Association of Composer Institutes www.composerinstitutes.org

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International Clarinet Association www.clarinet.org

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International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians www.icsom.org

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International Federation for Choral Music www.choralnet.org/ifcm/

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International Horn Society http://4537.adahost.com/Default.asp

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International Society of Bassists www.isbworldoffice.com

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International Trombone Association www.ita-web.org

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International Trumpet Guild www.trumpetguild.org

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International Tuba-Euphonium Association www.iteaonline.org

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National Association of Orchestra Leaders

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National Association of Composers, USA www.music-usa.org/nacusa/

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National Opera Association www.noa.org

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National Orchestral Association

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North American Saxophone Alliance www.saxalliance.org

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Percussive Arts Society www.pas.org

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Society for Strings

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Society of Music Arrangers and Composers www.asmac.org

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Society of Composers and Lyricists www.filmscore.org

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Viola D’Amore Society www.viola.com/violadamore/

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Violin Society of America www.vsa.to

PERIODICALS n

Choral Journal

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Classical Singer

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Harp-Strings

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Instrumentalist

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Music for the Love of It

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Music Notation News

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Musician

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Opera Fanatic

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Opera News

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Piano Today

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Stage and Studio

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Trumpeter

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Violin Society of America Journal COPYRIGHT 2005 Institute For Career Reserach CHICAGO

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