|
Trade Schools Directory >
Education & Career Articles Index >
Chasing the Rock Star Dream: Top Careers in the Music Industry
Chasing the Rock Star Dream:
Top Careers in the Music Industry
Where would Pink Floyd be without their engineers to put on those amazing light shows? Or the Sex Pistols without charismatic manager, Malcolm McLaren, to catapult them from garage band to British punk sensation? And what about all those 80's hair bands and their talented, hairspray wielding stylists?
Arguably, all of these bands possessed enough talent that their careers would have soared regardless of the help they got behind-the-scenes. Or maybe not. Maybe, just like Mozart—and Michelangelo before him—great talent needs great patronage to back it up. So if you've finally put your dreams of being a famous lead singer to rest, but you're not willing to do the same with your love of music, then perhaps a career making the magic happen is where it's at.
Judging by the number of non-musician related careers in the entertainment industry, you'll be in good company. After all, somebody has to record the music, find the fans, and produce the live shows. And that somebody might as well be you. So gather your creative, innovative spirit around you, get ready to work hard, and discover a career in music that will feed your soul and your bank account.
Industry experts, John Snyder, director of the Music Industry Studies program at Loyola University and founder of Artists House Music, and Keith Hatschek, director of the Music Management program at the University of the Pacific and author of How to Get a Job in the Music and Recording Industry, say that these are the top five non-musician careers today:
Like most careers in music, producing live shows is not your typical 9 to 5 office job. In fact, a recent shift in the industry means that the people behind the massive, creative extravaganzas are increasingly becoming sought-after free agents. As in—you are a free agent of the universe, free to work with any band, in any venue—which can be awesome if you like traveling, enjoy the variety of working on different projects, and relish the idea of building a strong network of contacts.
So, if you can see yourself working with mixing boards, speakers, microphones, lighting and other visual stage effects, then hit the road and go where the work is—touring with live productions.
One of the best ways for musicians to increase their fan base, one die-hard at a time, is through the Internet. As a social media pro, you could use different social media tools to network, podcast, blog, update, and tweet. Essentially, you use your tech savvy to reach out to new markets in innovative ways. And you could use your online marketing expertise to tap into a huge market: Internet downloads.
If you've got an analytical mind, good business sense, and think arranging the details might make for fascinating work, then this could be the perfect option. Plus, the job security is not too shabby either.
As a business consultant, you could be immersed in written contracts: band, publishing, songwriter and management agreements. Your job is to use your business acumen to negotiate on behalf of the musicians and make sure they get paid a fair price for their creative efforts.
If you're a natural-born leader who wants to help musicians reach their greatest potential, you could be a great artist manager. Many brilliant musicians never make it out of their mom's garage, let alone the studio, without somebody that knows how to turn their artistic expression into musical gold.
The band writes the songs and records the music—you figure out how to market and distribute the CD, book the live shows, and leverage the power of copyright. You hustle behind the scenes, building relationships and ensuring your band gets the spotlight they deserve.
A funny thing is happening in the music industry: as the traditional companies that produce the CDs and sell them decline, the people that control the rights to the music are seeing their careers flourish. Even—or especially— in the age of illegal downloading, copyright is king.
Armed with a firm knowledge of how copyright works, you could market "catalogs" (collections of songs in different genres) to a variety of companies, such as ad agencies, film studios, and even orchestras. You could work as an independent agent and promote lesser-known artists, or you can pursue a career with established music publishing companies.
Make it Happen
Like any career, you need a solid understanding of how the industry works. The best ways to acquire that knowledge are through self-education (such as reading and networking with professionals), training, and on-the-job experience. Ideally, a good school would provide all of these learning opportunities.
If you're interested in finding a school, this directory of music schools is a good place to start. So is this one for business schools. Finally, if you want to learn more about what the industry experts are saying about the changing face of the music business, read this article:
Top five most promising careers in music for non-musicians.
© 2001 - 2012 Beelineweb.com
Trade Schools Site Map |
Programs |
Blog
|
