What Could I Do With My Qualification? Jobs You May Not Have Explored: Music
Manchester is no stranger to musical genius. Oasis, The Smiths, Aitch, The Stone Roses and the Blossoms. These are just some of the musical acts from a very long list of names that have their roots in Manchester. Over the years the city-region has produced world class acts spanning multiple different genres.
It’s evident that there is a clear passion for music within Greater Manchester, and a lot of talent too!
Perhaps you’re one of these people, and you’re contemplating a career in the music industry. If this is you, you’re in the right place!
Welcome to our series on jobs you may not have explored, where we focus on different topics you might be studying and what careers you could pursue within that field.
What could I do?
A career in the music industry can be a lot of different things. You might love performing or perhaps you prefer being behind the scenes. Maybe you’d want to use your skills to help others.
Here are three jobs in the world of music that you may not have explored…
Musician
Now, considering the introduction, this may be an obvious one.
The role of musician can be versatile. It all depends on what your skills are and what you aspire to do.
You might want to be an independent artist and create your own music. You might focus on the performing side of the role and perform at events. There are also the opportunities to contribute your musical skills to other artists. You might be a part of an artist’s band or play in an orchestra for a theatre or film project. There’s a chance you could do all the things mentioned, or something else completely.
You don’t have to train to become a professional musician, you may have talent and nurture that in your own personal time or with the help of private lessons.
But music courses in college and university are great ways to develop that talent too.
College courses start at level 2 and go to level 3 and are titled something like ‘practical performance’. There’s a chance you’ll have to audition for these courses.
There’s also the option of further study at university, or a conservatoire. A conservatoire is a type of university that only provides artistic courses.
Each course offered at this level is unique, so you need to be careful when reading the descriptions of the course. Again, you’ll be expected to audition for these courses.
In addition to your qualifications, you may also need to have achieved a certain level in your instrument. These are called grades and can be awarded by different music schools.
Music Therapist
The power that music has on our emotions is strong. So strong that it can completely change how we are feeling in the moment and help us through difficult periods.
Incorporating music into your daily routine can be a great way to boost your mood and increase your overall wellbeing. To learn more, check out this blog.
Music therapists are professionals that help people with managing their emotions through musical practices.
To become a music therapist, it is generally required to go to university. Usually, a degree in music is the usual route for those hoping to become music therapists, before studying music therapy as a masters.
However, many postgraduate courses are now welcoming people on to their courses that have done psychology or education undergraduate degrees. But you must be highly skilled in music too. Always check the course entry requirements to check what universities ask for.
There is also the option to do a level 7 apprenticeship in ‘Art Therapy’ as an alternative to the master’s qualification.
Volunteering within health and social care environment is a great way to enhance your CV and boost your chances of getting a place on one of these programs too.
Sound Engineer
If you have a love of music but you’re not so keen on the performance side of things, perhaps the role of a sound engineer is for you. Sound engineers record, mix and edit sounds.
The sound they create can be used for all sorts of production. Your work may be for an album, theatre show, tv and film and so much more. Basically, anything with noise.
There may be times that you’re responsible for manipulating and creating new sound with the audio you have. This is called sound designing, and this can sometimes be a separate job role.
There are multiple routes to becoming a sound engineer. Many people will begin their journey to sound design by studying music at A level or study a Level 3 music-oriented course at college. There is also the option of doing a T Level course in Broadcast, Media and Production.
If a more academic pathway is for you, there are many university courses that include sound engineering in their program or offer direct sound engineering courses.
If a more technical pathway is for you, there are apprenticeships that range from level 3 to level 6. These programs use different titles and include the words ‘audio’ or ‘technicians’ rather than sound engineering. Make sure you’re reading the descriptions carefully, so you know you’re applying to the right course.
As a lot of what sound engineers do is hands on, some people prefer to work rather enrol onto a program. They do this by taking on volunteering opportunities or apply for entry level roles as an assistant.
However, some of these job roles still want the person they’re employing to have some degree of skill or have a qualification in the field even at entry level. So, check this before you apply.
Your career in music could be electric. We’ve covered three jobs in the musical field today, however there’s more out there to discover!
If you feel that your passion for music could turn into a career, then researching what options are available to you is the first step. You never know, the pathway to your ideal job role could be a few clicks away.
