Aside from teaching, or becoming famous on CDs, what kinds of jobs can people get in music? Details/URLs appreciated.
still career brainstorming. I think it’s drought season.
Go gcreime na gráinneoga cealgrúnacha do chuid calóga arbhair.
[ This Message was edited by: avanutria on 2002-12-21 10:21 ]
Well, we did hold auditions for the official C&F Chatroom Lounge Lizard the other night. I believe Alan is still front runner (with a fabulous rendition of “Volare”). I don’t think I’ve ever heard a female lounge lizard, but I’m certain there’s an Affirmative Action Plan at C&F, so feel free to climb into your Tom Jones duds and try out!
Susan
You’re just a font of useful information lately, susan, lol. I’ll be sure to deliver your memo to the Delta folks.
The occupations are broad depending on your definition of what is being “involved”. Some avenues require extensive schooling. The music industry is huge. Some people get involved through recording and sound. Others work for record companies. Even law and management has it’s place. For the truly brave, you can learn the craft and skills of building an instrument.
Sorry though no Url’s. I did take a class in collage, “Music as a business 101”, and as with most lessons, I learned there is more then meets the eye.
Then there is the classic book “Do what you love and the money will follow”. Back in my bookstore days I liked to recomend “What colors your parachute” as a companion.
Happy New Year…or was that Life?
As someone that makes a bit of money from orchestral fluting, I wouldn’t recommend a career in music, unless you like the idea of hunger, along with a sporadic income. Music gigs seem to be feast or famine. (Christmas is feast time: I’m playing in the orchestra for the Nutcracker 16 times this Christmas, plus a few other gigs).
If it’s the one thing you love doing though, and you’re talented, go for it. Better yet, marry a Doctor, so you won’t have to rely on your music income. (I say this from experience) 
Beth,
How about something like this-
You get to play music all day and help people at the same time.
Joe
Beth,
You could be a Kindermusik instructor. Check out:
My daughter worked there for a few years in the creative department designing the curriculum but she also taught the classes. She left there to teach elementary music. You have to get certified but I don’t think it’s that hard to get done. You can get details from the site. You can be your own boss or teach under someone else. I think they teach children from babies to 7 years.
Kathy
There is something to be said for being
an amateur and funding yourself
in some other more lucrative
and less painful way.
One of the best things I ever
did was to take an Interest Test,
which tells you what you will enjoy,
takes about 15 minutes. Said I
would be happiest as a psych prof
in a university. Vocational counseling
helped me plenty.
One of the best things I ever
did was to take an Interest Test,
which tells you what you will enjoy,
takes about 15 minutes. Said I
would be happiest as a psych prof
in a university.
A friend of mine took an interest/aptitude test in hight school. It said he should be a blacksmith. He ended up as a psych prof.
Steve
Perhaps I should open the floor to more situations than a 20-40 year career, because that’s really not what I’m looking for. I just want to know what IS out there that is related. Technical fields are good, too, as I’d be partway there already with the training.
I know that musicians don’t make a lot. And I know that it’s not a good field to have as a sole support for oneself or one’s family. But that won’t be my situation, and I really need to find something that I will enjoy doing. Right now, I think that might be something related to music. In a couple months, my mind may change, But no harm in exploring, right? 
Sorry if this doesn’t make sense, I just woke up and I don’t know if all my cylinders are firing yet.
I went to Google and typed in “careers in music”. There appears to be a fair amount of information. Such as:
http://www.menc.org/industry/job/careers/careers.html
http://www.menc.org/information/infoserv/careersinmusic.htm
Steve
embarrassed Thanks Steve, I should have done that. Can we chalk it up to jet lag, please? 
–Ava(what time zone am I in anyway?)nutria
I hope you do find something in music…maybe
the sessions in Seattle will lead you to a group to play gigs with, at least.
You obviously love it so, you MUST get
involved in playing up there. Have fun,
and good luck,
Lolly
On 2002-12-21 10:49, avanutria wrote:
embarrassed Thanks Steve, I should have done that. Can we chalk it up to jet lag, please? >
Well, OK. I guess we can let it go. But…
Steve
One career that can be a lot of fun (and a hobby of mine) is working at a studio. You can record others, mix/master, and all sorts of other stuff. To get in with a good studio usually requires at least a two year degree however, but it is one of the rare fields in music where once you’re in, you can make stady money for quite a while. Personally I think recording is great fun and you get the opportunity to work with some very talented people.
My two cents,
Seth
Related to what Seth mentioned, radio is a very creative area, depending on the format. Musical skills can assist in programming, particularly in classical formats. And, it does make a great day job to support other interests. In my case, it’s an opportunity for ministry and creativity - great combination!
Cal
Hello:
Not that I’m an expert.
I played Puertorican cuatro “semi professionally” in Puerto Rico while in high school. I did some bucks, but nothing to make a career of. Most of the musicians I know suplement their income with another profession, usually teaching, that’s what my music teacher in Jr. High School and my Custro teacher did. One of my co-workers is a concern pianist, she works on computers on her day job, but I’ll bet she loves playing the piano. My cousin, has been playing piano in salsa bands all his life, but he also works as a computer technician. I could go on and on. Not to discourage you, but it seems to be the trend. Being able to live out of your music as a performer seems to be a hard thing to do. Personally, I do not perform anymore and I’m quite content on that, that’s just me and my choice.
Probably, working in a recording studio is a good idea, at least is a good idea to start getting exposure. I’m not sure how hard is to get a job there. I have only been in a recording studio once in my life (been there, done that, got the t-shirt… next). Some people find a niche in the music business, get good at it and make a living. I remember an interview with the Dixie Chicks that you could make a living in TX playing country music by itself.
Within the whistle market, I’m not sure how big/small is the market to play with the tin whistle, somebody else in the form might have a better idea than I do. IMO, you should also play some other instrument to complement playing the whistle.
I’m far from being an expert, just sharing a bit of what I have personally experienced.
Luis
A friend I used to sing with in choruses made a career by working for a non-profit arts organization (San Francisco Performances) that exists on hotel tax money and other grants. She coordinates the annual schedule of big-name artists as well as a local artists concert series. Everything from the ad campaign, facilities management and scheduling, ticket poster production etc etc.
She yucks it up with famoust musicians, probably gets lotsa free cds, they do gala concerts with all the local pols and swells, etc etc. Also, the UC system has a very similar institution (Cal Performances). Like being a musician, she works lots of nights and weekends.
She started in the field by doing a concert series for the church she attended then went on to do same stuff but for a paycheck.
I was not going to jump in on this one, but Seth opened the door…Thirty years ago, as a hobby, I began a recording sub-career, beginning with live to two-track, developing from 4 to 8 track, and recently morphing into hard-disc DAW based 16 track digital. Along the way, I began teaching the recording arts on the college level. I have found that the key is the niche. While we have recorded everything from rock bands, through audio for puppet shows, to material for NPR, most of our work is in the British Isles/folk style of music. One of our biggest challenges is to keep the studio small… My favorite thing is to be on the music-producing side of the microphone, but the other side is very satisfying, also. I truly enjoy helping to make it possible for people to take good music home in a box.
You might want to investigate this whole thing further, Avanutria…
Best to you.
Byll
Once I was really into making jewelry,
so I went into business. It turned out
that what mattered wasn’t so much
whether I was a good craftsman, but
whether I was a good businessman
and especially whether I could crank
out something simple that people would
buy. Neither business nor mass production
was my dish.
Suppose one goes into teaching music
in public school. Then what most
determines one’s success may well
be how one likes children, deals
with discipline problems, etc,
not music.
I think that ‘music related’ fields,
while they certainly use one’s musical
ability, may depend at least as heavily
on other skills and interests. In
general, it can be helpful to know
what those are. I’ve seen lots
of people doing mid-life career
changes because they didn’t.
About interest tests–these aren’t
aptitude tests. Those tell you what
you’re good at; the former tell you
what you’ll enjoy. Of course one
doesn’t have to believe the test,
but the info can be helpful and
revealing. I was working in forestry
when the interest test said I
would be happiest as an academic. Best