Is becoming a musician right for me?
The first step to choosing a career is to make sure you are actually willing to commit to pursuing the career. You don’t want to waste your time doing something you don’t want to do. If you’re new here, you should read about:
Still unsure if becoming a musician is the right career path? Take the free CareerExplorer career test to find out if this career is right for you. Perhaps you are well-suited to become a musician or another similar career!
Described by our users as being “shockingly accurate”, you might discover careers you haven’t thought of before.
How to become a Musician
Many musicians begin at a very young age by taking music lessons; the most common being the guitar, drums, piano, violin or singing. By taking private lessons, or group lessons, young musicians learn what musical style they prefer, gain experience and acquire some degree of formal training. Some young musicians also join a school band in order to gain experience with working and collaborating alongside others. Although it is not required that a musician have formal education, a music degree will help the musician to better understand musical composition as well as the fundamentals of music.
An associate’s degree usually takes two years to complete. It will provide the musical theory and ear training needed, and the student will be able to apply it to all types of music, including classical, jazz and rock. As well, there will be coursework on music composition and production, and an introduction to music history. There will be many opportunities to work with other musicians and mentors during and after instrumental instruction, and the musician will gain valuable insight as to what skills and requirements are needed to work with production companies, symphonies, or music groups.
A bachelor’s degree usually takes four years to complete. It will provide the student with advanced musical composition, advanced musical theory, conducting, production, and classical music training. If pursuing a career in classical music, it is advisable to pursue a bachelor’s degree in music. The student will then focus on one specific genre of music as well as one specific type of instrument.