Music: Careers

“One thing my mother always tells me is ‘blessed is he who gets paid for what he would do for free.’ I think about that every day. I mean, I play the trumpet for a living. Life is good.” - Irvin Mayfield, Jazz Trumpeter

Description: Music supervisors handle the process of choosing, negotiating, and incorporating pieces of music into visual media, while acting as a liaison between the creative and business ends.

From the field: “It is one of the greatest joys of my life. To be able to live my life in a way that brings me such great pleasure and, I hope, brings beauty into the life of others.” -Denyce Graves. Opera Singer/Performer

Recording artists are singers or musicians who perform on stage, radio, television, or in motion pictures, and who often write their own music. From the field: ”That's what I love about [songwriting] – that it helps me to connect with people. It helps me to know myself, it helps others to know me." – Adesha Adefela

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2016-17 Edition. Accessed February 25, 2016.

Provides brief descriptions of career paths, many with an alumni interview or YouTube performance video.

Berklee also provides Music Careers in Dollars and Cents, 2012 edition, prepared by their Career Development Center.

Media Match Magazine (not an academic source). Most useful for providing brief job descriptions. Sources for job description include (but are not limited to) imdb.com, skillset.org and wikipedia.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2016-17 Edition. Accessed February 25, 2016.

Texas Information. CareerOneStop. Video available. Accessed February 25, 2016.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2016-17 Edition. Accessed February 25, 2016.

Texas Information. CareerOneStop. Video available. Accessed February 25, 2016.

Tutorials and e-books to help with job preparation, career advancement, and college readiness, as well as practice tests and a video on how to take a test; includes Job & Career Accelerator: Explore occupations, Find a job, Build resumes and cover letters, Prepare to apply and interview. Learning Express (and not ACC) requires that you register for a free account to access.