2 answers
Noah
Student
Little Silver, New Jersey
1
Question
Updated
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How do I engage with music in a meaningful way as a career path?What opportunities exist post-college for a music major (no matter the concentration), and what steps should I take to achieve them?
Asking for a friend! I am currently admitted to ten schools as a music performance major, but am also contemplating a switch to music ed due to what I believe is a higher amount of job security.
#Spring26
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2 answers
Liam Rielly
Data Center Technician
180
Answers
Manassas, Virginia
Updated
Liam’s Answer
The question I send back to you is how do you define meaningful?
Is this you playing meaningful music? Is this you making substantial income as a musician? Is this you teaching someone over years to play an instrument? Is this you making music that thousands or millions of people will hear?
What does music mean? (You don't have to answer that!)
I find people that are career musicians usually have their toe in a couple of fields of music and make money by the means of those fields. The more traditional path would be to be a teacher, perform with a group (like an orchestra), record sessions, and teach private lessons. Other areas you can work in are instrument retail, studio, communications, DJing events, live performance/ sound reinforcement (as in you assisting in setting up events), film, and advertisements.
If you are interested in doing education, that's great! Focus on being a teacher and understand that it isn't always about getting someone to be the best individual musician they can be, sometimes its just about getting someone to learn something new, and sometimes is just about having fun! Tune that dial for the student you are working with. Also think about how you can use music to teach someone how to be a teacher. Some of the best teacher that I have had in my life were music teachers. I use some of those lessons in my life even though I no longer play music. To me that is meaningful.
Likewise, some of the people I taught music to taught me lessons that I still carry with me today.
Usually the best mix is to teach, perform, record, and gig your music as a combination of recordings and live performance. You will have to figure out what is the best mix for you and self promote to put yourself out there. As an example, let's say you have an amazing operatic voice. You teach at a community level school, you have private lessons booked, and you perform with the local or regional opera house. This is great, but it is niche. You might find there is a cap to what you are doing for a career. This is where you might offer up your voice for other people's acts and collaborate with them. Make a demo of yourself focusing on showing off you doing different styles of singing, also do your voice over different genres of music. I know people with classical training that end up on rap and metal albums because they find a way to self promote in an environment they are not used to.
Learn basic recording. In 2026 recording audio is dead simple. An iphone is enough to record a substantial amount of music. A trash PC and an OK sound card is enough to record with. Do not waste money on "professional recordings". Take a small amount of time to figure out how to publish what you are doing, make a bandcamp/ soundcloud/ youtube showing off your skills and demoing your thoughts. Take the links for that and put them on the back of your business card so you can easily share your work. Keep it light and simple. Become friends with a studio and only pay a studio when you need their help putting together a larger recording or mastering. The goal is to get the studio to pay you!
Last is to find the regional outfit that you will perform in. This can be anything from an opera house to a cover band. Whatever your area needs you filling in for, do that. Performing is a demanding job so make sure to take care of yourself first financially and health, then perform. Try to find a group you want to be associated with, they will help represent you as a musician. If you are playing tambourine for a cover band but are a cellist, that might not be the best for you. Remember that sometimes you might not feel like what you are playing has meaning but the fact you are doing it in front of thousands of people is meaning enough. Too often people rate themselves on how connected they are to their music but ignore the fact the "cheesy dance song" they play is what people are dying to listen to after work or dance to at the club. It may lack meaning to you but means the world to others.
Self advocate. Right now, especially in the United States, people feel as though music should be free and there should be no cost to music. You can listen to almost anything for free and you can get a lifetime's worth of music on a hard drive. Make sure you get paid. Your efforts, artistry, and craft have value. Make sure you get the money you deserve for what you are doing. Asking $100000 to perform a hook on a recording might be excessive, but charging $100 for five minutes of your time for a recording might be about right. I'm making these numbers up, this is the MEANING and value you need to put on what you do.
http://www.youtube.com/@AudioUniversity - great guides to understanding audio basics
https://a.co/d/08r973B4 - think about how to make and distribute a demo, https://a.co/d/0bqclfui - Craig Anderton books are gold this is just one on topic
https://www.khanacademy.org/college-careers-more/personal-finance - you will be working for yourself a lot so learn everything here! You may need loans for instruments or equipment, understand your money
https://www.audacityteam.org - free, https://lmms.io - free, https://ubuntustudio.org - free, https://www.reaper.fm - inexpensive, flexible, and professional
https://radio.garden/ - a literal world of ideas and music for you. Figure out what kind of music is popular regionally and what kind of events are happening where
Is this you playing meaningful music? Is this you making substantial income as a musician? Is this you teaching someone over years to play an instrument? Is this you making music that thousands or millions of people will hear?
What does music mean? (You don't have to answer that!)
I find people that are career musicians usually have their toe in a couple of fields of music and make money by the means of those fields. The more traditional path would be to be a teacher, perform with a group (like an orchestra), record sessions, and teach private lessons. Other areas you can work in are instrument retail, studio, communications, DJing events, live performance/ sound reinforcement (as in you assisting in setting up events), film, and advertisements.
If you are interested in doing education, that's great! Focus on being a teacher and understand that it isn't always about getting someone to be the best individual musician they can be, sometimes its just about getting someone to learn something new, and sometimes is just about having fun! Tune that dial for the student you are working with. Also think about how you can use music to teach someone how to be a teacher. Some of the best teacher that I have had in my life were music teachers. I use some of those lessons in my life even though I no longer play music. To me that is meaningful.
Likewise, some of the people I taught music to taught me lessons that I still carry with me today.
Usually the best mix is to teach, perform, record, and gig your music as a combination of recordings and live performance. You will have to figure out what is the best mix for you and self promote to put yourself out there. As an example, let's say you have an amazing operatic voice. You teach at a community level school, you have private lessons booked, and you perform with the local or regional opera house. This is great, but it is niche. You might find there is a cap to what you are doing for a career. This is where you might offer up your voice for other people's acts and collaborate with them. Make a demo of yourself focusing on showing off you doing different styles of singing, also do your voice over different genres of music. I know people with classical training that end up on rap and metal albums because they find a way to self promote in an environment they are not used to.
Learn basic recording. In 2026 recording audio is dead simple. An iphone is enough to record a substantial amount of music. A trash PC and an OK sound card is enough to record with. Do not waste money on "professional recordings". Take a small amount of time to figure out how to publish what you are doing, make a bandcamp/ soundcloud/ youtube showing off your skills and demoing your thoughts. Take the links for that and put them on the back of your business card so you can easily share your work. Keep it light and simple. Become friends with a studio and only pay a studio when you need their help putting together a larger recording or mastering. The goal is to get the studio to pay you!
Last is to find the regional outfit that you will perform in. This can be anything from an opera house to a cover band. Whatever your area needs you filling in for, do that. Performing is a demanding job so make sure to take care of yourself first financially and health, then perform. Try to find a group you want to be associated with, they will help represent you as a musician. If you are playing tambourine for a cover band but are a cellist, that might not be the best for you. Remember that sometimes you might not feel like what you are playing has meaning but the fact you are doing it in front of thousands of people is meaning enough. Too often people rate themselves on how connected they are to their music but ignore the fact the "cheesy dance song" they play is what people are dying to listen to after work or dance to at the club. It may lack meaning to you but means the world to others.
Self advocate. Right now, especially in the United States, people feel as though music should be free and there should be no cost to music. You can listen to almost anything for free and you can get a lifetime's worth of music on a hard drive. Make sure you get paid. Your efforts, artistry, and craft have value. Make sure you get the money you deserve for what you are doing. Asking $100000 to perform a hook on a recording might be excessive, but charging $100 for five minutes of your time for a recording might be about right. I'm making these numbers up, this is the MEANING and value you need to put on what you do.
Liam recommends the following next steps:
Doran Heck
Music Production
19
Answers
Asheville, North Carolina
Updated
Doran’s Answer
Hi Noah,
I also went to school wanting to be a performance major and got a music ed degree. You can still make money as a performer with a music ed degree. I taught elementary music for two years and also played in a military band before that. Having the music ed degree helped me to get a stable pay check. I didn't perform music to much during that time except to play for my students. For me, it is about having variety. I'm glad I did both teaching and performing.
Sincerely,
Doran
I also went to school wanting to be a performance major and got a music ed degree. You can still make money as a performer with a music ed degree. I taught elementary music for two years and also played in a military band before that. Having the music ed degree helped me to get a stable pay check. I didn't perform music to much during that time except to play for my students. For me, it is about having variety. I'm glad I did both teaching and performing.
Sincerely,
Doran