Music Professional

Roles and responsibilities

As a music professional you will be involved in a creative industry. There are also careers available within radio and television, within the Australian Defence Forces, in music librarianship, arts administration, music journalism, music and instrument sales, music and record publishing, music production, music direction and musicological research.

Music professionals:

• create melodic, harmonic and rhythmic structures to express ideas and emotions in musical form
• translate ideas and concepts into standard musical signs and symbols for reproduction and performance
• undertake research and liaise with clients when composing musical backing for television commercials; popular recordings; and radio, television and film productions
• audition and select musicians and singers
• select music for performances and assign instrumental parts to musicians
• direct musical groups at rehearsals and performances to achieve desired effects such as tonal and harmonic balance, rhythm and tempo
• study and rehearse repertoire and musical scores prior to performances
• play music in recital; as an accompanist; or as a member of an orchestra, band or other musical group, from score and by memory
• perform music and songs according to interpretation, direction and style of presentation, using highly developed aural skills to reproduce music

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics