A Career in MusicHelen Kempster & Penny Longman

What we’ll cover

• An overview of types of courses and providers• University or conservatoire

• Choosing a course

• Private providers

• Is a degree the best route?

• Case study discussion

• Industry insight

• The portfolio career and self-employment

• Is it possible to make a living?

University vs. conservatoireUniversity

• Academic-based course (history, analysis, theory, composition, musicology)

• Emphasis on performance varies

• More opportunities to study combined degrees

Conservatoire

• Performance-based course (instrumental/vocal, composition, conducting, jazz, popular, session musician)

• Several hours a day of practice

• Specialist institution

Students can apply to both

A few institutions offer combinations:Joint Course (Manchester/RNCM), BSc Physics and Music Performance

(Imperial/RCM)

Range of courses…• Academic music degree at university (content varies widely)

• Performance at a conservatoire

• Sonic Arts

• Popular Music

• Jazz

• Commercial/popular music

• Music technology/computing

• Recording/production

• Live sound (e.g. Rose Bruford)

• Tonmeister (Music and Sound Recording, Surrey)

• Music business/management

Private providers

• Multiplying all the time• ACM (validated by Surrey, Middlesex)• BIMM – several locations, including Berlin (different

courses and different locations validated by different UK universities)

• SAE• Access to Music

• Think about fees, accommodation, quality assurance

Applications and selection• University via UCAS

• Sometimes audition/interview, sometimes require keyboard proficiency

• Personal statement – focus on music!

• Private providers sometimes apply direct, sometimes via UCAS

• CUKAS - deadline 1st October

• Covers Birmingham Conservatoire, Leeds College of Music, RAM, RCM, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Royal Northern, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Trinity Laban

• Guildhall – apply direct (deadline mid October)

• Auditions (fee)

Skills developed

• Attention to detail and dexterity

• Team work

• Resilience/commitment/self-management

• Communication

• Research and analysis

• Technical skills

• Performing under pressure

• Planning

• Critical reflection

HE or straight into industry?• Thoughts from the audience

For example, is a degree in Music Production worth it?

• Things you gain that are not about the name of the degree:

• Musicians to work with

• Technicians to work with

• Collaboration

• Industry links

• Contacts and networks

• Facilities (though this is changing – access to home-based facilities)

• Someone to guide you/structure

Ben – BRIT school (BTEC), studio assistant, ACM Music Production Degree (2 yrs),

bar/museum work, technician at ELAM,

freelance instrumental teaching, gigs, recordings

Gina – academic school, A levels, Bird College Foundation

Degree (acting –including singing and dancing), cruise ships

Sam – BRIT school (BTEC), Goldsmiths

Popular Music Degree, arranging music/ functions (string

quartet)/ teaching drums/music retail

Tessa – BRIT school (BTEC), Amsterdam Conservatoire

Popular Music Degree, writing songs for

advertising/recording/ performing

Zara – BRIT school (BTEC), Middlesex

Music Degree, vocal teaching/songwriting/performing/vocalist

on dance tracks

Mike – BRIT school (BTEC), band member (signed by small label), currently: session work (drummer)/producing/mixing

(no degree)

Eleanor – school (A levels), multi-instrumentalist, Army

musician (Army pays for music college)

Debbie –BIMM,

auditioned for Charli XCX,

touring/ performing

Linda –University of Birmingham

Music Degree, PGCE

(Middlesex), peripatetic

cello teaching

Katie –University

Music Degree, education officer for

opera company,

music publishing

Robin –University of Oxford Music

Degree, freelance

piano teaching, music

typesetting

Richard –University of

Birmingham Music Degree, music

publishing

Briony – University of Oxford Music Degree, Conservatoire Mmus, orchestral musician

(CBSO)

Advice for the would-be performer• Go to small gigs, explore and become part of the community

• Show an interest in other people’s music – look for musicians whose work you identify with

• Approach venues, have recordings available to send

• Be easy to find on Facebook

• Play as support to artists of similar appeal, invite others to support you

• Sell your music via Bandcamp – downloads and physical copies (itunes is less good)

• Management not essential (but can be useful, esp. for touring), label not essential, but will provide PR and distribution

• Perfect your craft and keep developing it

How do freelance musicians make money?

• Fees

• Hires?

• Sales

• Royalties

• Advances?

• Teaching

• Grants and funding

• Crowdfunding and microdonations

Where do musicians work?

• The live and recorded music industries (orchestras, smaller ensembles)

• Armed forces

• Education and community arts

• Academia

• Print and broadcast media

• Publishing/typesetting

• Libraries, archives and heritage

• Galleries and the commercial art world

• Arts programmers, organisations and charities (festivals)

• Specialist retail

• Anything else (remember the skills in the previous slide…)

Graduate Destinations

• More than two thirds of music graduates are in full-time employment six months after graduation. Of those in work, a fifth are working as musicians.

• As with most ‘transferable’ degrees, studying music is not only for those who want to make a career in music.

• Just under a quarter of music graduates go on to do further study or a combination of work and study.

https://www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree/music

Sectors

Art, design and media 30.6%

Retail, catering and bar work 19.2%

Education professionals 10.6%

Secretarial and numerical clerks 8.3%

Other 31.3%

Goldsmiths• Full-time work 42.9%

• Part-time work 25.4%

• Work and study 9.5%

• Study 14.3%

• Unemployed 3.2%

• Other 4.8%

Work examples (Goldsmiths)

• Secondary School Teacher (Music) - Teach First

• Global Account Co-ordinator – software company

• Self-employed Instrumental Tutor

• Studio Assistant

• Student Housing Manager

• CEO – a music label (Squareglass)

• Freelance Musician and Producer

• Press Assistant - Unilever

53% of those in graduate-level work are self-

employed or freelance

Case studies

• Guy Baron, Aviram Barath and Robin Paul Braum

• Studied BMus Popular Music at Goldsmiths. Guy and Avi also studied MMus Creative Practice.

• Set up Squareglass, record label and artist collective for new and unconventional artists.

• Runner-up in Music category, Deutsche Bank Awards for Creative Entrepreneurship 2015 - £1,000 plus training and mentoring. Also won £1,500 from Goldsmiths Innovation Awards.

Study examples• PGCE Secondary Teaching (Music)

• MA Orchestral Artistry

• MMus Creative Practice

• Nursing

• MA Music, Mind and Brain

• Music Therapy

• Performance

What’s different about working with students

who wish to pursue a music career?

What’s different?

Self-employment / Freelance work

Unsocial hours

Alternative employment

Word of mouth / Networking / List of contacts

Instability / Stress / Freedom

Social Media / Self-promotion / Creating Publicity

Negotiation

Work experience

Qualities

Versatility

Flexibility

Entrepreneurial Know How

Resilience/ Growth Mindset

ResourcesMusic

• uk.music-jobs.com (paid)

Arts

• www.creative-choices.co.uk

• www.artsjobs.org.uk/

• www.artsprofessional.co.uk/jobs

• www.artshub.co.uk/uk/

• www.artsculturemediajobs.com/index.php

• www.artsjobsonline.com/home/home.asp

Funding

The PRS Foundation for Music:

www.prsformusicfoundation.com

British Council:

www.britishcouncil.org/arts

Arts Council of England – Artists’ International Development Fund: www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding/apply-for-funding/strategic-funding/grant-programmes/artists-international-development-fund

Arts Council of England – Grants for the Arts: www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding/grants-arts/

Local councils

STEP TRAVEL GRANT: www.culturalfoundation.eu/step-beyond/

Resources• PRS/MCPS – register your work for copyright here

www.prsformusic.com

• PPL – register your performances on recordings here www.ppluk.com

• Arts Emergency: www.arts-emergency.org -Mentoring and support for recent arts graduates

• Art Rabbit: https://www.artrabbit.com/ - Listings of contemporary art events throughout the UK and Germany.

• Artangel: www.artangel.org.uk/ - Based in London but working across Britain and beyond, Artangelcommissions and produces exceptional projects by outstanding contemporary artists. Over the past two decades, their projects have materialised in a range of different sites and situations and in countless forms of media.

• Artsadmin: www.artsadmin.co.uk/ - Artsadminmakes art happen. Their vision is to be an arts lab for the 21st Century for the creation of performance, site-specific and interdisciplinary work, where the innovative, experimental and unusual are nurtured.

• Live Art Development Agency (LADA): www.thisisliveart.co.uk/ - LADA offers resources, professional development initiatives, and projects for the support and development of Live Art practices and critical discourses in the UK and internationally. The Agency works strategically, in partnership, and in consultation with artists and organisations in the cultural sector.

• ISM

• Musician’s Union