Career guidance | Legal support | Job listings | Employment statistics | Volunteer opportunities | Advocacy
Career guidance and resources (some sites include job listings)
CyberPR. Publicity advice for musicians by Ariel Hyatt (click on the 'Resources' link to read dozens of free articles).
Music career articles on The Musician's Way Blog.
Artists House Music. “Helping musicians and music entrepreneurs create sustainable careers.” An extensive library of articles, videos, tips, and more.
MusicThinkTank.com. "Where the music industry thinks out loud." A wealth of forward-thinking articles and advice.
Career preparation resources from The Institute for Music Leadership at the Eastman School of Music. Excellent free handbooks for creating résumés and cover letters. Also includes job listings and more.
Bio-writing tips from Dan Kimpel.
Music Career Handouts from the Career Services Office at the New England Conservatory of Music. Detailed guidelines for creating press releases and more. Also see Online Resources.
Jazz World Database. "The premier source of information for the jazz music industry."
SavvyMusician.com. Numerous links and resources compiled by David Cutler, author of The Savvy Musician (Helius Press, 2009).
Preview Beyond Talent: Creating a Successful Career in Music, by music career counselor Angela Myles Beeching (Oxford, 2005).
Music Business Solutions. Articles and tips from Peter Spellman.
See also: 5 Essentials of Music Career Success.
MusicalAmerica.com. Extensive resources about presenters and performers (subscription required; classical and jazz oriented).
“Navigating Music Careers,” from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. Educational videos, primarily for classical musicians.
“How to Pursue a Career in Orchestral Music,” by Douglas Yeo, bass trombonist with the Boston Symphony. See also: “Pros and Cons to a Career in Orchestral Music."
“Careers in String Teaching.” Career-building tips from the American String Teachers Association.
The Jazz Site. “Information on British jazz musicians, venues, promoters, educators and much more.”
U.S. Regional Arts Organizations. Learn about programs and resources at state, regional, and national arts agencies.
Copyright information and links from the National Association for Music Education (MENC).
Arts Journal. A digest of arts journalism that includes articles about developments in the music business. Edited by Douglas McLennan.
“A Career in Music Therapy,” from the American Music Therapy Association.
The Association of Teaching Artists. Information and links for musicians and other artists.
Tax Issues for Musicians (U.S. & Canada), courtesy of Howland Tax Service.
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Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts. Resources, links, and directories to legal services in the U.S., Canada, and Australia.
Job listings (also search listings on the abovementioned Career Guidance sites)
Musical Chairs. Jobs and directories for classical musicians.
Job listings from the Career Services office at the New England Conservatory of Music (subscription required; one month free trial available).
MyAuditions.com. Listings for orchestral musicians, music educators, and arts administrators (registration required).
International Musician, the journal of the American Federation of Musicians. Excellent for finding orchestral and other union jobs (membership required; the print edition is available in most music libraries).
Job listings on the website of the League of American Orchestras (membership required).
Job Vacancy Bulletins from The Office of Career Counseling and Placement at the Peabody Institute.
Music teaching jobs posted on the website of the American String Teachers Association.
Music teaching jobs and related links from the National Association for Music Education.
College and university music teaching job listings can be searched on AcademicKeys.com, HigherEdJobs.com, and the websites of the Chronicle of Higher Education and the College Music Society (CMS listings are available only to members).
U.K. Music Jobs (registration required).
ProShip Entertainment. Performance staffing and entertainment for the cruise industry.
Jobs in the U.S. for church musicians are posted on the website of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians.
Touring resources from GoTour.org. Identify and learn about performance venues in the U.S. and Canada. See also USRegionalArts.org.
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“Occupational Outlook for Musicians, Singers, and Related Workers,” 2010-11 edition, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment projections through 2018, salary ranges, and additional statistics.
“Occupational Employment and Wages: Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary,” 2008. From the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
"Facts and Figures Concerning Music and Higher Education in the United States"
From the College Music Society; revised November, 2009.
United We Serve (U.S.). Search for and post volunteer opportunities.
Corporation for National and Community Service (U.S.).
Youth Music (U.K.). Extensive resources and links.
"Healing with music." An article on The Musician's Way Blog.
The Creative Access program at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. An example of a volunteer student organization that seeks to “provide quality music and engaging fellowship” to disadvantaged people.
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Advocacy resources from the National Association for Music Education (MENC).
SupportMusic.com. Created by MENC and the International Music Products Association (NAMM).
Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education (Washington, DC). Free online booklets, toolkits, and resources.
The International Society for Music Education.
The Performing Arts Alliance. “The coalition of performing arts advocates.”
The National Task Force on the Arts in Education (U.S.).
Advocacy resources from the American String Teachers Association.
The American Music Conference.
The Texas Music Project. A model of music advocacy on the state level.
The Coalition for Music Education in Canada.
The Canadian Music Educators Association.
The Music Education Council (U.K.)
The Music Council of Australia.
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