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Cory Blackmon

Mrs. Smith

Advanced Composition

25 January 2021

Career Research Essay

Careers, jobs that you plan on doing for the rest of your working days, they always have

people questioning themselves, curious of what they want to do with their life. For me, this

question is simple, and the answer is Music, specifically Music Writing and Producing. The

history of music goes all the way back to 40,000 Years ago, back when Egyptians created flutes

and harps, and even before that. Music is a form of language to some, it can be a love language

or a way of communicating feelings, or just a way to relax and have a good time. Music has been

there for me since my birth, and my true desire is to give back to the community that helped me

and gave me so much. I love the art of music, I love the language it can communicate to others

and I love the way it can unite groups of people throughout the hatred from the world, whether it

be politics, school, family, depression and anxiety, or other mental and life issues.

Statista Research Department posted statistics says, “In 2014, there were 27.98 Million

musicians in the U.S.” That number is growing fast, as it is easy to just jump into being a

musician with the right talent and recognition. Jobs are found anywhere, from homes and

studios, to concert venues and amphitheaters, because the jobs are so versatile. Usually all

Musicians have to do is make the music, advertise it, make sure the general public enjoys it, and

tours. Hours are very flexible, as you can spend 2 hours a day working on music to days and

nights straight. The hours do not affect their pay, the music is what pays them.
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Musicians can be any age, but Billboard states, “The average age has mostly hovered

between 31 and 34…” Gender does not play a part in the music career, but it is very

recommended to keep a healthy lifestyle, as it can be easy to get lost in dedication. You have to

have a multitude of personalities to ensure people continue to listen to the music, and experience

is very recommended. Education does not matter in this career field, and there are several ways

to enter into the field. I would personally choose joining a band because there are multiple

people to support the music and the advertising.

At first, salaries aren’t that great. Beginner salary is difficult to calculate, as it is based

mostly on your brand and your popularity. The average salary is around $38,000, which is what

you make when you get signed by a record label or when you or your band reaches a certain

popularity. The salaries can go even higher, musicians like “Paul McCartney and Andrew Lloyd

Webber have net worth of over 1 Billion,” according to playback.fm. Exceptional salaries can go

higher than 4 Million.

Schooling isn’t that important for the job, it is very easy to teach yourself this art. If it

comes to it and someone needs it, however, there are schools to assist with building skills.

Recording Connection Audio Institute, Atlanta Institute of Music and Media, and the School of

Music are all examples of schools that can assist in improving skills. The Recording Connection

Audio Institute includes a, “$2,000 RRFC Military and Family Scholarship, $600 James Petulla

– Brian Kraft Get Connected Grant, and The $500 CSABA Petocz Grant – In Memory of Joshua

Kent grant,” and that’s all when it comes to scholarships and grants from the schools listed.

Musicians live a very active life; they have many things they must do. Besides making

music, they have to produce merchandise, travel the world on tours, and perform concerts. Most

of the money musicians make doesn’t come from actual music anymore, thanks to the
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introduction of streaming services, so most of their income comes in from concerts and

merchandise. Having a constant social media presence is key to advertising your brand, whether

it be through actual Social Medias or Newspapers. Concerts are performances, and as such

makes it very easy to get injured, as well as not taking care of yourself whilst making music,

which can lead to, “Carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, and bursitis,” according to Angie’s List.

Musicians have multiple careers advancement options. They have, according to Berklee

Education, “Music Producers, Recording Engineers, Session Musicians, Music Publicists…”

Advancements like these will require additional training, whether it be self-taught or from

classes. Additional duties may include setting up audio, recording and mixing music, and writing

sheet music down.

This career means a lot to me. Music is a way of expressing feeling, whether that feeling

be burning anger, or blissful happiness. No matter what feelings I have, I know music has a way

to relate. I want to be able to release the feelings I have in a prison deep inside of my mind, and

allow them to flow through my vocals, my fingers, or my hands and feet with an instrument. The

thought of performing for people who love my music and who have felt the way I felt and also

harmonize their feelings with music is such an amazing thought.

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Works Cited Page

Alaniz, Steven. “7 Common Musician Injuries and How to Treat Them.” Angie’s List | Join for

FREE to See 10 Million Verified Reviews, 15 Oct. 2015, www.angieslist.com/articles/7-

common-musician-injuries-and-how-treat-them.htm. Accessed 29 Jan. 2021.

Berklee Edu. “Top 10 Careers in the Music Business (and How Much Money You Can Make)

–.” Berklee Online Take Note, 29 Jan. 2021, online.berklee.edu/takenote/top-10-careers-

in-the-music-business-and-how-much-money-you-can-make. Accessed 29 Jan. 2021.

Cirisano, Tatiana. “Why Are Today’s Top-Charting Music Stars So Young?” Billboard, 12 Sept.

2019, www.billboard.com/articles/business/8529105/young-top-charting-music-stars-

streaming-analysis/#:%7E:text=The%20average%20age%20has%20mostly,solo

%20artist%20with%20a%20No. Accessed 28 Jan. 2021.

Recording Connection Audio Institute. “Scholarships & Grants.” Recording Connection Audio

Institute, 5 Nov. 2019, www.recordingconnection.com/scholarships-grants.

Accessed 29 Jan. 2021.

Statista. “Number of Musicians in the U.S. 2011-2014.” Statista, 26 Nov. 2020,

www.statista.com/statistics/192834/people-playing-a-musical-instrument-in-the-us/#:

%7E:text=This%20graph%20depicts%20the%20number,million%20musicians%20in

%20the%20U.S. Accessed 28 Jan. 2021.

“The Top 10 Richest Musicians in the World & Their Net Worths.” Playback.Fm,

playback.fm/richest-musicians-alive. Accessed 1 Feb. 2021.

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