5 Trending Careers of a Music Major

If you love making music and can’t imagine doing anything else with your life, many exciting careers are available to you. There are many different options to choose from, such as education, being a conductor or owning a music repair shop. Here are a few of these exciting opportunities. 

1. Educator or Administrator

If you want to spread your love of music to other people, teaching is an excellent way to do this. Teaching is a gratifying opportunity, whether you are interested in introductory music at an elementary school level, marching bands in high school or college-level advanced courses. As James Mellichamp demonstrates, a career in education allows you to move up within the ranks of academics and ultimately oversee entire departments or colleges dedicated to music. 

2. Music Therapy

Interesting in uniquely using your gift of music? Consider a career as a music therapist. This job uses music, dance and rhythm to help people suffering through emotional and physical troubles. Music is a great way to get the elderly moving, children playing and adolescents expressing themselves. Different types of music can be stimulating for a depressed individual, relaxing to calm an angered child and a fun way to get someone in need of physical therapy moving. This is a board-certified profession that involves a background in both music and health. 

3. Marketing and Promotion

When your love of music is so great that it’s the only thing you want to talk about with other people, a career in marketing is an exceptional opportunity. A job in this field requires a background in both business and music. Knowing how to market yourself and other musicians is the key to gaining exposure and popularity. No one wants to be a music artist that no one knows. With a career in marketing, you may find yourself working with world-renowned operas, record labels or the non-profit sector. 

4. Editing and Production

Helping create top-quality music is in the job description of a music producer and editor. This position allows you to work with songwriters, singers, engineers and arrangers. As a producer, your job may be to find new musical projects, fine-tune the background sounds and determine all the equipment needed for recording music. Various degree programs and majors prepare you for a career in music production, depending on what specialty interests you. 

5. Film or Video Game Scoring

Another fascinating opportunity for a music career is scoring. All moving tv shows and video games have music playing in the background. These songs make movies more exciting by bringing intensity to an action film or sadness to a drama. Composing music for both film and games allows you to create something unique that may be heard by millions of people. 

If you love music and want to pursue a career in the music industry, there are many different opportunities to choose from. Whether you decide to go into teaching, composing or work behind the scenes, working in the music industry can be a successful career.