Preparing students for workforce readiness in the music classroom

Being able to connect the instruction of my band class to real life professional applications presents challenges. One of the principal struggles of finding widespread support of the public school music program is that, within the scope of the average parent/student, there are very few popular avenues of employment for students with extended training in music. Music is viewed as a highly specialized aesthetic skill. Those who are currently working in the industries on the periphery of music are examples of many possibilities to work within a field for which they are passionate.

The most difficult way to become a professional in the music industry is to become a musician. There are ways to give students real life professional music experience. In my district, the entire music performance department organizes various public performances. The process of rehearsing a band for an upcoming concert as a professional group is not terribly different compared to the same process as a student. It requires the commitment to allocate time and resources. The process of preparing a student for professional life is definitely an individual plan.

There are few students, in the end, who meet the performance and preparation expectations of the working musician. On a personal and anecdotal note, having come from such a career path (with modest success!) I don’t recommend such a career choice without a very strong backup plan. There can be only one Bruno Mars, there can be only one first call studio saxophonist. Even if true fame and fortune isn’t the goal, it requires a full commitment in most cases to come close to a minimum wage income as a performer. Even that level of monetary compensation is not a realistic goal in many parts of the world. It is a calling; truly defined by intrinsic motivation.

There are also ways to still be involved with live music that are not involved with playing music such as being part of tech crews, engineers, booking, hospitalites, concierge service, transportation, welding, and really from there the list goes on. These other occupations, however, are not the sort of jobs that a band teacher can really prepare their students to seek out. Fostering the love of music and the motivation to stay involved is what a band teacher can do for their students. By being involved in activities like school plays, musicals, marching band, and color guard students can get a lot of insight into what type of commitment it takes to be in a job market revolving around performance.

There are numerous other ways to be involved with the music business that are not strictly performance based. I do try to prepare students to be able to consider these options by varying my instruction in ways that include the development of professional skills that are not strictly those associated with playing an instrument. One way I have done this in the past is by focusing on notation.

Our music department held a web seminar in October 2020 with Chris Bernotas, head editor for the Alfred music publishing company, where he talked about wanting to work in the music industry, but not necessarily finding his way as a performer or composer. He edits the copy of manuscript before it is reproduced for performance. This job provides him with stability and consistency that is more in line with what would be defined as a “regular job” with “normal hours” and “commensurate pay”. There are many other jobs that lead up to this position at that particular company. There are several companies that do this same type of work.

Stepping further away from performance, music therapy is a fast-growing job market and a fulfilling career choice. “Music-based activities can represent a valid and without side effects intervention for reducing psychological and behavioral disturbances related to neurological disorders and also for promoting the functional recovery.” (Raglio 2015) There are a growing number of opportunities for advanced levels of education in this field. Which is something that should be considered when trying to prepare students for the “real world”. “As the knowledge economy theory has spread around the world, national governments in many places have turned to master’s programmes, doctoral education and postdoctoral preparation as a way of educating scientific and technical innovators.” (Nerad 2012)

It is certainly important to consider the future of the job market when trying to find opportunities for real-world readiness. By researching the information available in the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, one might look into the types of jobs that are most available in a region, what jobs may be trending towards being in-demand, and other information like income based on location and level of education. (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, bls.gov) Being able to communicate information like this to your students can help guide them towards finding motivation or inspiration to seek the most suitable career path for themselves.

Resources:

Nerad, M., (2012). It takes a global village to develop the next generation of PhDs and postdoctoral fellows. Acta Academica Supplementum 2011. https://www.education.uw.edu/cirge/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/NERAD-fin-Developing-the-Next-Generation-AASuppl2010_2_eversion-1.pdf

Flaherty, C., (2018). Slight Dip in Ph.D.s Conferred. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/12/10/are-numbers-doctorates-awarded-finally-starting-reflect-poor-academic-job-market

Raglio, A., Attardo, L., Gontero, G., Rollino, S., Groppo, E., Granieri, E., (2015 Mar 22)Effects of music and music therapy on mood in neurological patients. World journal of psychiatry. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4369551/

US bureau of labor statistics. https://www.bls.gov