I try to bring something fresh and exciting to our little visits, so for this month’s TUNED IN I want to talk about music industry jobs that are more specialized in nature. The job market is a tough one. While a specified field isn’t for everyone, some of these options could be done alongside fronting your own musical project. Or something on here could be the ah-ha moment you’ve been waiting for…either way, let’s take a look at some industry jobs that are definitely unique. If you have one of these jobs, drop me a line and let me know how you like it!
SESSION VOCALIST:
I am starting off with one of my faves because I knew someone who did quite well in this role. While commercial jingles aren’t what they once were (“my bologna has a first name”), there is certainly work to be found with regional ads for car dealerships, insurance companies, charities and more. One of the high points of trying this is that time spent in a studio could only help you on your way to the top.
DEMO SINGER FOR SONG PITCHES:
Get thee down to Nashville if this sounds like the gig for you! Someone writes an amazing song and thinks that it would be perfect for Sabrina Carpenter – but HE can’t sing it! Demo singers can typically ‘mimic’ popular genres and vocal styles. Depending on who you work with, it can become quite lucrative. Added plus – you meet a lot of talented people!
FORENSIC MUSICOLOGIST:
A personal favorite just because it not only IS so cool, but imagine introducing yourself and saying, “…and I’m a forensic musicologist.” In a nutshell, a person with this job could be brought in to testify during a copyright dispute case. Their role would be to study and compare compositions to see if there was some ‘borrow-borrow” without “paying-paying”. You need a lot of degrees for this job though – usually a degree in music theory and music history, and then a JD in copyright law.
FOLEY ARTIST:
Have you ever watched movie credits and noticed the word “foley”…or is it just me? I did a little research, and it turns out a Foley Artist uses synths, software and actually anything lying around to create sound effects for a movie or tv show. You need sharp timing and top-notch motor skills for this gig, but it seems super fun!
MERCH MANAGER:
Like getting tees and swag at shows? So does my kid and it costs a bundle. But if you love music, and travel, this could be a good fit for you. The Merch Manager handles all day-of merchandise sales for artists (or, for the venue). Most midsize to large tours have their own person who will set up the merch every night, train the venue sales-people, keep track of all inventories. If there’s also a traveling accountant on the road, they’ll count and hand off all the money at the end of the evening. This is a great job if you don’t mind sleeping on a bus and having most of your day free (unless you’re still on the bus!).
TOUR ACCOUNTANT:
Again, you need a love of travel and music to want to do this for a living. Plus, a degree in accounting and/or finance. Your primary job is to manage the financial operations of a tour. In this capacity you would oversee budgets, expenses, per diem for crew and band, and handle show settlements. You’d work with above-mentioned merch manager, the tour manager, the band’s management…it’s a big gig.
LIGHTING DESIGNER:
This is actually a big, and frequently lucrative, job. An LD is responsible for working with the artist and their management on the visual aspects of their live shows. Lighting sets the tone and the mood of a performance, so this job focuses on everything you SEE, literally. An LD is in charge of how intense the lighting is and what color lighting is best used during a specific song. They also know how the lighting set up would change for an outdoor performance versus and indoor one, etc. You can’t just jump into this role, though. Most LD’s start out as stagehands or part of the roadcrew and work their way up.
RADIO DJ:
I am going to wind up this month’s TUNED IN with a job in radio which may not sound unique, but it certainly is. How many radio DJs do you know personally?? There was a time where radio DJs were very famous and people considered them part of the family. It’s a little different now, but I feel terrestrial radio, and DJs, are making a come-back. A good DJ does feel like a trusted friend and that’s part of what people are missing on DSPs. Beside playing music and telling funny stories, if something is going on in your area, a DJ is a good source to find out from. They work long hours. Often showing up at outside gigs to make extra money, and have to slog a lot of hours in not great time slots until they’re promoted. However, a radio DJ could end up being a pivotal presence in a young listener’s life.
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