Music Directors and Composers

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

• Meet with soloists and concertmasters to discuss and prepare for performances.
• Arrange music composed by others, changing the music to achieve desired effects.
• Perform administrative tasks such as applying for grants, developing budgets, negotiating contracts, and designing and printing programs and other promotional materials.
• Fill in details of orchestral sketches, such as adding vocal parts to scores.
• Assign and review staff work in such areas as scoring, arranging, and copying music, and vocal coaching.
• Coordinate and organize tours, or hire touring companies to arrange concert dates, venues, accommodations, and transportation for longer tours.
• Study scores to learn the music in detail, and to develop interpretations.
• Audition and select performers for musical presentations.
• Use gestures to shape the music being played, communicating desired tempo, phrasing, tone, color, pitch, volume, and other performance aspects.
• Write musical scores for orchestras, bands, choral groups, or individual instrumentalists or vocalists, using knowledge of music theory and of instrumental and vocal capabilities.
• Transcribe ideas for musical compositions into musical notation, using instruments, pen and paper, or computers.
• Perform administrative tasks such as applying for grants, developing budgets, negotiating contracts, and designing and printing programs and other promotional materials.
• Transpose music from one voice or instrument to another to accommodate particular musicians.
• Plan and schedule rehearsals and performances, and arrange details such as locations, accompanists, and instrumentalists.
• Experiment with different sounds, and types and pieces of music, using synthesizers and computers as necessary to test and evaluate ideas.
• Apply elements of music theory to create musical and tonal structures, including harmonies and melodies.
• Audition and select performers for musical presentations.
• Explore and develop musical ideas based on sources such as imagination or sounds in the environment.
• Study films or scripts to determine how musical scores can be used to create desired effects or moods.
• Confer with producers and directors to define the nature and placement of film or television music.
• Collaborate with other colleagues, such as copyists, to complete final scores.
• Copy parts from scores for individual performers.
• Position members within groups to obtain balance among instrumental or vocal sections.
• Create original musical forms, or write within circumscribed musical forms such as sonatas, symphonies, or operas.
• Transcribe musical compositions and melodic lines to adapt them to a particular group, or to create a particular musical style.
• Perform administrative tasks such as applying for grants, developing budgets, negotiating contracts, and designing and printing programs and other promotional materials.
• Consider such factors as ensemble size and abilities, availability of scores, and the need for musical variety, to select music to be performed.
• Determine voices, instruments, harmonic structures, rhythms, tempos, and tone balances required to achieve the effects desired in a musical composition.
• Direct groups at rehearsals and live or recorded performances to achieve desired effects such as tonal and harmonic balance dynamics, rhythm, and tempo.
• Write music for commercial mediums, including advertising jingles or film soundtracks.
• Rewrite original musical scores in different musical styles by changing rhythms, harmonies, or tempos.

Skills

• Monitoring
  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
• Persuasion
  • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
• Equipment Selection
  • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
• Instructing
  • Teaching people how to do something.
• Programming
  • Writing computer programs.
• Service Orientation
  • Looking for ways to help people.
• Social Perceptiveness
  • Understanding people's reactions.
• Technology Design
  • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
• Systems Evaluation
  • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
• Management of Personnel Resources
  • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
• Writing
  • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
• Time Management
  • Managing your time and the time of other people.
• Management of Financial Resources
  • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
• Active Listening
  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
• Speaking
  • Talking to others.
• Operations Analysis
  • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
• Complex Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
• Management of Material Resources
  • Managing equipment and materials.
• Equipment Maintenance
  • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
• Critical Thinking
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
• Negotiation
  • Bringing people together to solve differences.
• Installation
  • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
• Science
  • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
• Mathematics
  • Using math to solve problems.
• Coordination
  • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
• Active Learning
  • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
• Quality Control Analysis
  • Testing how well a product or service works.
• Troubleshooting
  • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
• Judgment and Decision Making
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
• Operation and Control
  • Using equipment or systems.
• Repairing
  • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
• Reading Comprehension
  • Reading work-related information.
• Learning Strategies
  • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
• Operations Monitoring
  • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
• Systems Analysis
  • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

Abilities

• Speech Clarity
  • Speaking clearly.
• Mathematical Reasoning
  • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
• Speed of Closure
  • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
• Reaction Time
  • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
• Extent Flexibility
  • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Peripheral Vision
  • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
• Manual Dexterity
  • Holding or moving items with your hands.
• Depth Perception
  • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
• Trunk Strength
  • Using your lower back and stomach.
• Speech Recognition
  • Recognizing spoken words.
• Originality
  • Creating new and original ideas.
• Category Flexibility
  • Grouping things in different ways.
• Oral Expression
  • Communicating by speaking.
• Written Comprehension
  • Reading and understanding what is written.
• Visualization
  • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
• Selective Attention
  • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
• Explosive Strength
  • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
• Near Vision
  • Seeing details up close.
• Auditory Attention
  • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
• Multilimb Coordination
  • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
• Written Expression
  • Communicating by writing.
• Oral Comprehension
  • Listening and understanding what people say.
• Spatial Orientation
  • Knowing where things are around you.
• Visual Color Discrimination
  • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
• Dynamic Flexibility
  • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Problem Sensitivity
  • Noticing when problems happen.
• Information Ordering
  • Ordering or arranging things.
• Inductive Reasoning
  • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
• Memorization
  • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
• Control Precision
  • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
• Stamina
  • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
• Finger Dexterity
  • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
• Static Strength
  • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
• Hearing Sensitivity
  • Telling the difference between sounds.
• Response Orientation
  • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
• Sound Localization
  • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
• Deductive Reasoning
  • Using rules to solve problems.
• Fluency of Ideas
  • Coming up with lots of ideas.
• Number Facility
  • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
• Perceptual Speed
  • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
• Time Sharing
  • Doing two or more things at the same time.
• Flexibility of Closure
  • Seeing hidden patterns.
• Speed of Limb Movement
  • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
• Gross Body Coordination
  • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
• Glare Sensitivity
  • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
• Wrist-Finger Speed
  • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Rate Control
  • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
• Night Vision
  • Seeing at night or under low light.
• Dynamic Strength
  • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
• Far Vision
  • Seeing details that are far away.
• Gross Body Equilibrium
  • Keeping your balance or staying upright.

Knowledge

• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• Sales and Marketing
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• Personnel and Human Resources
  • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Physics
  • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
• Geography
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
• Building and Construction
  • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Foreign Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• Psychology
  • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Philosophy and Theology
  • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• Public Safety and Security
  • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Administrative
  • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
• Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• Fine Arts
  • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Communications and Media
  • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Administration and Management
  • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• Engineering and Technology
  • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Therapy and Counseling
  • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Education and Training
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Chemistry
  • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Medicine and Dentistry
  • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

Education

Education

Bachelor's degree

Work Experience

Less than 5 years work experience

Training

No on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

×

Education and Training Opportunities

• Central Washington University
  400 East University Way, Ellensburg WA 98926
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  10,000 - 19,999

  Financial Aid 509-963-1111
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  http://www.cwu.edu/
  Program Name
  Musical Theatre
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Music Performance, General
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Music Theory and Composition
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• Clark College
  1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver WA 98663-3598
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  5,000 - 9,999

  Financial Aid 360-992-2000
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  https://www.clark.edu/
  Program Name
  Music Performance, General
  Length
  2 years
  Award Level
  Associate's degree
  Save

  ---

• Cornish College of the Arts
  1000 Lenora Street, Seattle WA 98121
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  Under 1,000

  Financial Aid 206-726-5016
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  http://www.cornish.edu/
  Program Name
  Musical Theatre
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Music Performance, General
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• DigiPen Institute of Technology
  9931 Willows Rd NE, Redmond WA 98052
  School Type

  Private for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 425-558-0299
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://www.digipen.edu/
  Program Name
  Music Technology
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• Eastern Washington University
  526 5th Street, Cheney WA 99004-2496
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  10,000 - 19,999

  Financial Aid 509-359-6200
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  http://www.ewu.edu/
  Program Name
  Music Management
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Music Performance, General
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• Gonzaga University
  E 502 Boone Ave, Spokane WA 99258-0001
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  5,000 - 9,999

  Financial Aid 800-986-9585
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://www.gonzaga.edu/
  Program Name
  Music Performance, General
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• Lower Columbia College
  1600 Maple Street, Longview WA 98632
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 360-442-2311
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  https://lowercolumbia.edu/
  Program Name
  Music, Other
  Length
  2 years
  Award Level
  Associate's degree
  Save

  ---

• Northwest University
  5520 108th Ave NE, Kirkland WA 98083-0579
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 425-822-8266
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  http://www.northwestu.edu/
  Program Name
  Music Theory and Composition
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Music, Other
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Religious/Sacred Music
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Music Management
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• Seattle Film Institute
  3210 16th Avenue W, Seattle WA 98119-1707
  School Type

  Private for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  Under 1,000

  Financial Aid 206-568-4387
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://www.sfi.edu/#fronttable
  Program Name
  Music Technology
  Length
  More than 4 years
  Award Level
  Master's degree
  Save

  ---

• Shoreline Community College
  16101 Greenwood Ave N, Shoreline WA 98133-5696
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 206-546-4101
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  http://www.shoreline.edu/
  Program Name
  Music Technology
  Length
  2 years
  Award Level
  Associate's degree, Certificates of less than 12 weeks, Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year
  Save
  Program Name
  Music Management
  Length
  2 years
  Award Level
  Associate's degree, Certificates of less than 12 weeks, Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year
  Save

  ---

• University of Puget Sound
  1500 N. Warner Street, Tacoma WA 98416
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 253-879-3100
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://www.pugetsound.edu/
  Program Name
  Voice and Opera
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Music Theory and Composition
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Music Performance, General
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• University of Washington-Seattle Campus
  1400 NE Campus Parkway, Seattle WA 98195-4550
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  20,000 and above

  Financial Aid 206-543-2100
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://www.washington.edu/
  Program Name
  Voice and Opera
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree, Doctor's degree - research/scholarship, Master's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Conducting
  Length
  More than 4 years
  Award Level
  Master's degree, Doctor's degree - research/scholarship
  Save
  Program Name
  Music, Other
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Music Theory and Composition
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree, Doctor's degree - research/scholarship, Master's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Musicology and Ethnomusicology
  Length
  More than 4 years
  Award Level
  Master's degree, Doctor's degree - research/scholarship, Bachelor's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Music Performance, General
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree, Doctor's degree - research/scholarship, Master's degree
  Save

  ---

• Walla Walla University
  204 S College Ave, College Place WA 99324-1198
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 509-527-2615
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://www.wallawalla.edu/
  Program Name
  Music Performance, General
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• Washington State University
  French Administration Building, Pullman WA 99164-5910
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  20,000 and above

  Financial Aid 509-335-3564
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://wsu.edu/
  Program Name
  Music Theory and Composition
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Music Performance, General
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Music Management
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• Western Washington University
  516 High Street, Bellingham WA 98225-9008
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  10,000 - 19,999

  Financial Aid 360-650-3000
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  http://wwu.edu/
  Program Name
  Music Theory and Composition
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Music Performance, General
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• Whitman College
  345 Boyer Ave, Walla Walla WA 99362
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 509-527-5111
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  http://www.whitman.edu/
  Program Name
  Music Theory and Composition
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Music Performance, General
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

Close

Pay

Washington Annual Salary

77840/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

37.42/hr

Washington Employment Trends

Currently Employed

530

Yearly Projected Openings

60

Personality

Artistic: People interested in this work like activities that include creating, designing, and making your own rules. They do well at jobs that need:

• Self-Confidence
• Leadership Orientation
• Innovation
• Adaptability
• Social Orientation
• Achievement Orientation

Tools

• Audio monitor
• Bells
• Cassette players or recorders
• Conductors batons
• Desktop computers
• Digital audio workstation DAW
• Drums
• Guitars
• Laser printers
• Loudspeakers
• Microphones
• Musical instrument digital interface MIDI interfaces
• Musical instrument effects unit
• Musical organs
• Notebook computers
• Pen or flash drive
• Personal computers
• Photocopiers
• Pianos
• Portable hard disk storage device
• Synthesizer
• Tablet computers

Technology

• Data base user interface and query software
• Desktop publishing software
• Electronic mail software
• Music or sound editing software
• Office suite software
• Presentation software
• Spreadsheet software
• Video creation and editing software
• Word processing software