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Musicians and Singers

Play one or more musical instruments or sing. May perform on stage, for broadcasting, or for sound or video recording.
Related: Actors  Art, Drama, & Music Teachers, Postsecondary  Choreographers  Dancers  Music Directors & Composers 
Industries: Service  Arts & Entertainment 

  • Summary

  • Details

    • Work Activities

    • Collaborate with a manager or agent who handles administrative details, finds work, and negotiates contracts.
    • Sing a cappella or with musical accompaniment.
    • Play musical instruments as soloists, or as members or guest artists of musical groups such as orchestras, ensembles, or bands.
    • Teach music for specific instruments.
    • Provide the musical background for live shows, such as ballets, operas, musical theatre, and cabarets.
    • Promote their own or their group's music by participating in media interviews and other activities.
    • Compose songs or create vocal arrangements.
    • Improvise music during performances.
    • Perform before live audiences in concerts, recitals, educational presentations, and other social gatherings.
    • Specialize in playing a specific family of instruments or a particular type of music.
    • Sing as a soloist or as a member of a vocal group.
    • Seek out and learn new music suitable for live performance or recording.
    • Make or participate in recordings.
    • Arrange and edit music to fit style and purpose.
    • Observe choral leaders or prompters for cues or directions in vocal presentation.
    • Memorize musical selections and routines, or sing following printed text, musical notation, or customer instructions.
    • Interpret or modify music, applying knowledge of harmony, melody, rhythm, and voice production to individualize presentations and maintain audience interest.
    • Sight-read musical parts during rehearsals.
    • Play from memory or by following scores.
    • Practice singing exercises and study with vocal coaches to develop voice and skills and to rehearse for upcoming roles.
    • Listen to recordings to master pieces or to maintain and improve skills.
    • Audition for orchestras, bands, or other musical groups.
    • Make or participate in recordings in music studios.
    • Research particular roles to find out more about a character, or the time and place in which a piece is set.
    • Learn acting, dancing, and other skills required for dramatic singing roles.
    • Transpose music to alternate keys, or to fit individual styles or purposes.
    • Direct bands or orchestras.

    Skills

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

    Abilities

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

    Knowledge

    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • Transportation
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
    • 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.
    • English Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
    • 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.
    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • 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.
    • Food Production
      • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
    • 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.
    • Biology
      • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • History and Archeology
      • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
    • 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.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
    • 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.
    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    Education

    Education
    No formal educational credential
    Work Experience
    No work experience
    Training
    More than 1 year on-the-job training
    Education and Training Opportunities

    Pay

    Washington Hourly Wage
    33.57/hr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    2,410
    Yearly Projected Openings
    350

    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:
    • Dependability
    • Attention to Detail
    • Achievement/Effort
    • Cooperation
    • Persistence
    • Stress Tolerance

    Tools

    • Accessories for stringed instruments
    • Accordions
    • Alto horns
    • Audio amplifier
    • Audio mixing consoles
    • Bagpipes
    • Banjoes
    • Baritone horns
    • Basses
    • Bassoon
    • Bells
    • Bongoes
    • Bugles
    • Clarinets
    • Clavichords
    • Compact disk players or recorders
    • Cymbals
    • Drum stick
    • Drums
    • Earphone
    • Electronic instrument tuner
    • English horns
    • Equalizers
    • Euphonium
    • French horns
    • Guitars
    • Harps
    • Harpsichords
    • Instrument strings or picks
    • Karaoke systems
    • MP3 players or recorders
    • Mandolins
    • Maracas
    • Marching bells
    • Marimbas
    • Mellophones
    • Metronomes
    • Microphone stand
    • Microphones
    • Musical cornets
    • Musical flutes
    • Musical instrument effects unit
    • Musical instrument stand
    • Musical instrument stands or sheet holders
    • Musical organs
    • Mutes
    • Notebook computers
    • Oboes
    • Personal computers
    • Pianos
    • Piccoloes
    • Public address systems
    • Saxophones
    • Sousaphones
    • Synthesizer
    • Tablet computers
    • Timpanies
    • Trombones
    • Trumpets
    • Tuba
    • Tuning forks
    • Vibraphones
    • Viola
    • Violins
    • Violoncellos
    • Wireless microphone and instrument amplification system
    • Xylophones
    • Zither

    Technology

    • Accounting software
    • Calendar and scheduling software
    • Computer based training software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
    • Instant messaging software
    • Internet browser software
    • Music or sound editing software
    • Office suite software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Video creation and editing software
    • Web page creation and editing software
    • Word processing software

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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