Young female musician with her guitar
We get it. Helping your high school kids try to work out what career they want to have can be hard work.
And finding out they want to become a 'muso' can be a little unsettling for some parents.
Perceptions of not being able to make a living from music are understandable.
Unsociable working hours and unsuitability for someone eventually wanting to start a family are also common perceptions.
But these misgivings tend to be focused on the struggling – and starving – garage band stereotype of a 'career in music.'
In reality, your child could be tuning up for a rewarding and sustainable career.
Australians love music
If your child has a genuine interest in music, they're certainly not alone.
According to a 2019 report from the Australia Council for the Arts*, 97% of Australians listen to recorded music and more than half attend live music events each year.
And one in seven Australians create music themselves, by singing, playing musical instruments, or composing.
The rest of the world loves our music too.
Australia is the eighth largest market for recorded music in the world and our global significance is growing.
Overall, the combined annual export income of Australian artists, music publishers and record labels is estimated to be approximately $195 million and rising.
So where can music take you?
According to Dr Jason Goopy, lecturer in music education at ECU’s School of Education, careers in music are complex.
"Most successful professional musicians sustain portfolio careers that involve a range of activities, including performing, creating, teaching and business management," he says.
And there are many options aside from the obvious performing artist direction. Here's a small sample:
- arts/music administrator
- audio engineer
- conductor
- composer
- DJ
- event manager
- instrument craftsman/builder
- musicologist
- music/entertainment/intellectual property lawyer
- music journalist/critic
- music producer
- music teacher
- music therapist
- stage manager
- video game developer
As Dr Goopy suggests, some people combine more than one of these roles for an even more rewarding career.
WAAPA music production student in action.
What can you study at university?
An extensive music program is offered at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, or WAAPA.
This includes classical, jazz and contemporary music performance, along with vocal performance, music composition, music theatre, screen composition, music technology or musicology.
You can also go in the arts management direction at WAAPA, or even become a stage manager.
Alternatively, if the idea of teaching strikes a chord, a secondary education degree specialising in music education could be the way to go.
So relax, put your feet up and listen to your child building a brilliant career!
* 2016-2019 Australian Research Council Linkage Project: The Economic and Cultural Value of Australian Music Exports.
