7 Other Jobs You Can Do As A Music Teacher
Here Are 7 Other Jobs You Can Do When You’re A Music Teacher Or Have A Degree In Music
If you’re a music teacher and you’re looking to expand your skillset, pivot your career, you’re just wondering what other jobs music teachers might be able to do, or what additional careers related to music are available, you’re not alone.
Being a music teacher is an incredible job. You help positively change the lives of others by bringing the gift of music into their lives. You can meet musically-minded people and of course, make some money while you’re at it.
You can go professional and start teaching within a school or university or you could start teaching music online after you’ve researched what you need to become a music tutor.
But what happens when you want to pivot your career? Or if you’re wondering what other jobs are out there for music teachers? Or what else you can do with a music degree?
According to goremotely.net, the average person will change careers 5 to 7 times during their working years, according to career change statistics.
According to 1000yearsofcareeradvice.com, 50% of Brits expect to make a career change within the next two years. 23% planned to in the next 12 months.
So, if you’re thinking about expanding your career choices or what other jobs you can do as a music teacher, you’re not alone. The good thing about teaching music online is that you can do it when YOU want to and even create a nice little side-teaching project that’s profitable!
But if there’s more you want to do, read on as we’ve put together a list of the 7 coolest other jobs for music teachers and those with a music degree.
7 Other Jobs For Music Teachers And Those With A Music Degree
1. Travel Industry Musician
Playing music on a cruise liner, at a holiday resort, summer camp or hotel is an incredible other job for music teachers. It can be extremely lucrative. According to cruiselinejob.com, music teachers can earn anywhere between $2500 to $4000 per month alone.
If you’re a musician and a music teacher, you could consider a career in travel industry entertainment as it’s a great way to continue playing music and you get to do it in some pretty exotic places too! Best of all, you could still offer online music lessons during the day or on your off days. Holiday providers, cruise liners and hotels are always looking out for reliable musicians.
2. Music Therapist
Music therapy is an incredibly rewarding and fulfilling job that music teachers can move into. Essentially music therapy is a career within the health industry that offers a therapeutic outlet for those with physical, emotional, cognitive and social needs.
You may work in schools, within psychiatric facilities, assisted living residences such as nursing homes or even in hospitals. Music brings such joy to people and it can help with anxiety, substance abuse, depression, learning difficulties and helps to relax and reduce stress in patients or clients. This is one of the best jobs for music teachers and those with a music degree.
A great way to help people, make someone’s day through music and one of the best additional careers related to music available. You can find out more HERE.
3. Session Musician
A LOT of music teachers get a chance to become session musicians, whether for a day here and there or on a more regular basis. This is because they’re often well known within music circles and they’re known for being highly skilled at playing their instrument.
You do need good networking skills and it makes sense to have a good YouTube or social media music teacher profile to promote yourself. This is because bands and artists may see that you play saxophone, clarinet or cello online and could ask you to step in and record with them. So start marketing yourself online as a music teacher!
You also have a lot of freedom to pursue a variety of genres and styles which will undoubtedly help with your teaching.
If you’re a music teacher, you’ll likely be able to jump straight in and read any sheet music provided, find the key quickly and start creating with the artist a LOT quicker than most, which gives you a great advantage and will ideally lead to repeat work.
A session musician is a great additional career related to music and one that can generate quite a lot of revenue if you build great relationships and network within the music industry.
4. Sound Technician
If you’re a music teacher, you’ll have an ear for what sounds good and how music should sound. You could use these skills in the world of sound technician or sound engineer work.
You could go down the route of a live sound engineer who sets up the mic and mixes the live sound while the band are playing. Just start asking your local venues for work or take formal training.
In addition, being a studio engineer or studio sound technician is an incredible job for those who like to be part of the recording process when it comes to music. It’s your responsibility to place the microphones, set up the band equipment for the best sound and ensure everything is working before the producer hits record. This is a highly competitive industry, but as a music teacher, you’ll have the advantage as you know your way around an instrument better than most!
You could go straight to the role of the producer if you know your way around a mixing desk, pro tools and other recording software, but if you’re just starting out you have to learn your craft as an assistant engineer first.
5. Composer For Film, Television & Games
If you’re a music teacher, you’ll likely be able to read music. If you can read music you can compose. If you can record with a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) you’re unstoppable. A composer for film, television and games is perfect as an additional career related to music, and those with or without a music degree.
Now be advised that this is not an easy career to get into, nor is it a particularly lucrative business in the early days as you have to work a lot for lower budgets to get your name out there before you start earning the big bucks. But if you create music in your spare time, you’ve already got an advantage here as you could potentially start creating music for film students, indie game designers and even playwrights. Building up a portfolio and reputation is half the battle.
There’s no longer a need for full orchestras within game soundtracks, TV or film nowadays as you can basically recreate the sound of an entire orchestra on a keyboard. If you can compose each part, you’ll have a great advantage as filmmakers still want that “orchestra sound” without the massive headache of composing WITH an orchestra!
Places like Fiverr and Upwork often have listings asking for composers to create music for their films or games, so it’s worth reaching out to them and showing them what you’ve got.
You could also reach out to film schools and offer your services for free to build up a portfolio, start soundtracking games and movies with your own version and publishing them on YouTube or reach out to independent game studios and see if they can take you on for training.
It’s hard work, but rewarding when you hear your music on film, television or games. If you’re looking for other jobs music teachers can do, this is one you’ll have a distinct advantage in.
6. Music Director
A music director works within the world of musical theatre, which can be an awesome industry to be part of – (full disclosure – this writer studied drama and can confirm it is a wonderful industry to be part of!).
In terms of other jobs for music teachers, this is one you can work your way into by joining a drama academy or theatre group. They are often in need of musically minded individuals to compose and perform musical pieces to go along with their theatre productions. Just like a composer for film and television, you will have to work your way up the ranks but the more networking you do in your local communities and theatres means you could eventually work your way up to the national theatre.
Your ability to read music means you could potentially conduct music and even compose new pieces for new plays and productions. Definitely, one to consider if you’re curious about what other jobs you can do as a music teacher.
7. Music Blogger/Freelance Music Writer
If you can articulate your thoughts and write them down in a way that resonates with readers you could consider becoming a blogger or freelance music writer.
There are thousands of companies out there who need content for their music-related blogs. With your musical knowledge, you could create content that resonates with your audience, just like this blog on the best additional careers related to music.
You could help with reviews on gear, create content for product descriptions or helpful blogs such as this one!
Freelance writing will fit in with your ability to teach music online and you have a distinct advantage as you know your audience. Start by reaching out to companies you’d want to write for and ask if you can create a thought piece for them and go from there!
If you’re a music teacher looking for another job you can do, freelance writing could be a great solution for you!
And that wraps up our 7 best other jobs you can do as a music teacher!
We hope you enjoyed this blog on different jobs for music teachers and those with a music degree and found it useful.
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About the author
Lee Glynn (linkedin.com/in/leerglynn/) is a digital content strategist, blog writer and has been playing the guitar for 3 decades. Along with creating content strategies for a wide range of industries, and writing for well-respected music blogs and retailers for nearly 20 years, he helps websites grow their traffic with his company Quarry Lake Content (quarrylakecontent.com), specialising in blog and content writing, YouTube SEO and Copywriting. He was also in the UK-based band Sound Of Guns and has played Glastonbury, Reading & Leeds and just about every stage and festival in the UK multiple times.
