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Music

View the employability skills

In addition to many capabilities specific to music and depending on the character of the individual degree programme, a graduate in music typically will have the ability to:

  • employ reasoning and logic to analyse data and formulate arguments and hypotheses
  • express, interpret and discuss such analyses, arguments and hypotheses
  • apply research skills, exercise judgement and conceptualise and apply concepts
  • apply presentation skills including an awareness of audience characteristics
  • use problem solving and IT skills including online information sources
  • use language skills including, as appropriate, the study of one or more foreign languages
  • work as a team member, respond to partnership and leadership, and lead others
  • react spontaneously, manage risk and cope with the unexpected
  • be aware of professional protocols and the arts world cultural policy, funding mechanisms, professional arts structures and institutions, and arts within the community
  • be self motivated and respond positively to self criticism and to the criticism of others
  • understand one's own learning style and work regimes and work independently
  • be reliable and manage time and deploy prioritising and managing skills
  • be aware of spiritual and emotional dimensions
  • be financially and business aware and exercise entrepreneurship
  • have flexibility of thought and action and be open to new, personal or alternative thinking
  • have curiosity and the desire to explore and carry a creative project through to delivery.

Music study requires engagement with the creative and expressive aspects of music, its experience aurally and its significance for people at different periods and in different cultural contexts. Central to music study are repertoires, their creation, performance, and transmission, and historical, cultural, scientific and technical issues that inform knowledge about them. Composition, performance and reception are fundamental focuses for study. The performance, analysis and critique of a particular repertoire may be complemented by studies such as music technology, music therapy or music pedagogy. Students develop musicianship that becomes second nature and the ability to understand and theorise their art.

Degree programmes often focus on specific repertoires from Western and/or non-Western traditions such as art music, popular music, jazz, vernacular music and religious music. Aural, analytical and practical skills are fundamental but other disciplines are often drawn on including history, cultural theory, literature, iconography, palaeography, anthropology, ethnography and the physical, social and technological sciences. There are an increasing number of degree programmes that focus on the technology of music and sound production and recording.

Work after graduation can be unpredictable and insecure, and there is unlikely to be a linear career structure. It is very common to be self employed with multiple primary and secondary occupations involving project work and short term contracts. Graduates can be found working on both a freelance and contract basis, and success is often dependent on actively maintaining networks and favouring opportunities for learning and reputation building.

A graduate's transferable skills, notably in performance, can have high value in other activities.

Career options related specifically to music include (alphabetically) arts administration and management; community arts work; copyright administration in composition and recordings; education and training; librarianship; live performance of music; management, representation and promotion; music for computer games; music publishing; music therapy; production, retailing and distribution of music instruments; production, distribution and retailing of sound recordings; song writing and composition.

Employers include arts, cultural and media organisations, schools and colleges, the National Health Service, law firms, orchestras, the armed forces, IT and commercial organisations.

To check the growing range of resources produced by the Subject Centre to support employability and the use of this profile (including the Skills and Attributes map) go to www.palatine.ac.uk.

This profile, produced in 2006, is based on the QAA benchmark to be found at www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/benchmark/honours/default.asp.


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