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Professional musician skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

1 min read

Quoted experts

Bill Boris,

Bill Boris

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical professional musician skills. We ranked the top skills for professional musicians based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 16.8% of professional musician resumes contained live performances as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a professional musician needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 professional musician skills for your resume and career

1. Live Performances

Here's how professional musicians use live performances:

Executed all contracts and professional agreements involving live performances and recording sessions.
Served as guitarist and drummer/percussionist for live performances with nationally known artists.

2. Music Venues

Here's how professional musicians use music venues:

Perform indoor and outdoor concerts at local bars, restaurants, music venues, and private parties.
Created marketing materials and press kits to business owners and music venues.

3. Music Theory

Here's how professional musicians use music theory:

Teach students how to play guitar & teaching them music theory.
Instructed students on piano, music theory, and improvisation.

4. Songwriting

Here's how professional musicians use songwriting:

Recognized with the Songwriting Award from BillBoard Magazine in 2004.
Band leader, singer, songwriter, guitar player, and recording artist Performing locally and across the country Brunswick Bowl

5. Keyboard

Here's how professional musicians use keyboard:

Toured local Iowa establishments* Played keyboard, guitar and drums* Wrote original songs* Recorded music professionally
Played Keyboard for over 10 years - Built DJ booth & setup equipment - DJed onboard Carnival & Norwegian cruise ships

6. Brass

Here's how professional musicians use brass:

Performed with a brass choir at the Fall 2014 University of Tennessee - Chattanooga commencement ceremony
Have played with Raging Brass, The Midnight Riders, and others.

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7. Corporate Events

A corporate event is a social or hospitality activity organized or funded by a business entity. The focus audience for corporate events can include but not be limited to employees, board members, stakeholders, customers/clients, and potential clients. The motivation for businesses to organize events may be to reward, motivate, celebrate, educate, manage organizational change, mark milestones, or encourage collaboration.

Here's how professional musicians use corporate events:

Perform as a solo act and with various bands for weddings and corporate events in the Pittsburgh area
Charged with maintaining bookings for restaurants, corporate events, and weddings for Fast Hands Blues Band.

8. Folk

Here's how professional musicians use folk:

Composed choral music and string quartets, as well as folk songs and rock.

9. Symphony Orchestra

Here's how professional musicians use symphony orchestra:

Perform regularly with symphony orchestras and rock bands
Performed percussion for various recordings, performances, and the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra.

10. Private Parties

Here's how professional musicians use private parties:

Performed in arenas, clubs, outdoor festivals, fairgrounds, restaurants, weddings and private parties.
Organized various musicians for weddings, fundraisers, and private parties.

11. Book Events

Here's how professional musicians use book events:

Joined efforts with other bands and musicians to create and book events for local and out of state shows.

12. Private Events

Here's how professional musicians use private events:

Lead Guitarist Musician/Entertainer Scheduled Private Events Managed Bookings Developed partnerships with local businesses to secure third party promotions.
Performed over 200 gigs at restaurants, bars and private events and released an album on iTunes.

13. NYC

NYC stands for New York City.

Here's how professional musicians use nyc:

Design flyers for distribution throughout NYC to highlight upcoming events and increase fan base.

14. Sound Equipment

Here's how professional musicians use sound equipment:

Gained experience performing, recording, producing, composing, editing, and use of professional sound equipment
Assist with set up and break down of all band and sound equipment.

15. Promotional Materials

Promotional material is any document or article - written, printed, graphic, electronic, audio, or video presentation, distributed or made available in whole or in part on behalf of a product, cause, idea, person, or business for promotion, advertisement, announcement or direction. Promotional materials are used to make a business stand out from its competitors and to engage the target audience.

Here's how professional musicians use promotional materials:

Market the band's name through online networking and by creating physical promotional materials.
Proofed and approved production and printing drafts of promotional materials.

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What skills help Professional Musicians find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on professional musician resumes?

Bill Boris

Associate Chair, Coordinator of Guitar and Bass Studies, Fusion Ensemble Director, Columbia College Chicago

Performance: All professional musicians should have a website that includes a bio, a list of noted performances, recording credits, teaching experience, and, most importantly, videos of live performances. A musician's skill and talent are evident in the first 10 seconds of a video.

Teaching/Theater: A resume for a teaching position should include education and past teaching experience. A degree from a highly regarded music school will stand out. Graduate assistantships and other teaching experience also are extremely important to potential employers. Musical directors from theater companies are looking for a list of past productions. Musicians who perform theater work are often recommended by music directors or other theater musicians.

A positive letter of recommendation is crucial for both teaching positions and theater work. (I just wrote a letter of recommendation for a former student who was being considered for the national tour of TOOTSIE.)

What soft skills should all professional musicians possess?

Bill Boris

Associate Chair, Coordinator of Guitar and Bass Studies, Fusion Ensemble Director, Columbia College Chicago

Musicians often work in various settings with different ensembles. It's essential to be punctual, creative, collaborative, and affable, polite, open-minded, positive, flexible, and empathetic. It also helps to have a good sense of humor.

What hard/technical skills are most important for professional musicians?

Bill Boris

Associate Chair, Coordinator of Guitar and Bass Studies, Fusion Ensemble Director, Columbia College Chicago

Technical proficiency on one's instrument is paramount. The ability to read music and learn music by ear, the ability to mimic or copy, and proficiency in various genres of music are all essential hard skills.

What professional musician skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Brandon Matthews Ph.D.

Chair and Professor of Music Director of Orchestral Activities Metropolitan State University of Denver, Metropolitan State University of Denver

Maximizing salary potential for musicians typically requires us to be able to do many things. It is not enough to simply play an instrument or sing well; now musicians need to be able to act as teachers, communicators, promoters, marketers, and entrepreneurs. The more skills you have in your tool box, the more access you have to revenue.

What type of skills will young professional musicians need?

A.J. Merlino

Associate Dean, Albright College

I believe young graduates need to be well versed in all areas of the music industry. New graduates in music should understand how the entertainment industry ecosystem works, balancing artistry, business, and technology. Specifically, understanding intellectual property law, event promotion, marketing, artist management, music production/engineering, composing/songwriting/arranging, and technical mastery of their instrument(s). Relevant knowledge of hardware and software such as ProTools, Ableton, Logic, Sibelius, Artist Growth, and Photoshop to reinforce the aforementioned content areas will allow students to apply their knowledge. Besides skills directly related to the entertainment industry, employers will be looking for competencies in critical thinking, oral/written communication, teamwork/collaboration, digital technology, and leadership.

Do you want to know more?

List of professional musician skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a professional musician resume and required skills for a professional musician to have include:

Live Performances
Music Venues
Music Theory
Songwriting
Keyboard
Brass
Corporate Events
Folk
Symphony Orchestra

Private Parties
Book Events
Private Events
NYC
Sound Equipment
Promotional Materials
Live Shows
YouTube
Cello

CDS
East Coast
Studio Sessions
Pro Tools
Classical Music
Caribbean
Live Audiences
Musical Equipment

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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Professional Musician Skills

Updated January 8, 2025

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