What skills stand out on Studio Musician resumes?

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 Studio Musicians possess?

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 Studio Musicians?

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 Studio Musician skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

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 Studio Musicians need?

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.

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Studio 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 studio musician skills. We ranked the top skills for studio musicians based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 39.6% of studio musician resumes contained keyboard as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a studio musician needs to be successful in the workplace.

List of studio musician skills to add to your resume

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

Keyboard

Audio Production

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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Studio Musician Skills

Updated January 8, 2025

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