Administrator

Music stores, studios, labels and companies require organized administration to ensure their smooth operation. Basic business skills and an interest in the industry are strong assets for someone considering music administration.

• Trebas Institute
• Memorial University of Newfoundland Faculty of Business Administration
• CNA (College of the North Atlantic)

Agent

An agent works to book gigs, negotiate riders and payment for the artist. An agent works between the manager (or artist) and venue to setup the best gig possible for all parties concerned. A good agent needs to have strong people skills and know how to sell their 'product' (the artist) to the venue.

Broadcaster

People with strong public speaking skills are likely to make a good fit in the industry, filling the roles of radio announcers, emcees, and television hosts. In addition, there are many other positions which appear 'behind the scenes' in the broadcasting industry, all of which are very important to the operations of the industry itself.

• Ryerson Polytechnical University
• CNA (College of the North Atlantic)

Composer

New music is constantly in demand for movies, commercials, television shows, radio, and even public performance. Musicians with a natural sense of melody, and a strong theoretical knowledge can make great composers.

Post-secondary studies for composers:

CNA (College of the North Atlantic)
Stephenville, NL

• Memorial University School of Music
• University of Toronto School of Music
• Memorial University School of Music
• CNA (College of the North Atlantic) - Music Industry and Performance
• CNA (College of the North Atlantic) - Recording Arts

Distributor

An artist's product is of little use if it does not somehow get from the artist to the consumer. Distribution companies fulfill this task by taking the artist's product, be it CD, LP, book or video, and distributing it to retailers across a greater amount of territory than the artist would otherwise be able to reach.

• CNA (College of the North Atlantic) - Music Industry and Performance
• CNA (College of the North Atlantic) - Recording Arts

Graphic Artist

Graphic representation is often the first impression that a consumer gets of any given musician's work. Visual artists are important in developing effective album jackets, posters and other forms of advertising. The graphic artist will work with the musician and strive to create images which accurately represent what the musician's work is about.

Post-secondary studies for graphic artists:

• International Academy of Design

Journalist

Print media is an important tool that any music artist will want to make use of in order to promote their product. In order for it to work effectively, a good music journalist will work with the artist to create something that all parties can be proud of. A strong literary writer with a good musical sense and clear ideas can make a great music journalist. Artists need their work reviewed and written about in order to promote their product, and ultimately to sell albums and gain an audience.

Post-secondary studies for music journalists:

CNA (College of the North Atlantic)
Newfoundland & Labrador

• Ryerson Polytechnical University
• CNA (College of the North Atlantic)

Legal Professional

Music attorneys are important for, among other things, ensuring that the artist's rights are well protected. A music attorney deals with contracts between artists and labels/studios/companies/venues/etc. In addition, a music attorney can act as a business hub for his client, and handle all of the monies related to his/her client.

Post-secondary studies for music lawyers:

• University of Toronto Faculty of Law
• Queens University Faculty of Law
• Dalhousie University Law School

Lighting Technician

Lighting is a crucial part of any live show. Without proper lighting, a show would be much less visually stimulating. A good lighting technician will be able to match lighting changes to what is happening musically, which is very effective in creating a more exciting experience for the audience.

• CNA (College of the North Atlantic) - Music Industry and Performance
• CNA (College of the North Atlantic) - Recording Arts

Manager

A manager takes care of all of the day-to-day business dealings of an artist. A manager will be responsible for contacting record companies, booking agents, and the like. Beyond this, a manager can be very useful in maintaining a strong public relations profile, and even helping to plan the course of an artist's entire career. A good manager will have good business sense and strong inter-personal skills.

Post-secondary studies for managers:

• Musitechnic Educational Services
• Grant MacEwan Community College
• CNA (College of the North Atlantic) - Music Industry and Performance
• CNA (College of the North Atlantic) - Recording Arts

Manufacturer

The final stage of album production, aside from sales and promotion, is manufacturing. The album has to be printed onto CD or LP, the art has to be printed and the complete package has to be assembled. While this role requires no musical ability whatsoever, it can be very rewarding to oversee an artist's vision finally turning into a tangible product.

Merchandiser

A merchandiser pays a fee to produce and distribute artist-related merchandise at concert venues and other locations. In return for this privilege, the merchandiser has the opportunity to make a great deal of money. Typical items would include t-shirts, posters, pins, hats, and so-on. The merchandiser is, at the independent artist level, typically an independent company specializing in apparel of various forms. At the signed artist level, record companies will often have merchandising provisions included in the recording artist's contract. Artist-related merchandise is a huge source of revenue and promotion in the music industry, and as such is very important to the artists and consumers alike

Music Industry Professionals

We have compiled a short list of some of the more popular careers pertaining to music, and have included for your reference a brief description of the career, as well as some potential institutions for post-secondary studies in some of these fields. These are by no means the only schools in Canada offering such programs, but are simply some of the more well-known institutions.

In addition, the following link is helpful for finding information on careers in music in general:

• Careers Directory
• CNA (College of the North Atlantic) - Music Industry and Performance
• CNA (College of the North Atlantic) - Recording Arts

Music Therapist

An increasingly popular field, music therapy is a special form of therapy which uses various forms of music to relax and 'heal' the client/patient. Music therapy uses such methods as receptive listening, musical improvisation, song writing, lyric discussion, music and imagery, and music performance as treatment for the client/patient. It is the music therapist's job to facilitate this process for the client/patient, and to assess their needs and progression within the program.

Post-secondary studies for music therapists:

• Nordoff Robbins Center for Music Therapy
• Waterloo University Music Therapy Honours Program
• University of Windsor School of Music

Performer

A fairly self-evident job description, music performers are proficient at their instrument and style or styles of music and make a living either in a band, as a front person, or as a backup musician. A reasonable level of self confidence is required to succeed in this field, as well as a great deal of talent.

Post-secondary studies for performers:

• The Royans School for the Musical Performing Arts
• McGill University School of Music
• University of Toronto School of Music
• St. Francis of Xavier University School of Music
• Memorial University School of Music
• CNA (College of the North Atlantic) - Music Industry and Performance
• CNA (College of the North Atlantic) - Recording Arts

Producer

A producer works with the artist and engineer to facilitate the creative process of album writing and recording. A producer has to be an original, creative thinker with the strongest of musical sense, and the ability to step back and envision what the finished product will be. A producer should never cause stress to the artist he or she is working with, and should strive to make the studio process as pleasant as possible, making the best of communication skills essential.

• Musitechnic Educational Services
• Harris Institute for the Arts
• Trebas Institute
• CNA (College of the North Atlantic) - Music Industry and Performance
• CNA (College of the North Atlantic) - Recording Arts

Promoter

Concerts do not organize themselves. They require a great deal of work and dedication on the part of the promoter in order to take place. The promoter's primary job is to ensure that people are aware of a concert well in advance of it taking place, and to do everything possible to ensure a good turnout through advertising, ticket sales and giveaways. A promoter takes a cut of revenues in return for his efforts.

Publicist

A publicist works with an artist's manager to create a public profile that is commercially effective and true to the artist's persona. A publicist not only promotes the artist's work, in terms of concerts and recordings, but also maintains the artist's public profile to ensure that the artist retains some dignity and privacy, and is free from controversy, or surrounded by it, depending on the artist!

Publisher

Getting one's music published is one of the most important issues facing songwriters. Having a published catalogue can provide a great deal of income to a songwriter, whether they themselves are performing it or not. Publishing a songwriter's work makes it available to a plethora of artists and ensures that the songwriters get all of the credit and financial compensation they are due.

Record Label

Record labels provide the artist with the financial resources to produce albums, and generally have a distribution system in place to get the product to the public. In return for this, the label will generally take a cut of the artist's profits and will, of course, have sole recording rights over that artist. Major record labels are highly commercial, highly competitive entities which aren't very accessible to emerging artists. Independent labels represent a more attainable goal for emerging artists, and are also a realistic start-up business opportunity.

Recording Engineer

A recording engineer is the studio equivalent of a live sound technician. The recording engineer operates the recording equipment (such as ADAT machines, mixing software, Pro Tools, etc.) and is responsible for setting up and getting a good sound out of all of the instruments and voices to be recorded. A recording engineer works very closely with the producer and the artist to make sure that studio time is used efficiently and effectively.

• Trebas Institute
• Recording Arts Canada
• Ontario Institute of Audio Recording Technology
• Harris Institute for the Arts
• CNA (College of the North Atlantic) - Music Industry and Performance
• CNA (College of the North Atlantic) - Recording Arts

Songwriter

A songwriter must be an intelligent and skilled literary writer who has intelligent and unique ideas, and the skills to communicate them effectively. Songwriters frequently work in pairs or groups with one person working on the lyrical content and one person working on the musical portion, depending on the strengths of the individual writers. A good lyric writer will be a generally intelligent, well rounded individual with something interesting to say, and a good idea of how to say it.

Post-secondary studies for songwriters (see also: Composers):

• St. Francis of Xavier University School of Music
• Memorial University of Newfoundland Faculty of Arts
• CNA (College of the North Atlantic) - Music Industry and Performance
• CNA (College of the North Atlantic) - Recording Arts

Sound Technician

Live sound staff are the most important part of any concert, next to the performers themselves. The importance of a well-trained, knowledgeable sound tech cannot be overstated. Becoming a good sound tech requires years of study and practice, a great deal of musical knowledge, and great communication skills for dealing with the performers. A good sound technician will make the live experience flow very naturally for the performer, and will never interfere with the band's natural sound. When bands find a sound tech with whom they are very comfortable, it is very common for them to hire that sound technician on a permanent or exclusive basis. It is highly beneficial for all parties involved if the sound technician is very efficient and tuned in to what the band needs.

Post-secondary studies for sound technicians:

• Banff Centre for the Arts
• Harris Institute for the Arts
• CNA (College of the North Atlantic) - Music Industry and Performance
• CNA (College of the North Atlantic) - Recording Arts

Studio

Recording studios have to know what sounds good, and how to achieve that sound. A studio is built around a recording engineer (or several) and a producer, along with a business management staff. A good studio is a comfortable place for the artist to spend time and be creative.

For post-secondary suggestions, see Recording Engineer and Producer

• CNA (College of the North Atlantic) - Music Industry and Performance
• CNA (College of the North Atlantic) - Recording Arts

Talent Buyer

A talent buyer has to have a finger on the pulse of the music consuming public, and enough musical knowledge to know what works and what will be commercially successful. A talent buyer spends his or her time researching and listening to new acts in order to recruit them for tours, record labels, distribution deals and so-on. This is an exciting and fast paced field which frequently incorporates a great deal of travel.

Video Director

Like a graphic artist, it is the video director's job to find a way to effectively convey an artist's song visually. Music videos are as important as radio air-play, if not more so, to an artist's commercial success and viability. A good video director will produce a video that is well integrated with the song and which will be very memorable to the viewer. This is a very creative profession with plenty of opportunity for expression.

• Trebas Institute
• Ryerson Polytechnical University
• York University Department of Film and Video
• CNA (College of the North Atlantic)