Education · 1 of 4

The path

There is no qualification. There is only whether people will hire you.

1. 1

   Play constantly

   Grades 6 to 12

   Lessons, ensembles, a band, a church group, youth orchestra. The hours you put in before 18 are the foundation for everything after.

2. 2

   Start getting paid

   16 and up

   Function gigs, church services, pit orchestras, background music. Small money, but you learn to show up prepared and on time.

3. 3

   Decide about a degree

   0 or 4 years

   A music degree buys you four years of concentrated practice, teachers and a network. It buys you no job. Many players skip it, and many wish they had not.

4. 4

   Build a name in one scene

   2 to 5 years

   Reliable players get called again. Reputation inside a single city does more for you than talent nobody has heard.

5. 5

   Add income streams

   Ongoing

   Teaching, recording, arranging, producing, touring. Nearly every full-time musician has three or four.