Contra Costa College Music Department
2600 Mission Bell Drive
San Pablo, California, USA 94806
(510) 235-7800

Music Arranging/Composing

• Arranger
• Composer (Classical, Movie and TV, Computer and Video Games and Software)
• Copywriter (Employed by an advertising agency. Provides the spoken part of commercials, may create lyrics or ideas for jingles.)
• Jingle Writer (This songwriter specializes in writing short musical segments for advertisements. Usually contracted by an advertising agency. Might start as a free agent, then form a production company.)
• Librettist (Writes the script of a musical show.)
• Lyricist (Writes the poetic words to a tune)
• Songwriter

Arts Management

• General Manager/Managing Director for an orchestra or opera company: Oversees all aspects of the operation. Coordinates staff, develops membership programs.
• Music Director. Supervises the arranging staff of musical shows. Rehearses and conducts.

Music Education (Preschool, Elementary, Middle School, Secondary)

• General Music Teacher
• Instrumental Music Teacher
• Vocal Music Teacher

Music Education (College and University)

• Commercial Music
• Composition
• Conducting (Instrumental, Choral)
• Music Education
• Musicology
• Music Performance (Instrumental, Vocal)
• Music Therapy
• Recording Technology

Music Education (All Ages, Instrumental or Vocal)

• Private Music Teacher

Music Education (School Libraries or Music Departments)

• Music Librarian

Music Performance

• Chorister
• Conductor (Choral, Symphony)
• Performing Artist (Classical, Jazz, Popular Music...)
• Recording Artist (Classical, Jazz, Popular Music...)

Music Industry

• Audio Technician
• Business Manager/Accountant (Handles all financial affairs of a musician)
• Concert Promoter (Books performances, organizes events, liaison between musician, media, and the public)
• Electronic Music Technician (Diagnose, troubleshot, repair, and assemble electronic equipment and systems)
• Instrument Repair (String instruments, band instruments)
• Music Industry Attorney (Represents performers, negotiates legal aspects of contracts)
• Music Manager (employed by performing musician, may do accounting, decision-making, public relations, screen business deals, negotiate contracts, etc.)
• Music Retailer (Music instruments, sheet music, recordings, computer software and hardware)
• Piano Technician
• Piano Tuner
• Recording Engineer
• Record Producer (Oversees the making of a master recording from start to finish)
• Record Promoter (Persuades broadcaster and programming consultants to schedule their companies newest releases for playing on the air)
• Talent Agent (Obtains employment for musicians. Works independently or as an agent in a large firm)

Music in the Media

• Arts/Culture Editor for a newspaper (Supervises several critics who review artistic and cultural events. Writes, organizes the art pages.)
• Consultant (Studies programming of the radio station, performs audience research, provides data on similar stations. Submits reports to the radio station manager)
• Music Critic (Attends musical events and writes reviews for the next day’s paper)
• Music Director/Music Librarian for a radio station (Meets with promoters, screens products, conducts research to determine what recordings are appropriate for the station’s listeners.
• Stringer/Free Lance Writer (Called in to write for a newspaper when needed)
• Radio and TV Announcer
• Radio Station Manager

Music Therapy

• Music Therapist (Works with all ages and developmental levels, in private practice or on a hospital or school staff. Structures musical experiences to assist people in discovering their full potential and achieving desired behavioral changes.)

*Many of these job descriptions were found in Fink, Michael. Inside the Music Business. New York: Schirmer Books, 1989. Check this book out for more information

Music Department Homepage

Contra Costa College Website