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A Career in Composition Today in America, more than 12.3 million people are unemployed and cannot make money (US Department of Labor, 2). I personally dont want to be one of these people. There are so many opportunities in the world and all I have to do is find one that works for me. I am interested in a career in music composition. According to the ACT Plan test, I would be successful doing a job involving computers or some sort of science. The two actually fit together because computers are used a lot by composers and while music is definitely an art, it is also a refined science. I think I am a good fit for a career in composing because of job availability, the nature of the profession, having the required qualifications, the available places to get an education, the broad spectrum of jobs I could branch out to, the great things I can benefit from, and the many ways for me to advance in the future. Ever since there has been music, there have been composers. At first, music was passed on as a tradition, but eventually there became a need to write music down. The first person to do this was a monk named Guido d'Arezzo around 1000 A.D. (Hawes). Most of the music that is heard today was written down, and it probably wouldnt have been so well preserved if it hadnt been written down. For example, we might not have the music of classical masterminds like Mozart, Beethoven, and Bach if they hadnt written their work down. Even though music has changed stylistically since the time of these great composers, it is still written with very similar methods and symbols. It should be fairly easy to find a job as a composer. In 2006, there were about 68,000 jobs for composers. The employment rate for composers is growing at a rate of 13%, so there will be about 77,000 jobs in 2016 ("Music Composition and Arrangement Careers"). There are higher concentrations of jobs for composers in California, Tennessee, and New York ("Music Directors

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and Composers"). This is probably because there are big musical hubs in these states. California has Hollywood, Tennessee has Nashville and Music Row, and New York has Broadway. Composers are not always constrained to what other people want them to do. Composers wont always have set hours, but might have deadlines for big important projects. The main task composers have set before them is, thats right, composing. Composers are artists, and like other types of artists, tent to get sucked in to a project, and they dont rest until they are satisfied with its completion. This dedication and drive can occasionally lead to some odd hours. On the outside composers dont have to be anything special. Theres no one required personality or look that comes with the job. No certain level of health is required either. One thing a composer does need, is talent, and lots of it. Composers also need a love and passion for music. To be a composer one must have the utmost dedication, and this is easily achieved with love and passion. In addition to this strong mental state, it would be nice for a composer to have at least a Bachelors degree. Even though it is not required, a degree of any kind will propel a person much farther in his career. For a career in composition, one should start preparing in high school. By participating in choir and band, a person learns about different aspects of music and the different types of it. Taking lessons for an instrument like piano outside of school greatly improve ones musical ability. Once a person finishes high school, they will need to attend a college. Some colleges that offer an exceptional education in music are Belmont University and the Berklee College of Music. Belmont costs about $35,000 per year ("Student Financial Services 2012-2013 Cost Estimator") and Berklee costs about $63,000 per year ("Cost of Attendance"). Although both colleges provide education in music, a person is accepted in two very different ways. Belmonts

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system is like most colleges in that acceptance is largely based on grades but also incorporates talent; acceptance into Berklee however, is solely based on talent. Once one is adequately educated in composition, he can start looking for a job. Some of the many places composers can get jobs are large churches, schools, performing arts companies, and in the motion picture industry ("Music Composition and Arrangement Careers). The average salary for composers is about $47,000, but this number ranges anywhere from $22,000 to $112,000. Once a person is established in his career as a composer, there arent very many expenses other than travel. There might however be startup costs for special equipment in the ballpark of a few thousand dollars. A composer can gain many things from his career other than money. Like most other people in other career paths, a composer can gain experience and prestige for doing his job well. Extremely talented composers have won coveted awards like Grammys and Golden Globes. Composers can make connections with influential people in the business to send them farther in their career. Above anything, a composer will have happiness and satisfaction about his work since he loves what he does so much. Composers do have some great ways to advance in their careers. There are definitely different calibers of compositional ability, and the only thing that holds a composer back is himself. Advancing doesnt necessarily require extra training, but it does require experience and connections. When a composer does get an opportunity to advance in his career, there will probably be added work like more songs to write. To advance, one does not necessarily need more schooling because he will have learned about new and changing types of music as they emerged, and will have adapted to them.

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I think composing is a good career for me because of job availability, the nature of the profession, having the required qualifications, and the available places to get an education. The broad spectrum of jobs I could branch out to, the great things I can benefit from, and the many ways for me to advance in the future also make this a great career. Studying this career with a more refined thought process has convinced me to keep going on the path to being a composer. Music is one thing I have a love and passion for and I want to do it for the rest of my life.

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Works Cited "Cost of Attendance." Berklee.edu. Berklee College of Music, n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2013. <http://www.berklee.edu/financial-aid/cost-of-attendance.html>. Hawes, Neil V. "History of Notation." Neilhawes.com. Neil Hawes, n.d. Web. 07 Feb. 2013. <http://neilhawes.com/sstheory/theory22.htm>. "How to Become a Music Conductor: Education and Career Roadmap." Education-Portal.com. Education Portal, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2013. <http://educationportal.com/articles/How_to_Become_a_Music_Conductor_Education_and_Career_Road map.html>. "Music Composition and Arrangement Careers." ELearnPortal.com. ELearnPortal, n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2013. <http://www.elearnportal.com/careers/art-and-design/music-composers-andarrangers>. "Music Directors and Composers." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 27 Mar. 2012. Web. 25 Jan. 2013. <http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes272041.htm>. "Student Financial Services 2012-2013 Cost Estimator." Belmont.edu. Belmont University, 15 Mar. 2012. Web. 7 Feb. 2013. <http://www.belmont.edu/sfs/pdf/sfs-cost-estimator2012.pdf>. US Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Employment Situation- January 2013. Bls.gov. US Department of Labor, 1 Feb. 2013. Web. 1 Feb. `2013. <http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf>.