Pop/Rock Musicians
Overview
Introduction
Pop/rock musicians perform in nightclubs, concert halls, on college campuses, and at live events such as festivals and fairs. They also record their music for distribution on CDs and the Internet. A pop/rock musician usually performs as a member of a band comprised of instrumentalists and vocalists. The band may perform original music or music composed and recorded by other artists or a combination of both. There are approximately 41,130 musicians and singers employed in the United States.
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
Even professionals with regular club dates have difficulty predicting how much money they will earn from one year to the next. And for those just starting out, many will earn nothing as they play clubs and events for free to establish themselves on the music scene. Their goal may be simply to get paying shows where they can earn enough money to cover their travel and promotion expenses. As grou...
Work Environment
Creative people can be a temperamental bunch, and some musicians can be difficult to get along with. Working closely with such people can at times create a tense or unpleasant environment. On the other hand, the opportunity to perform with talented musicians can be inspiring and offer opportunities to learn new things about music. Rehearsing requires a great deal of time and late hours, but can...
Outlook
There will always be thousands more rock and pop musicians than there are record contracts. But there will also always be opportunities for new performers with record companies and clubs. Record companies are always on the lookout for original sounds and talents. Even with a record deal, however, there are no guarantees of success. The music industry and the music-buying public have fickle tast...