Music Resumes: what they are and why they’re important
Music resumes are important for any and every musician to have handy. Colleges will sometimes ask for applicants to submit one as part of the application and audition process. So, what are they, and why are they so important?
Simply put:
A music resume provides an overview of your current and past musical experiences and related professional experiences. Just like a regular resume, it should be a blueprint of who you are, only including relevant information to the position (or college program) you’re applying to.
Many musicians will have a few different types of resume, depending on what positions they’re applying for:
Performance resume: highlights ONLY your performance experiences, who your teachers are/were, competitions, summer music festivals, masterclasses, etc. This is used often when you’re preparing for auditions for graduate school, positions in a major orchestra, or a role in a production.
Teaching resume: highlights more of your education and work experiences, especially if you’re applying to be a music teacher at a school or music organization. This would also include any certifications and licenses you hold for teaching, and in what states.
Arts Administration resume: this one is more similar to a regular resume, but can also include performance experience as well. For the jobs that require you to have a music background or know how an orchestra works, this is a great opportunity to tie in your professional work experiences to your musical prowess.
For the purposes of this blog, we’ll focus on building a music resume that you can include in your college applications.
Building a resume, whether it’s for music or any other job, is an important skill to master.
First of all, why is including a music resume in your college applications important?
While the music resume probably won’t be looked at by an admissions officer, it almost certainly will be seen by a music faculty member! The faculty play a large part in deciding who gains admission to their studio and/or music program. By having a music resume for them to look at, they’ll be able to get to know you a bit more before hearing your audition or working with you in a sample lesson.
Consider a music resume to be one form of “demonstrated interest”. You’ve taken the time to gather up your performance information and format it into a nice resume for the faculty. It shows that you’re taking this whole process seriously (and a solid, well-practiced audition will help to emphasize that even more!). Finally, it shows that you’ve been actively participating in an activity that you’re passionate about over a long period of time.
On a more personal note, this is an awesome exercise for you to see everything that you’ve accomplished musically and how far you’ve come with your craft! Sometimes, when you’re in the thick of it all—practicing, rehearsals, concerts, recitals, auditions—it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. Give yourself a pat on the back for all your hard work!
Resume Elements
Okay, so what do you need to include in your music resume?
First things first: your name, email address, phone number, city, and state (probably don’t need your full address).
Next, list your PRIMARY instrument and how long you’ve studied on that instrument (or voice).
After you’ve listed the basic information, fill in these categories in reverse chronological order (most recent to oldest). You don’t need to use ALL of these categories, just the ones that apply to you. If possible, include month and year dates for each item.
Private teachers you’ve studied with (first and last name, date range you studied with them)
Master classes you’ve participated in (who was teaching the masterclass, where did it happen, what date)
Summer music festivals you’ve participated in
Any competitions you’ve participated in, plus any awards or honors you earned
Ensemble experiences (include chamber music, all-state orchestra/band/choir, youth symphony, high school ensembles, extra curricular ensembles, etc. Don’t forget to include what position you held, like concertmaster or 2nd trumpet, etc.)
Solo experiences (include the venue and dates)
What kind of piano experience you have (if your primary instrument is not piano)
What kind of music theory experience you have (did you take AP Music Theory in school? Taken any online courses?)
Extracurricular activities related to music, but not necessarily performing (i.e. member of NAfME, Tri-M, you are president of your orchestra club, held a instrument drive, volunteer at a local music organization, teach private lessons to beginners, etc.)
For composers, make a list of your compositions and their performances (or a selected list of compositions you’re most proud of), any commissioned works, your website address if you have one
For classical vocalists, include any roles you’ve played (opera or musical theater), choral experience, solo experience, etc.
Any secondary instruments you play, and your level of proficiency, especially if you play a well-known auxiliary instrument (i.e. your primary instrument is Alto Saxophone, but you also play Tenor and Bari Sax).
The DePaul School of Music has some pretty great resources to help you round out your music resume. Definitely check it out!
Formatting
Once you’ve gathered all this information, you can decide on how to format your music resume. There’s no one right way to do this. However, do keep your resume clean and simple—avoid extra design or formatting templates and choose a simple font. The easier it is to read and navigate, the happier college music faculty will be! Save your resume in PDF format, and name your file thoughtfully by including your first and last name, and perhaps the year you made it (i.e. KateBittnerMusicResume2024). This resume will be a “living” document, meaning that you’ll come back to it over time and add new accomplishments and experiences. You may even use it as a starting point when you want to create a performance resume.
Finally, a music resume can actually help to free up space in the Activities section in the Common App. By listing all of your musical accomplishments on a separate music resume, you can use your Activities section for the other things you’re involved in, like student council, work experiences, academic clubs, sports experience, and more.
Not majoring in music in college?
“But Kate, I don’t plan to major in music in college! At most I just want to participate in music as an extra curricular activity.”
I hear you! Even so, having a well-crafted music resume included in your application materials will likely be flagged by an admissions counselor and sent to the appropriate music faculty. If you want to participate in music as an extra curricular activity, it’s still a good idea to get to know the music faculty and ensemble directors. They will often be looking to fill ensembles with specific instruments or voice types, and by letting them know your experience so far, they can give you any information about auditioning for ensembles or any scholarship opportunities for non-music majors. You should always feel comfortable sending a music resume to the appropriate music faculty with a quick introduction to get on their radar.
If you’re reading this as a freshman or sophomore in high school (or a parent of a freshman or sophomore), my best advice is to start building this resume early! Now is a great time to gather old concert programs, get contact information from your teachers, and look back at what you’ve accomplished so far. While you don’t need to include actual concert programs in your music resume, keeping a record of the concerts you’ve performed in will help get you started with the important information. Don’t let that blank page intimidate you!
Need help building your music resume, or ideas on how to get more involved with music in your area? Let’s chat.
Here’s to a healthy and creative college search,
Kate Bittner
