How to Format a Music Resume

A music resume is your chance to shine on paper.

Aspiring and experienced musicians should keep their music resumes formatted in anticipation of job changes. A music resume outlines the formal education, private lessons and concert experiences of a musician for the benefit of a conductor or department head. While a musician's craft is best understood during auditions, music resumes help ensembles and universities eliminate unqualified candidates. Whether you are a guitarist or a cellist, your music resume should reflect the same level of professionalism as your performances.

Things You'll Need

• Resume paper

Instructions

1. Start your music resume with your address, phone number and other contact information. If you are in a touring company or move frequently, highlight your email address and cell phone number to stay in touch with the reviewing party.

2. List your educational experiences from high school through college, starting with your most recent experience. Specify your area of specialty in college and graduate music programs to demonstrate your background in music theory.

3. Detail any private lessons and tutoring in music taken on top of formal education. Write down the instructor's name and contact information along with the focus of your lessons, starting with your most recent set of lessons.

4. List your primary instrument and proficiency levels in additional instruments. Address the number of years spent playing your primary instrument along with an estimate of your skills on additional instruments in this section.

5. Explain your experiences in composing original music when formatting your music resume. List the title of each work, venues where the work was performed and the instruments involved in this space. Include a provision that you will provide sheet music and accompanying materials upon request.

6. Create a consistent narrative for your musical career as you format the experience section of your music resume. Start with your current or most recent experience and include every solo, ensemble and teaching gig since the beginning of your professional music career. Highlight salaries for performances and teaching jobs in your resume to show what your music was worth to past employers.

7. Develop a list of references that can be sent out as an attachment with your music resume. Insert the names of private teachers, professors and conductors in your past, arranged alphabetically by last name. Contact your references before submitting the music resume to ensure that they are prepared to speak on your behalf.

Tips & Warnings

• Cite online concert programs and videos when possible to confirm your musical experiences. An increasing number of choirs, ensembles and universities offer free videos of concerts to show their talented performances. Create an addendum to your music resume with online links or PDF versions of concert programs that can be accessed easily by interested reviewers.

• Prepare to explain absences in your concert, ensemble and music teaching experiences laid out in your resume. If your career has been stalled by career changes and personal issues, reviewers may question your commitment to their projects.

Resources

• Lawrence University: Music Resume Form
• University of Wisconsin: Music Resume Sample