Musician
Have you been learning to play a musical
instrument for years? Did you play in the school orchestra or sing in the school
musical? If you're passionate about music and feel you've got talent, think
about pursuing a career in the
music industry.
Some musicians are versatile and play one or more instruments in
a variety of musical styles, while others specialise in a particular style, form
or genre. They may perform as soloists or as members of a musical group, such as
an orchestra or a band, to entertain an audience. Musicians need to be skilled
in playing their instrument before they can work. Skills are gained on the job
through practice, training, rehearsals and performance. They may teach music,
work freelance or by contract and often have to supplement their income by other
work. They also need to know how to promote themselves and manage
finances.
CUS60101 Advanced Diploma of Music
The focus of this qualification is on the development of
high-level skills and knowledge in the composition, interpretation, performance
and analysis of music, as well as strategies for developing an on-going career
in the music industry.
What you can expect in a training
program
While each course may differ in emphasis, the core of any
program will involve learning about the music industry and issues around
copyright. You will also be practising and refining your technique on your
chosen instrument(s) and learning about working safely and observing all
security procedures. A typical Advanced Diploma of Music training program would
include:
Musicianship
- Refining performance technique and expanding
repertoire;
- Performing accompaniment;
- Performing improvisation for an audience;
- Applying music knowledge and artistic judgement;
and
- Planning and preparing a program for
performance.
Music theory and
composition
- Analysing harmony;
- Analysing music;
- Creating original music; and
- Interpreting and creating music for a brief.
Career development
- Promoting yourself;
- Working with other musicians in a group; and
- Providing instrumental or vocal tuition.
Qualifications and competency standards
For information on the structure of qualifications and the
detail of competency standards:
- Go to the National Training Information Service website.
- Select 'Training Packages' and type CUS01 into the Training
Package Code search field.
- Select 'Qualification Packaging Rules' to view all
qualifications, or 'Units of Competency' to view the content of
units.
What other options do I have?
There are no hard and
fast rules about making it as a musician. With a Certificate IV in Music, you
have a good chance of playing local gigs and starting to build up your
experience. If you want to pursue a career in classical music or composition,
you'll need to complete further study at a university or conservatorium.
Where can I do training?
You'll find TAFE and other colleges on the national database of
Registered Training Organisations - here's how it works:
- At the NTIS website
select
courses/qualifications.
-
In the
'course/qualification code' field type CUS60101 and on the next
screen click Advanced Diploma of Music.
- On the next screen click 'Training Providers' and then search
by state or nationally.
Further information
For more information, visit the websites below, talk to the
careers teacher at your school, go to Open Days at TAFE colleges and
universities and visit their websites.
Useful websites
For industry
information, search the Australian Government's Culture and Recreation Portal. There you will find links to thousands of websites across all areas
of the arts, entertainment, media and publishing industries. You might also
like to visit the Music Council of
Australia website.
Career and
employment information websites
myfuture
Job Guide
Australian JobSearch
Australian Apprenticeships or call the hotline on
1800 639 629
Australian
Apprenticeships Training Information Service
Get Access
WageNet
Back to Overview of Music Training
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