Hey fellow musicians and future music educators: do you have a music resume? If not, it’s about time to create one! That general list of your high school accomplishments and two retail jobs that you created for your first-year experience course needs a major update. There will come a time in your career when you’ll need a go-to document that contains all your music info in one place. Follow this step by step guide for creating your music resume:
- Start with your name and instrument.
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People need to know who you are and what you play. Put this at the very top of the resume in bold font. Don’t forget to add your home address, email address, and cell phone number!
- Share your ensemble experience.
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Include the name of the group, your role, the city where you performed, and the dates of your participation. Some musicians create two separate sections for small/chamber ensembles versus large ensembles. The choice is yours! Just make sure to put your most recent experiences up towards the top of the list.
- Highlight your solo performances.
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Similarly, make sure to include the name of the venue/event, your role, the city you performed in, and the date you played. In this case, it may be helpful to indicate what the solo was for. Did you perform a recital? Was it part of a competition? Were you accompanied by an orchestra? Feel free to include repertoire if you are a performance major!
- Show off your scholarships and awards.
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Don’t be shy! Write down any awards – major or minor (music pun intended) – that you’ve received in recognition of your accomplishments. These can range from superior ratings received at solo and ensemble contests to international competitions. There’s no shame in adding all your collegiate scholarships as well even if they’re not specifically music related!
- Hint at your servant’s morality with a list of volunteer experiences.
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Include all your music volunteerism. Did you play cello at your grandma’s church for Christmas Eve? Did you perform in an ensemble that your friend created for their composition recital? Don’t forget the group name, role, city, and date here as well.
- Talk about your employment.
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Ideally, this section is filled with music-related jobs, but other employment from high school through now can be included. Don’t forget your regular gigs with bands or other ensembles. Add a reference person and their contact information if you’d like!
- Conclude with your education.
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Start this section by stating what degree you’re currently pursuing and where you’re studying. Put your high school diploma below along with any certificates/degrees you’ve obtained from college thus far. Underneath your education, create a section containing all the private teachers, chamber music coaches, and conductors you have worked with and learned from. Feel free to mention any other music mentors. Note that graduate programs will be looking at this section especially!