Popular Musician

Popular musicians play in bands, as solo musicians or as session musicians. They might be involved in rock, pop, jazz, country and western, world or easy listening music.

They sing and/or play one or more musical instruments either live on stage or to record music for CDs or web broadcasts. They may compose their own work, use material written by someone else or perform covers of other musicians’ work.

Popular musicians have to work hard at developing their musical skills. They practise for many hours at a time and attend regular rehearsals. They might also include dance and movement as part of their performance.

When performing live, they might play to passers-by in the street or to huge crowds in a stadium, depending on how successful and well-known they become.

It is currently the trend for artists to move away from recording in studios. Many are now recording on home-based equipment, so it can be useful for musicians to have knowledge of computer programs, such as Cubase.

To achieve success in this very demanding business, musicians need a combination of outstanding talent, determination and luck. Initially, many popular musicians find it necessary to combine playing music or singing with other jobs.

Hours and environment

Popular musicians work long and irregular hours, including evenings and weekends. Any spare time is often spent learning music, practising or looking for new work. When performing, they might have a rehearsal with other musicians during the afternoon, followed by the performance in the evening. Recording work in a studio often takes many hours and frequently continues late into the night.

Popular musicians can spend a great deal of time travelling in Ireland or abroad. They need to have their own transport, and if part of a group, they may need a van and possibly a road crew.

Working environments vary greatly, and include arts centres, pubs, clubs, restaurants, theatres, hotels and concert halls. Some large concerts and festivals are held outdoors, in parks, arenas or stately homes. Venues are often noisy.

Salary and other benefits

Rates of pay vary widely and depend on the type of work and the experience of the musician. Only a few people achieve high incomes. Musicians are often self-employed, experiencing gaps between periods of work. Many earn less than the national average wage, often supplementing their income with other work. Individuals and bands will often undertake gigs for little or nothing, simply to gain experience, build up a fan base and get themselves known on the circuit, which can lead to paid work. Some venues only pay bands a nominal fee.

Skills and personal qualities

A popular musician needs to:

have great musical talent and an individual style
be resourceful, independent and determined
be able to cope with criticism and rejection
be prepared to work long and irregular hours
be prepared to spend a lot of time practising
have business, financial or marketing skills
be able to read music (not always essential, but useful for those who want to work as session musicians).

Interests

It is important to:

have a real love of music
enjoy performing to an audience.

Getting in

Very few people work as full-time popular musicians in Ireland; most work on a part-time basis. There is intense competition, and many people never achieve their ambition.

Much of the work is based in Dublin and other major cities. Almost all musicians combine their work as a performer with another job.

Entry routes

It is very difficult to make a first break into the music industry as a performer, and there is no set training for popular musicians. Organisations such as Music Generation create rich and diverse ways for participants to engage in vocal and instrumental tuition delivered by skilled professional musicians, across all musical genres and styles.

Individuals and bands can approach record and music publishing companies with a demo CD of their work. There are also talent competitions. Some musicians make their work available via the web to build a fan-base in the hope of being spotted.

There are many courses and qualifications available in popular music, including

Royal Irish Music Academy of Music Access Course

University of Limerick Certificate in Music and Dance

Cork Institute of Technology Bachelor of Music (Hons)