| Instrumentalists That Play Musical Instruments |
|
Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music. An instrumentalist plays a musical instrument. Musicians and singers compose, sing, and play music. Musicians and singers also spend a lot of time practicing and rehearsing. Musicians and singers have to be able to go on stage in front of lots of people. Musicians play one or more musical instruments. Musicians typically perform at night and on weekends.
Musicians who play in concerts or in nightclubs and those who tour must have physical stamina to endure frequent travel and an irregular performance schedule. Musicians and singers also must be prepared to face the anxiety of intermittent employment and of rejection when auditioning for work. Musicians, singers, and related workers are employed in a variety of settings. Musicians are putting athletic demands on fine motor musculature and should similarly be religious about warming up before practice or performance.Many community centers and art centers also have bands or choirs. Regardless of the setting, musicians, singers, and related workers spend considerable time practicing, alone and with their bands, orchestras, or other musical ensembles. Choral directors lead choirs and glee clubs, sometimes working with a band or an orchestra conductor. Arrangers transcribe and adapt musical compositions to a particular style for orchestras, bands, choral groups, or individuals. They may gain valuable experience playing in a school or community band or an orchestra or with a group of friends. A session musician may come in and play on one song during a recording session, or they may join a band for an entire tour. When a session musician makes a one-off contribution during recording, the lines between the session musician and the band are quite clear and distinct to everyone involved, but when a band tours with session musicians on tour for a long period, it is easy for these lines to be blurred if there is not a clear agreement in place. Voice training and private instrumental lessons, especially when taken at a young age, also help develop technique and enhance one's performance. For these reasons, many musicians give private lessons or take jobs unrelated to music to supplement their earnings as performers. The development of listening, performing and composing skills is an intrinsic part of the lessons. The lessons include a series of basic studies in tuning methods, string and note identification, basic chords, chords progressions, strumming patterns, reading standard notation, tablature, and fundamentals of theory. Instrumental musicians, for example, may play in a symphony orchestra, rock group, or jazz combo one night, appear in another ensemble the next, and work in a studio band the following day. A conductor can simultaneously act as an instrumentalist in the ensemble. People who become musicians often learn how to play an instrument at an early age. Some of the most popular instruments are the guitar, piano, and drums. It helps any musician to learn to play more than one instrument. Some play a variety of string, brass, woodwind, or percussion instruments or electronic synthesizers. Music directors and conductors conduct, direct, plan, and lead instrumental or vocal performances by musical groups, such as orchestras, choirs, and glee clubs. Although most composers and songwriters practice their craft on instruments and transcribe the notes with pen and paper, some use computer software to compose and edit their music. Musicians need extensive and prolonged training and practice to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to interpret music at a professional level. Musicians who do not meet public school music education requirements may teach in private schools and recreation associations or instruct individual students in private sessions. Musicians must be knowledgeable about a broad range of musical styles as well as the type of music that interests those most. |
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|