Music Resume Example

If you’re applying for a position as a musician, your resume will be structured differently than the average resume. In many ways, your resume will be far more straightforward and simple to write.

Follow these tips to ensure that you’re getting called in for more auditions.

Begin with Relevant Employment History

Write your experience in reverse-chronological order. This means that your experience should be written from most recent to least recent. 

List all of your work experience related to performance. Include the following information:

• The year(s) you played
• The organization you played/worked for
• The instrument you played
• The section you played in or role you played (and chair, if relevant)
• Whether you were a sub, or a regular player

Here’s how that information can be formatted:

2017- Utica Symphony Orchestra, Utica, NY (first violin section; orchestra is currently without contract)

Because this person is a professional musician, in this case “relevant employment history”  means when they were first hired professionally and paid for their work. 

The key is enticing the hiring managers to call you in for an audition.

Include an Awards/Other section

If you’ve won any awards or participated in other music related activities, including them on your resume will increase your chances of being called in for an audition.

The example from the resume looks like this:

2015                            Winner, American University Concerto Competition

2014                         Concertmaster, American University Symphony Orchestra

Listing your awards is an excellent way of conveying your competence with your instrument on your resume.

SEE ALSO> Musician Cover Letter Sample

Finish with an Education Section

Even if your education is not related to music or performance, include it on your resume. As it happens, the candidate in this resume has a B.A. in Music, and a M.M. in Performance.

Remember that you should only include your high school if you did not attend college. However, your music related experience in high school is still relevant if you’ve only recently graduated.

By following these resume tips, and modeling your resume on this sample, you will be called in for more auditions.

So prepare yourself for the audition, get your fingers relaxed and loose, and break a leg!