Table of Contents:

1. Music Resume Sample
2. Related Cover Letter
3. Musician Resume (Text Format)
4. Writing Tips for a Musician Resume

Music Resume Sample

The following music resume sample was submitted by a professional musician. Following their resume writing strategy will help you land more auditions. We explain how to write it below.

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SEE ALSO › Popular Resume Samples By Industry

Related Cover Letter

Musician Resume (Text Format)

1314 Hancock Road, Albany, NY 12816 • [email protected] • (272) 433-2432

• 2014- Schenectady Symphony Orchestra (third chair, first violin section)
• 2014- Glens Falls Symphony Orchestra (frequent sub)
• 2013- Catskill Symphony Orchestra, Oneonta, NY (frequent sub)
• 2013- Utica Symphony Orchestra, Utica, NY (first violin section; orchestra is currently without contract)
• 2013- Frequent freelance work in the New York Capital Region for Cohoes Music Hall, Hubbard Hall, Opera Theater, Kendor Music (recordings), Catskill Choral Society, Battenkill Choir, Willow String Quartet, Burnt Hills Oratorio, Octavo Singers, Lark Strings, Touch of Woodwinds, and area college orchestras (particularly a regular per-semester engagement with Skidmore College).
• 2009-12 Celebrated String Quartet, Washington, DC (regular)
• 2008-9 Cherry Blossom String Quartet, Washington, DC (frequent sub)
• 2006-8 CHANDOS Orchestra, Washington Metropolitan Area (regular)
• 2005-8 Amadeus Orchestra, McLean, Virginia (regular)
• 2006 Charlottesville Strings, Charlottesville, Virginia (sub)
• 2005-6 Virginia Chamber Orchestra, Northern Virginia (regular)
• 2005-6 Alexandria Symphony Orchestra, Alexandria, Virginia (regular sub)
• 2005 Tour with Howard University’s step show team (Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.)
• 2004 Recording: “Orfeo’s Vigil” soundtrack for D.C. Independent Film Festival (Director Iwan Bagus)
• 2002 Violin Instructor at summer music camps, South Korea (Korean Talent Development Institute, Accel Corp., and Barun Music Education System)
• 1997 Metropolitan Civic Orchestra, Charleston, South Carolina (first violins)

2008 Winner, American University Concerto Competition

2006-7 Concertmaster, American University Symphony Orchestra

1998, 1999, 2001 Brevard Music Festival (and winner, South Carolina Federation of Music Clubs:

Brevard Music Festival Scholarship, 1998)

M.M. in Performance, Ithaca College (Graduated 2009; GPA 3.79)

B.A. in Music, American University (Graduated 2004; GPA 3.76)

Writing Tips for a Musician Resume

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:

2013-            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:

2008                            Winner, American University Concerto Competition

2006-7                         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!

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