Find a local band or musician you like and contact them to request an informal interview. Prepare questions in advance, but be ready to have a conversation where you share about your interests, too!

Career

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Interview a local band or musician.

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Education

Learn to play an instrument!

Musicians

Play one or more musical instruments in recital, in accompaniment, or as members of an orchestra, band, or other musical group.

Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Artistic

Second Interest High-Point

Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Enterprising

First Interest High-Point

Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Realistic

Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Social

Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Investigative

Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Conventional

Third Interest High-Point

Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed

Musicians, Instrumental

Musicians, Singers, and Related Workers

Musicians and Singers

Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations

Entertainers and Performers, Sports and Related Workers

Specialize in playing a specific family of instruments or a particular type of music.

Play musical instruments as soloists, or as members or guest artists of musical groups such as orchestras, ensembles, or bands.

Sight-read musical parts during rehearsals.

Audition for orchestras, bands, or other musical groups.

Provide the musical background for live shows, such as ballets, operas, musical theatre, and cabarets.

Transpose music to alternate keys, or to fit individual styles or purposes.

Promote their own or their group's music by participating in media interviews and other activities.

Make or participate in recordings in music studios.

Compose original music, such as popular songs, symphonies, or sonatas.

Practice musical instrument performances, individually or in rehearsal with other musicians, to master individual pieces of music or to maintain and improve skills.

Perform before live audiences in concerts, recitals, educational presentations, and other social gatherings.

Listen to recordings to master pieces or to maintain and improve skills.

Arrange and edit music to fit style and purpose.

Accordions

Acoustic guitars

Alto horns

Alto saxophones

Amplifiers

Autoharps

Bagpipes

Banjoes

Baritone horns

Bassoons

Bb clarinets

Bongo drums

Bugles

Capos

Cellos

Clavichords

Clip-on microphones

Cymbal stands

Digital tuners

Double basses

Drum mallets

Dulcimers

Electronic metronomes

English horns

Euphoniums

Finger picks

French horns

Guitar stands

Handbells

Harps

Harpsichords

Instrument mutes

Instrument tuning forks

Kettle drums

Laptop computers

Mandolins

Maracas

Marching bells

Marimbas

Mellophones

Musical cornets

Musical flutes

Musical organs

Oboes

Orchestral cymbals

Personal computers

Pianos

Piccolos

Sheet music stands

Sousaphones

String cutters

String winders

Stringed instrument bows

Synthesizers

Tablet computers

Timpani

Trombones

Trumpets

Tubas

Vibraphones

Violas

Violins

Wooden drum sticks

Xylophones

Apple GarageBand

Appointment scheduling software

Avid Technology Pro Tools

Avid Technology Sibelius

Blogging software

Email software

Facebook

Financial tracking software

Instagram

iZotope Ozone

MakeMusic Finale

Microsoft Word

Snapchat

Twitter

Web browser software

YouTube

I don't have a college degree, I left school, which was one of the most painful decisions I ever made.

Jazz Trumpeter/Founder

<p>: In a restaurant at the Grand Canyon, the Roadtrip Nation team unexpectedly books an interview with a documentary filmmaker named Bennie Klain in Texas. Then they head to New Orleans to interview jazz musician Irvin Mayfield. After this interview, the team heads across the bridge to the Ninth Ward, where they talk with Jim Pate, the executive director for Habitat for Humanity in the city, and then help to build houses.</p>

Austin - New Orleans

Believe me, when I first told people I wanted to play a trumpet, up trying to get a date with you. it's not like that was some great thing, and listen to Miles Davis note by note, six hours every day, to learn one solo that he played. was my passion I loved it. everybody else thought about it, decision to myself that whether if I made 

Passion

Passion For Music

The consistent thing that I find in everybody, even really a decision. I did it. I'm finding with everybody, who doing photography. pictures, they wasn't trying to hear it. about playing the trumpet. that noise, especially for us. your generation but for graduate school I gonna make this money, it's a different kind of thing. we want something very you know specific. want to hear about no, like a month and they're just like, No. about I want to go just write. just write and work on my, they want something that's tangible. You know I left school, most painful decisions I ever had to make is this gonna get me where I need to go? go get that degree, baby. >> [LAUGH] you need to go to graduate school. you need to go. with him it was always like, well? he was against it. taught me how to play. the look, my mother said. a person should follow their dreams. the level of disgust he had on his face. sitting with my head down like this. then he was like oh, well. man in reality it's down luck. same people be sitting there saying, 

Choices

Culture

Family

Pressure

Something Tangible

We're meeting Irving Mayfield, founder of the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra. what we're trying to do is, out some purpose and and things we wanna accomplish. to be the best we can be. figure out the benchmarks. do that nobody else can do? because that's the one thing you can you love it more than everybody else. people I wanted to play a trumpet, lining up trying to get a date with you. was some great thing, like, a lawyer. there was nothing hip about that. and listen to Miles Davis note by note, seven days a week, for six months, I like being able to that. I loved it, I wasn't so much concerned it, how I was make some money of off it. a decision to myself whether I made money that's what it all comes down to, it's the one you remember. with your careers, you're looking for you can just be yourself and of what you're doing is so high. foremost is what did this age mean to you? when you was our age? >> At 20 I had just done my first record since I was 14, so it took me roughly and this first record was the start. trying to succeed at such a young age? $400 a month and [LAUGH] it wasn't much, about it too, man if I could make it $400. man I got an extra hundred dollars. like I had to be successful. one person, now I sit down and they'll say man you're successful and in with nine Grammys. long as you know you're doing your best, what you're doing is a quality product, them to imitate what you've done, you're in the right line. that I'm finding everybody, this is what I like to do and I did it. I'm finding with everybody, was doing photography. pictures, they wasn't trying to hear it. about that, about playing the trumpet. that noise, especially for us. your generation. I'm going to graduate school. it's a different kind of thing, we want something very [LAUGH] specific. no, I wanna go to Europe for a month and just write, I wanna take a year and the average black family is not into that. school, I don't have a college degree, decisions I ever had to make between, me where I need to go? late to go get that degree baby. >> That is so true, that's my mom. you need to go to graduate school. well it doesn't matter if you want to go. he was against it. taught me how to play. she said, should follow their dreams. >> [LAUGH] he was, [LAUGH] I was like, and nah, like, this is terrible. Had my next move for money. it's your life. there saying, well you know. from my family, like, want to be a lawyer, on both sides. do it anymore it's gonna be like, yourself. it was how you should do it. have to write down those sacrifices, and is, my family's gonna be disappointed for maybe disappointed ever. that disappointment just kills them. making their parents happy. do what their parents tell them. my parents tell me to do. that yellow pad, what do I want to do. down the negative parts, how they play out. reassess it all the time. comes time to have that discussion. more prepared for the debate. in our home slash RV slash car smells like, and we're sorry [LAUGH]. one thing my mother always tells me. gets paid for what he would do for free. I play the trumpet for 

Confidence

Dedication

Determination

Focus

Individualism

Money & Financial Security

Planning

Simplicity

Success

Interview

My question, first and foremost is, what did this age mean to you? when you was our age, 20- >> At 20 I had just done my first record, wanted to do since I was 14. 6 years to get it started. trying to succeed at such a young age. make a living from it. I was real excited about it, too. I was like man, I got a extra $100. you know, I just, I have to be successful, for one person, I mean, I sit down and you're successful. in with like nine Grammys. 

Just Wanted To Play The Trumpet

[MUSIC] you're doing your best. what you're doing it's a quality product, them to imitate what you've done. you're in the right line. 

Doing Your Best

[LAUGH] >> As I always remember there's one thing she told me when I was 14, gets paid for what he would do for free. a living, life is good. 

Trumpet For A Living

So the quality, that's what it all comes down to, it's the one you remember. with your careers, you're looking for things you can just be yourself and of what you're doing is so high. 

Quality Is Priceless

I don't receive direct pressure from my family. I wanna be a lawyer on both sides. want to do it anymore, cost man cuz it's your life. yourself. did it was how you should do it. you have to write down those sacrifices. think about is my family is going years or maybe disappointed ever. just kills them. making their parents happy. doing what their parents tell them. my parents tell me to do. yellow pad I would just write down that, down the negative parts, how do they play out? you can go back to it and to have that discussion if you have to, the debate. 

Tailor Things For Yourself

I loved it. It's what I love. I could get up all day You know, listen to Miles Davis for six hours every day, for six months, that he played. I like being able to do it. that was my passion-- concerned about what Or how I was going to make As a matter of fact, to myself that whether I was gonna do it. is really high. When you have a quality you remember. in your life, with your careers, in yourself. extra added things. and that's okay, you're doing is so high. 

Irvin Mayfield

Jazz Trumpeter/Founder

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Irvin Mayfield

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