Find a professional recording studio near you and apply to become an intern. Even if it's sweeping the floors or getting coffee, interning will let you learn more about what goes on in a music studio.

Career

Day to Day

Become an intern at a music studio.

Make a list of 3 things you've always wanted to do but were scared to try, then choose one and brainstorm 3 small steps you can take to make it happen. Does breaking it down make it more manageable?

Face your fears.

Enroll in a music supervision class at your school, in your city, or online and explore the different elements of the field. Is this something you would be interested in majoring in?

Education

Take a class in music supervision!

Music Directors

Direct and conduct instrumental or vocal performances by musical groups, such as orchestras or choirs.

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

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

Second Interest High-Point

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

Social

Third Interest High-Point

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

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

Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed

Musicians, Singers, and Related Workers

Music Directors and Composers

Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations

Entertainers and Performers, Sports and Related Workers

Use gestures to shape the music being played, communicating desired tempo, phrasing, tone, color, pitch, volume, and other performance aspects.

Direct groups at rehearsals and live or recorded performances to achieve desired effects such as tonal and harmonic balance dynamics, rhythm, and tempo.

Plan and schedule rehearsals and performances, and arrange details such as locations, accompanists, and instrumentalists.

Consider such factors as ensemble size and abilities, availability of scores, and the need for musical variety, to select music to be performed.

Study scores to learn the music in detail, and to develop interpretations.

Position members within groups to obtain balance among instrumental or vocal sections.

Confer with clergy to select music for church services.

Transcribe musical compositions and melodic lines to adapt them to a particular group, or to create a particular musical style.

Audition and select performers for musical presentations.

Meet with soloists and concertmasters to discuss and prepare for performances.

Assign and review staff work in such areas as scoring, arranging, and copying music, and vocal coaching.

Perform administrative tasks such as applying for grants, developing budgets, negotiating contracts, and designing and printing programs and other promotional materials.

Plan and implement fundraising and promotional activities.

Coordinate and organize tours, or hire touring companies to arrange concert dates, venues, accommodations, and transportation for longer tours.

Collaborate with music librarians to ensure availability of scores.

Conduct guest soloists in addition to ensemble members.

Meet with composers to discuss interpretations of their work.

Engage services of composers to write scores.

Acoustic guitars

Audio interfaces

Computer laser printers

Conducting batons

Copy machines

Desktop computers

Electronic organs

Expression pedals

External hard drives

Flash drives

Foot switches

Handbells

Keyboard synthesizers

Laptop computers

Musical instrument digital interface MIDI sequencers

Personal computers

Pianos

Pipe organs

Portable loudspeakers

Sustain pedals

Tablet computers

Apple Final Cut Pro

Apple MainStage

Avid Audio Pro Tools

MediaShout

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Office

Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Publisher

Microsoft Word

MIDI Maestro

Music Director Pro

Being creative and delivering music to fit a vision while making all business workings come together is a challenge I face daily. It’s a never-ending puzzle that keeps us on our toes as so many different avenues of visual media come into the market.

What’s wonderful about my work is that no two days are alike. I read and breakdown scripts for music ideas, listen to new music sent my way to discover, review submitted music for select projects, interface with our record label distributor to organize releases…and of course, manage and negotiate any deals required.

President & Music Supervisor

<p>The US Team begins their roadtrip in Boston and head out to New York City to interview David Neeleman, CEO of JetBlue. Later they sit down with Tracy McKnight, music supervisor and president of Commotion Records. Also in New York, the team interviews Sam Ross, founder of Green Chimneys Children's School.</p>

Boston - New York City

Hello. >> Hi. >> I'm Tracy. >> Oh hi, I'm Santina. >> Hi, nice to meet you. >> No, it's not a, I can relate to all three of, and I had tons of different jobs when I was in college. Cocktail waitressing, being a flight attendant, temp work, teaching aerobics. I was on the boardwalk Spinning the wheel. And people place their quarters. Things I had not, no business doing. All of the sudden there was a light bulb that run off one day, and I went to see a film called the commitment. And I remember that was the first time I'd actually seen the job called a music supervisor. And I was like oh, that sounds good. >> Before you found your area, how dd you feel about the searching? Were you worried? >> I was worried. The thing is I saw a lot of my friends struggle with not trying in fear of what could be. And my thing, I've always had the personality that was like, I need to know. And I'm such a big believer in encouraging your own voice, because that's what makes you, you. 

Tracy McKnight Highlight

Before you found your area, how did you feel about the searching, were you worried? >> I was worried. The thing is I saw a lot of my friends struggle with not trying in fear of what could be. And my thing I've always had the personality like I need to know. And I'm such a big believer in encouraging your own voice, because that's what makes you you. 

Individualism

Encourage Your Own Voice

And no it's not a, I can relate to all three of you. And I had tons of different jobs when I was in college. Cocktail waitressing, being a flight attendant, temp work, teaching aerobics. I was on the boardwalk spinning the wheel you know, and people place their quarters. Things I had no business doing. All of a sudden there was a lightbulb that went off one day. I went to see a film called The Commitments. And I remember that it was the first time that I had actually seen the job called a music supervisor. And I was, oh, that sounds good. 

Tracy McKnight

President & Music Supervisor

Videos

Tracy McKnight

Milestones

Education

Career

Career Roadmap

My work combines:

My work combines:

Film

Music

Accomplishing Goals

Day to Day

Skills & Qualities Beyond School

Recommended Education

My career is not related to what I studied. I'd recommend this path instead:

Hurdles

Challenges I Overcame

Work Stress