Portfolio career centred around teaching and performance

 
Synopsis
In this piece, I will discuss the various factors that go into a well-rounded portfolio career and how I will navigate the music industry. (Beentjes, D 2023) describes a portfolio career as “working on several paid activities simultaneously”. For my career, I will work towards being in secondary school education as a music teacher, a one-to-one pedagogy singing teacher and a performer. I have always been passionate about teaching and performing, so adopting a portfolio career allows me to pursue my passions without compromising one aspect over another.

Qualifications
As discussed by (Orning, 2019), when quoting the works of (Hallam & Gaunt, 2012), (Bennett 2008), and (Myles Beeching, 2010), Orning described the role of a portfolio musician as the following:
“Within music, a portfolio musician describes one who takes on many different types of work and projects and is usually self-employed.”
While no specific academic qualifications are required to be a singer alone (Careers Wales n,d), I aim to be a portfolio musician. As a result, educational qualifications are required for some fields. Part of my aim as a portfolio musician is to be a performer and to also teach, both in a one-on-one environment and to a larger class of students. To teach one-on-one, I aim to get an ABRSM (or the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) qualification in pedagogy, as this would allow me to provide a more standardised form of education. Conversely, to teach a larger class of students, I would require a degree in a related field and a PGCE (otherwise known as a Postgraduate Certificate in Education), which will come with a QTS (Qualified Teaching Status) (National Careers Service, 2019). These qualifications are essential for my success as a portfolio musician as it helps me access more parts of the industry. Having a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) will also be necessary to allow me to teach students of all ages (Bishop, R. 2024). Getting the aforementioned qualifications will allow me to perform gigs as my primary focus while also allowing me to teach one-on-one and in a classroom environment.

Duties and responsibilities
As a portfolio musician, my duties will vary between jobs. For example, one of my primary aims will be to focus on performing. This includes composing and rehearsing musical pieces for performances and recording sessions. Rehearsal will be key to my personal development as a musician, especially as I look to expand my repertoire with vocal and instrumental work. With this in mind, maintaining my instruments and voice will be vital to my continued success. To secure this, I will join the musician’s union to ensure my instruments and equipment are in good standing. As well as legally protecting myself from liability claims (Musicians’ Union, 2023). To expand my brand, I would also be aiming to both prepare and perform in auditions, and I would be actively searching for auditions that align with my own personal career goals. On a broader level, I would like to increase and engage with my audience, which will require me to curate social media content and produce music that will aim to be commercially successful and facilitate tours.
On a teaching front, my everyday tasks include lesson planning for individual students or group classes I may teach. I will also need to be aware of curriculum changes that may occur in
Different exam boards, as students, may have differing examination requirements. Therefore, I must know the requirements for these boards as it will help me make a more informed choice on what homework to give them and how to teach them (Blane, P.,2021). I will also need to be able to teach students how to read and write music, help plan performances and set exams (National Careers Service, 2020). I will aim to give them tools to pursue music to higher levels, including teaching them how to read and write music using comprehensive and inclusive techniques such as Solfege and Takadimi, planning performances, and doing well in exams. In helping them succeed, I will also be able to grow professionally and support myself financially.

Financial and Legal
As musicians, most of our money is made through live performances and touring, as opposed to streaming and radio. (Walfish, G. 2023). So, a great way musicians stretch their profit is by joining companies like PRS (Performance Rights Society) and PPL (Phonographic Performance Limited). PRS collects royalties for its members from companies for performances that are broadcast on radio or TV (PRS for Music, 2019). PPL likewise collects royalties from streams. PPL helps protect musicians’ income by collecting licence fees from businesses, the internet, TV public broadcasts and performers (PPL and PRS for Music 2018).  As a self-employed singer, it is vital for me to have multiple streams of income. Thus, by signing up for these services, I am ensuring that I receive royalties from previously created works to supplement the income I will also aim to obtain from performing and teaching.
As for teaching, this will be my primary source of income, allowing me to have a regular wage ranging from £32,000-£49,000 per year (National Careers Service, 2019). Due to this job’s standard operating hours, it will facilitate other ventures such as ad hoc performances, auditions and recordings. The financial burden of attending auditions, uploading quality performances and travelling to gigs will be supported by my wage from teaching as well as any additional revenue from social media or videos I may create on platforms such as YouTube and TikTok (Walfish, G. 2023).
The legality of being a musician differs on what jobs I will do. Joining the musicians’ union covers me with insurance such as public liability insurance, professional indemnity insurance, musicians’ instrument insurance and the MU pension scheme. (Musicians Union, 2024). These services are vital to my success as they ensure that I am protected from liability instead of using other insurance providers who will not be so well-versed in music law. As previously mentioned, for any teaching roles I may take, I must legally possess a DBS check; furthermore, I will need to keep up to date and practice safeguarding techniques to ensure my safety and that of the students.

Marketing and promotion
One of the main reasons why musicians find sourcing work hard is due to poor marketing (Keyes, D. 2021). Therefore, I will create social media accounts on all relevant platforms to generate a stream of consistent performing opportunities. Posting daily is a great way to keep audiences engaged and advertise shows, tours, and album releases. (Walfish, G. 2024). I also create content that is eye-catching and engaging to help gain more followers. It may be worth paying social media sites to help boost the post’s reach and gain more followers and likes on specific posts promoting albums or Eps I produce. It is essential as academics have reported a decline in consumers’ attention spans with the rise of social media in recent years (Alaparthi, 2024; Insights C, 2015; Carstens, D.S. et al. 2018), so with this in mind, I would aim to have short content, that samples the best my portfolio has to offer and effectively hooks the audience.
Another vital part of my self-promotion is using an EPK (electronic press kit) or website. An EPK showcases promotional content, such as an artist’s bio, videos, photos, audio, links to social media platforms, and testimonials (Sound Chart, 2023). These are essential pieces of information for companies and promoters to have access to, so having them all in the same area and easily obtainable will make them more likely to hire you for projects or record deals.

Intellectual and personal challenges
It is well known that the music industry can be demanding, and there may be periods of my career when there will be limited work. On average, a freelance musician can be expected to earn around £20,700, but half of UK musicians report making less than £14,000 a year (Musicians’ Union, 2023). So, to avoid low income, I will combat this through effective marketing. Adopting this type of portfolio career offers the flexibility of having a regular income from teaching, career progression, good holidays and daytime hours. Which easily lends itself to working in venues on evenings and weekends (Beentjes, D. 2021). The disadvantages of this pathway are if long-distance travel is involved or if gigs are booked at short notice. It would not be wise to have a temporary gig that jeopardises the regular teaching income. It is possible to have a career break from teaching should a record company offer a lucrative deal, but careful risk-benefit cost analysis would need to be done to ensure profitability and profile improvement to consider this. Legal and financial advice would be sought to guide such decisions if they arose.
As a gigging musician, I share the dream of becoming famous. As much as fame brings wealth, opportunities and a name in the history books, it also brings with it poor mental and physical health, demands and invasions of privacy. In an interview with Ella Fitzgerald on the Brian Linehan Show, he mentions the sale of her home, a detail she had not disclosed to the press and wanted to keep private. (Linehan, B. 1974).  This is a perfect example of the invasion of privacy gigging musicians often face. Especially in today’s world, where information is readily available, I need to control my image and set boundaries to protect my information and health. A famous example is Chris Martin from the band Coldplay; he has cancelled performances due to mental and physical health and being famously protective over his information. (Mehra, P. 2025).

Career-progression
As a musician, success can be measured in various ways, but in terms of education, I would like to measure it by how many students go on to study music at GCSE, A level, and higher education. In an interview conducted by (Gagnon D. 2019), she outlines some crucial skills needed to be an effective teacher. The first two are to be good communicators and listeners; a way that Dr Daniel Tanguay embedded this idea in his lessons was by linking them to things students like, so by listening to their interests and then applying them, you then make the learning experience more effective. Equally, these attributes will help you in a more professional setting in staff meetings, as you can take notes and add to specific topics effectively. In another interview with Dr. Audrey Rodgers, she believes that “Effective teachers need to be able to work in a constantly evolving environment and adjust their teaching methods”. This is especially important as music education is dwindling across the UK, with reports of less uptake through GCSE and A level (Dr Jo Yee Cheung, 2024). So, as a teacher, keeping students engaged is vital for the continuation of music education.
As discussed previously, progress in the performance industry can be achieved by cultivating a presence on social media, updating my EPK and websites, and actively participating in auditions and performance calls. Through this presence, I will gain more followers, eventually attracting record companies.

Conclusion
Establishing a regular income stream from performing can be difficult, especially when you are new to the music industry. So, creating a portfolio career can ensure the future of my career. Furthermore, working as a teacher will provide me with the excitement of inspiring the younger generations to become musicians and do what they love. In the aftermath of a recent global pandemic, some reported over 80% losses to their income as strictly gigging musicians (Yates, H. 2022). With this in mind, as well as the knowledge shared throughout this essay, I can plan for the future, and expanding my knowledge in the music industry will aid my success in both teaching and performing.
 
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