The two careers that will be covered in this essay are a performing artist, and music teaching. Music teaching will be generalised overall, but there will also be some focuses on some differences between roles and styles of music teacher, namely self-employed or employee of an academic location.
There are no specific qualification requirements for being a performing artist, rather, a diverse portfolio that can be presented or performed, as well as practice specifically in performance and a clear idea of how to perform.
Because of the different pathways of teaching, the qualifications required can vary. If the aim is to be a music teacher in state schools, applications can be made for anywhere offering the role, however the correct qualifications are needed, such as a degree related to education as well as training and to have a Qualified Teacher Status, or QTS, which can be applied for and is funded by the Department of Education. Some schools, such as private or Academy schools, or further education and early years do not require QTS.
One of the most important skills in teaching is communication, as you have to be able to clearly speak about what you are trying to teach in a way that any student can understand. This does not necessarily work as a one-size-fits-all style of speech, as different people will obviously have different abilities in terms of comprehension of the subject. For example, in a instrumental tutor role, one must be able to translate the rules of an instrument to people with varying levels of knowledge of it, though it can be easier with an instrument as repetition is more easily defined. With communication comes other skills, such as empathy or patience, due to the aforementioned varying levels of knowledge and different personalities in the stages of learning. It may be easier to adapt to individuals, so if in a different role such as a general music teacher at a school, rather than a private tutor, there must be such an understanding of student relationships within the class, such as how some react to others. This is obviously more prevalent in younger years than later stages in schools.
In terms of knowledge as a music teacher, aside from the general theory required, it mainly depends on the schools curriculum. Sometimes it may be necessary to have basic knowledge of more than one instrument so demonstrative examples can be used, as well as an understanding of how to use whatever software is required. In the role of a private tutor, especially with a specific instrument, this can be more focused towards what happens in the lessons.
In the role of a performing artist, the skills can change somewhat, aside from the shared parts of the two careers such as knowledge of music theory and communication, but to different audiences. Many artists in interviews of their early careers mention resilience as a key skill, due to the amount of rejection and criticism that comes with putting yourself and your music forward towards a wider audience, as well as to gain opportunities which in turn are a chance to be critiqued.
Performing artist – Most of the daily work as a performing artist is not recording music, but the admin, like promoting yourself on social media. “On a typical administrative day I spend at least 5-7 hours in front of my laptop and most of that involves reading and responding to emails…I treat my daytime like office hours” (Joy, 2016). The online work involves researching venues, dealing with expenses and forms, updating personal websites to keep information relevant. Some of that time is taken up by music practice, whichever facet of music that may be, instrumental, songwriting or production depending on the focus of the musician.
A typical days work of a music teacher involves planning and preparing lessons, for the students, whether that be private instrumental lessons or curriculum based group lessons. In the role of an instrumental teacher there is also a focus on graded exams, so signing up students to said exams is also important. There can also be a focus on extracurricular activities depending on your skills as a music teacher
Performing artist – The main financial issue with being a performing artist is that you are self employed, which while it can give a lot of freedom, all potential finances must come from yourself, therefore at the beginning there is no form of stable income, even after the first steps; “nearly a quarter (23%) of musicians stated they do not earn enough to support themselves or their families and for nearly half (44%), a lack of sustainable income is a barrier to their music career.” (anon, Musician’s Union, 2023). There are also legal issues in terms of ensemble agreements, inside the members of the band, if it is a band, which can give a solid outline of the rights and responsibilities of each member, lessening the chances of bad disagreements within the group. Royalties are of a large importance, as they make up the money earned and therefore are a source of finances. The record label is an important factor in this, as it determines how much the artist will make off of sales and streaming, which means bands on an independent label will have a larger share of their royalties. However the main factor in royalties is still the band’s success in itself
A recent issue with music teachers, have been the government’s scrapping of the Music Initial Teacher Training bursary for 2026/27, leaving questions for the future in terms of financial support for music teachers, and therefore making it harder to fund training and gain a steadier role. One of the most important part of being a teacher is the safeguarding role, though most prevalently in peripatetic or full-time school teacher; a requirement of teaching in schools or any situation that might involve children is a DBS check
Performing artist – can be a website – most A&R people will look for that, so having a well thought out website that shows all of your skills and is essentially a portfolio of your career, as well as being regularly updated so as to keep engagement. Similarly, social media is the best way to market to potential fans, though try not to become a tiktok band, (e.g. South Arcade among others) who only have a small portfolio of work but market the same soundbite, in essentially a manufactured for social media style of song. Also attempt to perform fully live (a lot of their live performances are greatly helped by a backing track quite strong in the mix). As part of a Q&A from Sounds of Leeds Conservatoire, Lewis Evans of Black Country, New Road said If part of a band it is important to present all of the members as actual people, as it allows the audience to connect with them (Evans, 2025) . It is important to make yourself known, but you must get a solid repertoire in your area before planning on going bigger, you must start with small steps.
In a self-employed role, it is similar to working as a performing artist, and most self employed music teacher work multiple jobs in the music and performing arts sector, because of the nature of self-employment and the need for financial stability. Similarly to a performing artist, it is important to have a strong portfolio and website, as it is important for potential customers or employers to know what you teach; similarly world of mouth is integral to creating a stable group of students, as if you are known for positive attributes, people are more likely to share word around. Many instrument teachers work part time through schools, which is useful as it can give a fixed rate and a stable flow of students, as most state schools will have some form of music department and oblige students to learn an instrument.
The intellectual challenges that come with being a performer can vary; because of the nature of putting yourself forward for criticism and being in front of people regularly, there can be a strain put on emotions and stress can be a large factor. These can be because of multiple factors, like “coping with the consequences of early specialisation, social isolation, practice volume, identity foreclosure, teacher relationships, burnout, injury, psychological pressure, and perfectionism”(Pecen, Collins and MacNamara, 2016, cited in Pecen, Collins and MacNamara, 2018). The development of insight into mental health can make it easier to find help, as well as know the problems faced and how to resolve them. Ways of dealing with these problems can include taking a break from performances or whatever might be causing the problems, even though it may be detrimental financially if in a more isolated self-employed role. Socialising can be a key factor for help intellectually, as communication can offer a distraction or a relief from the challenges.
With music teaching, similar intellectual challenges may apply, but from different outside sources, like “constant pressure to meet external expectations—whether from administrators, parents, or students”(Ruiz, 2025), so from a wider and potentially more direct range. This can cause burnout, but can be dealt with similarly to the previous paragraph, but also by establishing “clear limits on time and energy…designate specific hours for grading or student meetings and stick to them”(Ruiz, 2025).
Performing artist – The progression in this field can go any number of ways, the ‘best’ direction is an expanding amount of fans, larger venues and tours, better facilities and more money; however this all stems from rigorous work and self promotion. With the expansion of a band, or potentially a brand in the late stages, the group of people working on it will expand from just the core members to multiple other tour workers, a marketing team, a larger management and potentially many more.
In terms of a music teaching career, development might be either a higher paying role as part of the school or a more centralised role within the department, organising performance events within the group of instruments taught. For example: a classical guitar ensemble, rock school, choirs or big bands. As a peripatetic music teacher, some schools may have better opportunities than others, depending on the size and funding in their specific music departments. In a fully self-employed role outside of schools, the ultimate progression in the career could be founding a music school or more specifically a company that offers music lessons with multiple teachers and employees, with the capability to either be mobile or have a centralised hub.
Bibliography
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Ike, Joy. “A Day in the Life of a Full-Time Musician.” Bandzoogle.com, 25 July 2016, bandzoogle.com/blog/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-full-time-musician. Accessed 25 Dec. 2025.
Jose Valentino Ruiz. “When Caring for Others Becomes Too Much.” NAfME, 19 Aug. 2025, nafme.org/blog/prioritizing-self-care-for-music-educators/. Accessed 29 Dec. 2025.
Luck, Steve. “Beyond the Music: Essential Skills and Qualities for a Sustainable Music Career.” Musiciansunion.org.uk, 19 Dec. 2024, musiciansunion.org.uk/news/beyond-the-music-essential-skills-and-qualities-for-a-sustainable-music-career. Accessed 28 Dec. 2025.
Musicians’ Union. “First Ever UK Musicians’ Census Provides Unparalleled Insight into the Careers of the UK’s Musicians.” Musiciansunion.org.uk, 11 Sept. 2023, musiciansunion.org.uk/news/first-ever-uk-musicians-census-provides-unparalleled-insight-into-the-careers-of-the-uk-s-musicians. Accessed 27 Dec. 2025.
Pecen, Ellis, et al. ““It’s Your Problem. Deal with It.” Performers’ Experiences of Psychological Challenges in Music.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 8, 25 Jan. 2018, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5788962/, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02374. Accessed 29 Dec. 2025.
Evans, Lewis . Q&A, Sounds of Leeds Conservatoire. Sounds of Leeds Conservatoire.
