Ananya Ashok
A Guide to Creating the Best Music Resume
Music, like all fields of entertainment is fierce and merciless. There are just too many out there trying to get a break. Although that is a good thing, as we need more creative minds working towards producing groundbreaking work, getting that one opportunity can be a killer to say the least. And while not all opportunities are meant for you, it does help to know that you gave every opportunity your best shot. That said, it is essential to have a fantastic resume aside from possessing talent. Here are some tips for creating the ultimate impression on paper. That’ s half the job done!
Personal Information on TOP
This seems straightforward but it’ s amazing to some employers how overlooked this aspect is. Be sure to always have your full name, age, home address, number, and email address on the top of the page. It is if anything, convenient for people looking to hire you immediately. For those of you providing contact details on the bottom of the page, don’ t. First thing’ s first and contact info is TOP.
Personal Statement
A personal statement is something that tells the employer about you and your musical journey. Preferably keep this section crisp and to the point without too much elaboration. The main idea here is to showcase what you can do, how long you’ ve been doing it, and what your notable achievements to date are. One or two of the highest achievements till date is best. Don’ t list every little achievement here. That’ s for the next point.
Notable Achievements Extended
So, in the previous point I mentioned about including notable achievements in your paragraph. Here is where you make a list of all the events that you’ ve partaken in. You can be elaborate here as this part is a lot like work history sections that you would find in say a company application. Provide date of event, type of event, and the venue.
Press Clippings
If you’ ve been reviewed for a gig or can quote a major figure in the field saying something about you, provide those details here! Potential employers or organizers would love to see that a publication or a celebrity figure has endorsed you as it is reconfirmation to them that you are legit. If you don’ t have the habit of collecting material for this section, make it a point to do so in the future. It is always a great idea to have copies of reviews and endorsements.
Awards and Fellowships
If you have received awards or fellowships for your projects and works, you should include it in your resume and give a brief description of the type of award / fellowship. Like press clippings, awards don’ t happen to everyone. So if you got one, show it off!
Webpage links
First off, if you don’ t have a webpage you should definitely consider making one. The reason being your paper resume should be crisp, accessible, and easy to go through. If someone is intrigued and curious to know more, they should have a webpage that they can be directed to. On a webpage, you can provide concert photographs, audio clippings, video clippings, detailed biography, upcoming events, and more. Websites assure employers that you are serious and have the material to prove it. Invest time into building a good website if you haven’ t and then provide those details in a section of your resume. Another point is to add your Facebook page. Now, this means your Facebook page needs to be professional. It’ s totally fine to have pictures of events and other social gatherings but if you have photos or viewpoints that you wouldn’ t want your potential employers to see, you might want to clean your page a bit. At the end of the day, you’ re in the entertainment field and if you are successful in your endeavors, you will create a fan following, which means lots of Facebook stalking activity on your page. Don’ t give your employers or target audience any reason to think you are unprofessional, for any reason.
Try and keep your resume within a page. You may think that isn’ t enough as your potential employer won’ t see a stack of achievements to your name in a nice booklet. But in actuality, a one-page resume is appealing in many ways. It is low-maintenance, functional, and above all it’ s always a good idea to have people wanting to know more. Make your resume as catchy and impressive as possible and get ready to attract your next gig!
The Score Magazine
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