Music Resume: Examples, Key Sections, Cover Letter Tips

A musician holds recitals or performs along with the orchestra. Musicians include composers, singers, and pianists. A good music performance resume is powerful in helping fresher and experienced musicians landing a dream role in an orchestra or getting accepted to join a musical team.

Take notes that the following guidelines steer towards musicians and not music teachers. While both jobs are about music, the former emphasizes professional performance, which will be  the focus of this article.

Both a musician CV and musician resume are for job applications. However, the following presents their fundamental differences.

📝 Chronological resume format: 

This format requires you to list your work experience in chronological order. This format shows the timeline of your career trajectory and allows the recruiters to see what this role means to you. This can be a great musician resume format because a musician is a profession based on building and drilling skills daily.

From the request of composer CV, music producer CV, and musical theatre CV, you may see that an emphasis on the CV means the music industry highly values experience accumulation. 

📝 Functional resume format: 

A functional music resume format emphasizes what you can do instead of what you have done. This format presents you as a competitive candidate even if you have a lack of work experience. By showing the recruiters you have the ability to execute what the role demands, you are qualified. 

📝 Combinational resume format:

 A combinational resume format combines the advantages of the above-mentioned formats. In other words, it can help present your experiences chronologically while organizing your abilities. 

We recommend you check out music resume examples before looking up the templates. Music resume example allows you to build a sense of a good musician resume through a recruiter’s lens.

On the other hand, a music industry resume template allows you to have a structure in mind for drafting your musician CV or music resume. 

Avoid unhelpful experiences or skills. For instance, if you are writing a singer's resume, include only information that strengthens your vocal ability. This step is important especially when you are writing a freelance musician resume. 

A decent polite professional cover letter can help you establish a good impression. 

Start early and review the music resume multiple times before submitting it to avoid silly grammar and spelling mistakes. Moreover, make your music industry resume concise during proofreading.

1. Resume Profile

Following are our suggestions for the do include and do not include information in your musician resume profile section. 

2. Resume Headline

This is a one-sentence statement that sums up your ability and proudest achievement. Short but important. Spend some time making your music resume headline concise and telling. 

3. Resume Summary

This is a 2-3 sentences description of your skill, career background, and who you are as a professional musician.

For instance, if you are writing a composer's resume, please include your most well-written or famous song and the awards you received. 

4. Resume Objective

A resume objective is a section for candidates to express the link between the applied role and their career trajectory. The inclusion of a resume objective reflects your ambition as a musician. 

5. Skills

The skills section on the pianist resume, violist resume, or musician resume, in general, is crucial but difficult to describe. Musicians' skills are reflected by how large of an audience they attract. Still, you may show your skills by mentioning your familiarity with difficult songs. 

6. Work Experience

Include in your musician resume which orchestra or organization you have participated in or worked for in carrying out musical performances. Please include the name of the concert and location, dates, songs played, or the number of audiences. 

7. Education

In this section, list the school attended and the concerts you performed at school. Most importantly, mention your musical-related results. 

8. Additional Information 

Include your musical awards, concerts, recital, or songs composed in this section. 

✅ Tip 1: Customize the resume for the job.

Design a music industry resume that meets the recruiters' demand. Search for the musical style or culture preferences of the institution and tailor your musician resume accordingly. 

✅ Tip 2: Quantify results on resumes.

Avoid generic descriptions such as “I play viola well.” Use the number of audiences, praise, and recognition from the third party to back up your qualification. 

✅ Tip 3: Craft an ATS-friendly resume.

Though in musician resumes competition, fewer recruiters are using ATS, including music industry keywords is still important. 

✅ Tip 4: Adopt resume action words (verbs).

Action words convey a sense of determination for your music resume. It helps depict you as a strong candidate full of passion and clarity about the future path. 

✅ Tip 5: Choose the right one --- CV or resume. 

A music resume for a college student might be a better option. However, for experienced musicians, a music industry CV is more professional.

A musician is a profession that emphasizes music’s nuances, which requires devotion to years of hard work. Persuasive phrases and musician resume stylish design are less important.

1. Contact details: Include your email and phone numbers at the top of the cover letter without blurring the content, or at the final before closing.  
2. Introduction: Share who you are, what instruments or musical aspects you are professional at, your qualifications, skills, and experience. 
3. Motivation (Intention to apply): Convey the importance of this role to your career and how you think your ability might support you to contribute. 
4. Qualifications: This includes awards you have received, famous concerts or recitals you have participated in, or songs composed. Alternatively, recommendations from your musical mentor will also work. 
5. Closing: A warm thank you note, along with your full name.