Unit 11: Project 1 Task 2 - Progression opportunities

Career choices and what it involves:

After analysing all my possible pathways, I have decided on pursuing a career, playing the guitar as a touring musician with a band. In order to fulfil this role it takes lots of different qualities. These qualities involve the following:

Networking and making contacts in order to gain momentum and a profile as a musician. In trading contact information, it offers opportunities that otherwise might not have happened if it wasn’t for the exchange of info. In order to do this, it involves going to gigs and shows and talking to people to collect their contact information. This opens opportunities as you can use their skills or they can ask you for help as you have skills they need. I feel like this is definitely in my skill set, as I can talk to people without much of a problem.

Being a touring musician also involves managing your image and staying in tune with your fans. This involves regular posting on social media and identifying your qualities that you offer to the fan. These qualities might be posting your fashion styles that relates with your fans or keeping them updated with interesting posts over social media. These posts can range from anything like your whereabouts and what you are doing all the way to what you done in the day; in order to keep them entertained. I feel like I will do quite well with this, as I think I will be able to identify what style I am going for and my target audience. In understanding this, I can stay in-tune with what the fans want from me.

You also have to be quite capable in the knowledge of your instrument if you want to write and record songs or jam. This includes knowing scales, modes and chord shapes. I feel that this sector of my knowledge is lacking and I will need to dust up on my modal scale knowledge and chord shapes.

It also takes a very strong-minded person to go on tour for long periods of time with long distance contact with friends and family. I feel like I have this quality as I am a very independent person and I get on with what I am doing. Touring also involves a very physically strong person too, as performing takes up a lot of energy when performing every night.

Working in a band also takes a very imaginative person to continue writing and recording songs while touring. I feel like I have this quality, as I am quite a flexible person when it comes to traveling.

You also need to constantly keeping on writing songs in order to keep fans interested. I feel like this is quite a hard quality to learn as it means you need to keep on finding inspiration to write songs even with writers block or feeling uninspired.

I feel like one of my main weaknesses is stage confidence as I feel like I have to live up to a standard. A way that I can tackle this is to start going to open mic’s and playing more gigs outside of ACM in order to get my confidence up.

Getting into this role:

I feel like I can get into this career by utilising the contacts I have collated over the past 2 years inside of ACM and ask around, about any band members wanted.

I can also start by touring my music that I have been making in my spare time by asking around to pubs and clubs if I can gig by sending them my music.

Possible pathways / Universities:

I feel that a place that could potentially accommodate my career development is ACM, as I can continue learning my craft as a guitarist before I step out into the world.

There are five course routes that I can take when stepping into degree study in ACM:

1: Musicians route

This course offers the skills it takes in order to master my instrument (Guitar) for both the stage and studio. It offers insight into all of the different aspects of playing the guitar including theory and awareness of different styles and genres.

This is the required qualifications in order to get into ACM for the Degree course :

To get into this university it requires at least two Cs at A-Level (or the equivalent of a Level 3 qualification), owning a minimum of at least 64 UCAS points.

It also require a Grade C GCSE (or the equivalent of this type of qualification) in English.

Uni 2:

I feel that BIMM could potentially accommodate my chosen pathway, much the same as ACM, as I would like to continue learning my skills in guitar before going out into the industry.

There are 3 options for future study in the guitar sector of BIMM. They are:

1.     BA (Hons) Professional musicianship – Guitar

This offers a look into all of the different musical genres and focuses on the different areas of the industry, such as recording and performing. This course also offers a look into music theory and analysis and technical skills.

2.     BMUS (Hons) Popular music performance – Guitar

This program offers a look into music technology, song-writing skills, and a look into all of the different musical genres in order to gather better understanding.

3.     BMUS (Hons) Popular music performance with foundation year – Guitar

This program offers a complete look into guitar technique and styles, live performance, sight-reading, study skills and musicianship. It also offers a strong grasp on understanding music theory in order the guitar.

The minimum requirements -

This course requires a minimum of 2 A-levels at a grade E or up (This means you need to have 32 UCAS Points), or I will need a BTEC Level 3 equivalent, and five GCSEs at the minimum grade of C, (these GCSEs must including English Language).

Uni 3:

London College of creative media:

BMUS (Hons) Music Performance and production for guitarists

This course covers all aspects of guitar such as learning to utilise the fingerboard, how to apply the knowledge to different styles, reading music, transcription of music, and technique and finger style when playing the guitar. This course also covers the performance aspects of being a guitarist, in which I would be grouped and told to play certain styles like blues and funk and then go and perform them at certain venues. You can also customise the course to develop broader skills in song writing, studio recording and recording act. This type of customisation helps people to gather a wider understanding on different topics that they might not be so confident in.

Entry requirements -

This course requires a minimum of 104 UCAS points. These will need to be gained from at least two full Level 3 qualifications (e.g. A Level, BTEC Diploma), in any subject. Higher Education courses or BTEC Extended Diplomas are considered the equivalent of  2 full Level 3 qualifications.

GCSE grade C or above in Maths and English or a Level 2 equivalent.

I will also need to include a personal statement when applying.

After analysing the different pathways, I have settled on choosing the ACM Musicians route as I feel it will provide me with the skills I need to step into the sector of the industry and really master my craft. I chose a

ACM as they seemed to be the most sophisticated and professional choice in order to further my education.

Appropriate methods of application to get in are:

Audition – Auditions are very good for showcasing your talent in front of people as it really shows off your ability instead of having it written down on paper. A downside to this is that people might be nervous for the audition and could possibly mess up.

UCAS – UCAS is a good form for display all of your skills and achievements, as it is a legitimate source of information about yourself. UCAS is good as it is a trust worthy source for your information. A downside to applying with UCAS is you have to pay for it.

EPK - An EPK is used in the self employment sector of the industry to showcase talent and skills for people who are looking to potentially use your service. This is good as it looks very professional and convenient. A downside to this is that you need to spend a lot of time developing it and making sure it looks professional and provides all of the information you need about yourself.

Interview - An interview is good to show people how you really work and how you are as a person. These are good for jobs as it means you can show what you are really like and how you interact with people. A downside to an interview is that you might be really nervous and mess up.

CV – People generally use a CV to apply for a job application of some sort. This is good for showcasing what you are good at. A downside to this for me is that I am not very good at writing and explaining myself, so I might struggle with this.