Profession music director

Music directors lead musical groups such as orchestras and bands during live performances or recording sessions. They organise the music and composition, coordinate the playing musicians and record the performance. Music directors are professionals working in diverse places such as the film industry, music videos, radio stations, musical ensembles or schools.

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Personality Type

• Artistic / Enterprising

Knowledge

• Musical instruments

  The different musical instruments, their ranges, timbre, and possible combinations.

• Musical genres

  Different musical styles and genres such as blues, jazz, reggae, rock, or indie.

• Musical theory

  The body of interrelated concepts that constitutes the theoretical background of music.

Skills

• Rewrite musical scores

  Rewrite original musical scores in different musical genres and styles; change rhythm, harmony tempo or instrumentation.

• Work out orchestral sketches

  Make up and work out details for orchestral sketches, such as adding extra vocal parts to scores.

• Strive for excellence in musical performance

  Continually commit to perfecting your instrumental or vocal performance.

• Organise compositions

  Arrange and adapt existing musical compositions, add variations to existing melodies or compositions manually or with the use of computer software. Redistribute instrumental parts.

• Guide analysis of a recorded performance

  Analyse a preformance video recording by using experts as a model.

• Coordinate music with scenes

  Coordinate the selection of music and sounds so they match the mood of the scene.

• Supervise music groups

  Direct music groups, individual musicians or complete orchestras at rehearsals and during live or studio performances, in order to improve the overall tonal and harmonic balance, dynamics, rhythm, and tempo.

• Read musical score

  Read the musical score during rehearsal and live performance.

• Supervise musicians

  Guide musicians during rehearsals, live performances or studio recording sessions.

• Develop musical ideas

  Explore and develop musical concepts based on sources such as imagination or environmental sounds.

• Evaluate musical ideas

  Experiment with different sound sources, use synthesizers and computer software, permanently explore and evaluate musical ideas and concepts.

• Transcribe ideas into musical notation

  Transcribe/translate musical ideas into musical notation, using instruments, pen and paper, or computers.

• Manage musical staff

  Assign and manage staff tasks in areas such as scoring, arranging, copying music and vocal coaching.

• Attend music recording sessions

  Attend recording sessions in order to make changes or adaptations to the musical score.

• Plan musical performances

  Schedule rehearsals and music performances, arrange details such as locations, select accompanists and instrumentalists.

• Position musicians

  Position qualified musicians within musical groups, orchestras or ensembles, to obtain a correct balance among instrumental or vocal sections.

• Organise musical events

  Set the date, the agenda, gather the required resources, and coordinate events around music such as concerts, competitions or exams.

• Orchestrate music

  Assign lines of music to different musical instruments and/or voices to be played together.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB