Music Resume
Music work splits into teaching, performance and production, and a music resume should say which of them you are applying for in the first two lines. Schools and studios read for teaching method, student results and classroom management; orchestras, bands and contractors read for instruments, repertoire, ensembles and recordings. This guide covers what each reader needs, a full example, the sections that match music postings, and how to format a document that often doubles as a program bio.
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What a music resume must include
- Primary instrument or voice, stated near the top, with doubling instruments and an honest level for each.
- Teaching experience with scale: students taught, ages, levels, lesson format and any exam or audition results.
- Ensembles and performance history with the role you held in each group — section, principal, soloist, music director.
- Recordings, releases and credits, with your contribution named rather than implied.
- Education and training with the program and principal teacher, because lineage matters in music.
- Practical details for teaching roles: clearances, safeguarding training, studio policies and availability.
A music resume is often read by two very different people. A school principal is checking whether you can run a classroom, communicate with parents and pass a background check. A conductor or contractor is checking your instrument, your reading ability and whether you have played the repertoire before. If you apply to both kinds of work, write two versions rather than one average of the two.
Music Resume Example
Example resume
A teaching-first music resume with performance and recording sections below it. Student numbers, ensembles and instruments are stated plainly so either reader can find their criteria quickly.
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Recommended sections for a music resume
- Profile — instrument or voice, teaching experience, and one line about the work you want.
- Teaching — roles with student counts, ages, method and outcomes such as exam passes or audition placements.
- Performance — ensembles, venues, repertoire and your seat or role.
- Recordings and credits — releases, sessions, film or theatre work, with your contribution named.
- Education — degrees, conservatory training and principal teachers.
- Skills — instruments, theory, notation software, languages and production tools.
Teaching versus performing: write the version you need
The same career reads differently depending on the order of the sections. A teaching application leads with studio or classroom results; a performance application leads with ensembles, repertoire and recordings. Keeping both versions current is easier than rewriting one document from scratch every time.
- Teaching version: lead with student numbers, ages, method books, exam boards and recital outcomes.
- Performance version: lead with instruments, ensembles, seating, repertoire and recordings.
- Both versions: name the primary instrument first and keep secondary instruments clearly labeled as doubles.
- For school roles, include certification, safeguarding training and clearances near the top.
- For cruise, theatre and session work, state reading ability, doubling, improvisation and travel availability.
- For church or community work, name the repertoire tradition and any directing or conducting experience.
Music skills and keywords
- Teaching: private lessons, group instruction, curriculum design, recital preparation, student assessment, Suzuki Method, Kodály
- Performance: solo recitals, chamber music, orchestral sections, pit orchestra, worship music, session work, touring
- Instruments: primary and doubling instruments, vocal range, transposition, sight-reading, improvisation
- Recording: tracking, overdubs, editing, mixing basics, home studio setup, Logic Pro, Pro Tools, Ableton Live
- Theory and notation: arranging, transcription, ear training, harmony, Finale, Sibelius, MuseScore
- Business: booking, contracts, lesson scheduling, studio policies, instrument maintenance, merchandising
Music resume ATS and formatting notes
- School districts and universities run applications through HR systems; keep a text-based PDF or DOCX with standard headings.
- Conservatories and ensembles often accept a PDF by email — one single-column document can serve both.
- Spell out abbreviations at first mention: “Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM)”, “Bachelor of Music Education (B.M.E.)”.
- Give instrument names in full: “soprano saxophone”, not “sax”.
- List recordings with the release year and your role; streaming links belong as plain text.
- Keep recital posters, program scans and logo blocks out of the resume file; images carry no data for a parser.
Common music resume mistakes
- Listing instruments without levels, leaving the reader to guess what you can actually play.
- A performance resume with venues but no repertoire or ensembles.
- Teaching claims with no student counts, ages or outcomes.
- Burying the primary instrument under a long list of doubles.
- Mixing personal projects and professional credits without saying which is which.
- Sending a program-style bio — third person, no dates — to a hiring manager who needs employment history.
School district portals, ensemble inboxes and audition tables read different versions of the same document, and ShitResume keeps every version in one column of selectable text. No card, no account, no paid tier — the sections you see are the sections that parse and the sections that print.
Every layout and every download on ShitResume is open without payment, your teaching history and reference details stay on your own device, and there is no account to maintain. A district application and a chamber gig can come from the same file without a rewrite.
Skills and keywords for this role
Use the terms that genuinely describe your work — an interviewer will ask about anything you list.
- Teaching: private lessons, group instruction, curriculum design, recital preparation, student assessment, method books (Suzuki, Kodály)
- Performance: solo recitals, chamber music, orchestral sections, pit orchestra, worship music, session work, touring
- Instruments and voice: primary and doubling instruments, vocal range, transposition, sight-reading
- Recording: tracking, overdubs, editing, mixing basics, home studio setup, DAWs (Logic Pro, Pro Tools, Ableton Live)
- Theory and notation: arranging, transcription, ear training, harmony, Finale, Sibelius, MuseScore
- Business: booking, contracts, lesson scheduling, studio policies, instrument maintenance, merchandising
Frequently asked questions
What should a music teacher resume include?
Lead with your instrument or voice, then a teaching section with student counts, ages and levels. Add method training, exam or audition results, and the classroom or studio management details a school checks, such as clearances and scheduling. Certifications and education stay near the top for school roles.
How do I list instruments on a music resume?
Put the primary instrument first with the level, then list doubles in a separate line: “Cello (primary, 15 years), piano (secondary), alto voice”. Use full instrument names and state reading and improvisation ability where they matter. A short list with levels is more useful to a contractor than a long one without.
Should I include gigs and performances on a teaching resume?
Yes, in a short performance section below the teaching content. Active performance work supports your credibility in the studio and shows the level you can model for students. Keep it to ensembles, venues and repertoire rather than a list of every one-off gig.
Do recordings belong on a music resume?
Yes, with your specific contribution named: performer, arranger, session player or producer. Include the release year and the ensemble or artist, and keep streaming links as plain text. Recordings are one of the few permanent credit lines a performer has, so treat them like publications.
How do I show student outcomes without breaking privacy?
Report aggregates and results, never personal details: numbers of students, honor orchestra placements, exam pass counts and audition outcomes by group. “Three students entered university music programs over five years” is safe and specific. Avoid names, individual scores or anything a parent would not expect to be shared publicly.
Can I use one music resume for teaching and performing jobs?
You can maintain one base document, but you should reorder it for each application. Teaching applications lead with instruction and classroom results; performance applications lead with instruments, ensembles and recordings. The same sections stay in the file; what changes is which one a reader sees first.