Session musicians are freelance singers or instrumentalists who play with groups temporarily or for events. They need to be versatile, able to play in various genres, and have natural talent and musical ability. Contacts, a demo recording, and job searching are necessary for success.
A session musician is a freelance singer or instrumentalist. Session musicians can play with groups that need an extra player temporarily, or they can be hired to play at an event or record music for an advertisement. No special degrees are needed to become a session musician, but artists do need to do a lot of preparation before applying for jobs.
Session musicians are needed for all types of music, such as rock, classical, hip-hop or big band. An artist who wants to make a career as a session musician must be quite versatile and able to play in a variety of genres. If a musician can only play heavy metal, for example, the number of jobs available decreases significantly. Being competent in many styles of music prepares a session musician to do virtually any type of work.
Natural talent is an important asset for anyone wanting to become a session musician, but developing musical ability is also crucial. A session musician needs to be able to see music read, and it also helps to read charts and guides. Generally, learning to read read music can be learned and practiced at home without lessons. If an artist can play a song on sight, the band or producer can follow the recording without a lot of practice time.
Ear training and a solid background in music theory are other skills that will help an artist become a session musician. For some people, this may require formal training. Aural training is particularly important for singers who want to hit the right note every time, but it also helps musicians create harmony parts or listen to music when sheet music is not provided.
No one can become a session musician without hard work, tenacious job searching, and contacts. When applying for jobs, the musician should have a good demo recording and some black and white photos. Radio and TV stations hire freelance musicians to do jingles or backup work, and classified ads often list jobs playing music for parties, weddings, or other events. For musicians with more professional experience, there are producers, composers and studios that advertise in specialized magazines or studio technology magazines that need musicians to do demos or backups. Session musicians can also apply for jobs at recording studios or directly with agents.
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