Musician Examples & Templates
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Writing a musician CV is not that different from creating music: you need good form, creativity to present your skills and the ability to adapt to your audience.
Use this guide to build a well-structured musician CV to showcase your career and qualifications.
Musician CV Example (Text Version)
Liam Torres
Los Angeles, CA 90003
(555) 555-5555
example@example.com
Summary Statement
Accomplished musician with over a decade of experience in performance, composition and teaching. Expertise in classical piano and contemporary repertoire, with a proven track record of delivering captivating performances in prestigious venues worldwide. Adept at music education, mentoring over 100 students with an average improvement of 30% in skill assessment tests. Skilled in arranging and producing music, with multiple pieces featured in international festivals. Recipient of the National Music Excellence Award and consistently recognized for creative and technical excellence.
Core Qualifications
- Classical piano performance
- Orchestral collaboration
- Music notation software (Sibelius, Finale)
- Public speaking and presentation
- Music composition and arrangement
- Pro Tools and Logic Pro
- audio recording and editing
- Adaptability and creativity
Education
Master of Arts: Music Composition
University of California, Los Angeles – Los Angeles, CA
- GPA: 3.9/4.0
- Summa cum laude
Bachelor of Arts: Music
University of California, Los Angeles – Los Angeles, CA
- GPA: 3.8/4.0
- Summa cum laude
Work Experience
Concert Pianist, 01/2022 – Current
Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra – Los Angeles, CA
- Perform in over 120 international concerts, drawing audiences exceeding 20,000 annually.
- Collaborate with renowned conductors and composers, premiering 15 new compositions.
- Increase ticket sales by 25% through engaging performances and innovative programming.
Music Educator, 09/2016 – 12/2021
Harmony Music Academy – Los Angeles, CA
- Taught over 100 students annually, with 95% advancing to higher skill levels within one year.
- Developed a progressive teaching curriculum adopted by three partner academies.
- Organized annual recitals, attended by an average audience of 300, fostering community engagement.
Composer and Arranger, 01/2012 – 08/2016
Create Music Group – Los Angeles, CA
- Composed and arranged over 20 original pieces, including five commissioned by international festivals.
- Produced and recorded soundtracks for 10 short films and documentaries, reaching over 50,000 listeners.
- Achieved a 4.9/5 satisfaction rating from clients for creative and technical excellence.
Teaching Experience
The Music Teachers Network – (2024)
- Mentored over 100 students, with 10 admitted to top music conservatories globally.
University of California, Los Angeles – (2022)
- Conducted masterclasses across five cities, attended by an average of 50 aspiring musicians per session.
Musika Music Lessons – (2018)
- Designed and implemented personalized lesson plans, achieving a 95% student satisfaction rate.
Publications and Media
- “Modern Interpretations of Classical Repertoire,” Journal of Music Education (2021).
- Featured in The Pianist Magazine for innovative performance techniques (2020).
- “Composing for the 21st Century,” keynote presentation at the International Music Symposium (2019).
Relevant Performances
- Soloist, Carnegie Hall – (2024)
- Chamber Music Recital, Royal Albert Hall – (2023)
- Featured Performer, Vienna International Music Festival – (20222)
- Guest Artist, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra – (2021)
- Pianist, Berlin Philharmonic Concert Series- (2019)
- Los Angeles Music Festival – (2018)
Honors and Awards
- Member, American Federation of Musicians (AFM)
- Member, National Association for Music Education (NAfME)
- Member, International Society of Music Educators (ISME)
Relevant Skills
- Deliver captivating performances across diverse genres, including classical, contemporary and jazz, tailored to engage audiences of all sizes and demographics.
- Skilled in using industry-standard software such as Logic Pro, Pro Tools and Sibelius for composing, recording and editing professional-quality music productions.
- Develop and implement personalized lesson plans that foster growth in technical and artistic abilities, achieving consistent student success and recognition.
- Excel in collaborating with orchestras, chamber groups, and bands, ensuring seamless coordination and synergy during live performances and rehearsals.
- Deliver captivating performances across diverse genres, including classical, contemporary, and jazz, tailored to engage audiences of all sizes and demographics.
Important CV Sections
Contact details
Create a professional header with your name and contact information. Include your phone number and email address. If you have a portfolio, YouTube page or other website showcasing your work, add it here. Don’t forget to also link to your Bold.pro, LinkedIn, or other professional networking profile.
Personal statement
This is your introduction to the employer. Also known as the career summary, use it to summarize your career and future goals. Approach it as an elevator pitch to maximize the information.
For example:
Driven and passionate musician with a diverse background in performance, composition, and music production. Extensive experience in collaborating with artists across various genres, showcasing adaptability and creativity. Strong commitment to continuous growth and exploration of innovative musical styles. Eager to contribute unique talents and artistic vision to new projects and collaborations.
Skills
List 6 to 12 skills in your musician’s CV. Use your strongest, most relevant skills for the role here. If you want to draw the reader’s attention to a specific skill, this is the place to do it. Be as specific as possible.
For example, if you’re including music production, state which tools you’ve used. Or, if you have more knowledge in a specific area, such as music theory, explain it in detail, for example, by highlighting your expertise in verse-chorus arrangements.
Work history
Create a work experience in reverse chronological order. That means starting with your most recent position and working backward. For each role, include your title, the company and dates worked. Under each, include three bullet points with quantifiable accomplishments.
For example:
Freelance Musician
City, State
June 2021 – Present- Performed at over 50 live events, including weddings, corporate functions, and local festivals, showcasing versatility across genres (pop, jazz, classical).
- Collaborated with various artists and bands to arrange and perform original compositions and covers.
- Produced promotional materials and managed social media accounts to increase visibility and attract new clients.
Session Musician
Independent Studios, City, State
January 2020 – Present- Recorded instrumental tracks for multiple independent artists and producers, contributing to five EPs and two full-length albums.
- Worked with producers to refine arrangements and enhance sound quality, ensuring the final product met client expectations.
- Developed strong relationships with local studios, resulting in repeat bookings and referrals.
If you’re starting your career, you can include experience from your education or volunteering experience.
Education
Write a robust education section. Include your degree and institution. If you graduated in the past decade, include the date; otherwise, you can skip it.
If you’re writing a CV with no experience, pay special attention to your education section and add as much information as possible: relevant coursework, achievements, capstone projects, memberships, extracurricular activities and so on.
For example:
Bachelor of Music in Performance
University of Music and Arts, City, State
May 2021- Relevant Coursework: Advanced Music Theory, Composition, Music History, Conducting, Studio Recording
- University Orchestra: Violinist, performed in annual concerts and regional competitions.
- Jazz Ensemble: Lead saxophonist, participated in local jazz festivals and workshops.
- Music Club President: Organized events, guest lectures, and community outreach programs, increasing student engagement in musical activities.
Additional sections
A benefit of a musician CV is additional sections to show off you’re a well-rounded candidate. As long as you follow the same format as the rest of your CV, you can include anything.
These are the most commonly used additional sections:
- Certifications and licenses
- Projects
- Performances
- Compositions
- Awards and honors
- Languages
- Professional affiliations and memberships
- Volunteer experiences
- Hobbies
A CV tells the course of your career. Showcase whatever it is that sets you apart from other candidates. For example, create a section titled Production and Technical Skills to highlight these skills aside from your performances or teaching experience.
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Action Verbs for Your CV
Action verbs are key in your work experience. Use these verbs to empower your quantifiable achievements and truly highlight your expertise.
- Accompany
- Arrange
- Collaborate
- Compose
- Conduct
- Curate
- Develop
- Engineer
- Enhance
- Facilitate
- Innovate
- Lead
- Orchestrate
- Perform
- Produce
- Promote
- Record
- Transcribe
- Teach
Check out these 300+ CV examples and see how others have used action verbs in their CVs.
Best Skills for a CV
While this section will focus on hard skills, which are the abilities used to perform a job, don’t sleep on soft skills. Soft skills tell an employer how you work and how you work with others.
These are a few skills for a musician CV:
- Proficient in playing multiple musical instruments (e.g., guitar, piano, violin)
- Music composition and arrangement
- Sight-reading and ear training
- Music theory and harmony
- Audio recording and mixing techniques
- Proficiency in music production software (e.g., Ableton Live, Logic Pro, Pro Tools)
- Live sound engineering and equipment setup
- Notation software (e.g., Sibelius, Finale)
- Vocal techniques and range management
- Improvisation skills across various genres
- Familiarity with music licensing and copyright laws
- Performance skills in solo and ensemble settings
- Understanding of digital marketing and social media for musicians
- Music transcription and orchestration
- Knowledge of music history and cultural contexts
Certifications for a CV
Certifications can back up your expertise and prepare you to broaden your horizons in the industry.
These are a few certification examples for a musician CV. Remember to include the expiration date, if applicable.
- Certified Music Teacher (CMT)
- Orff Schulwerk Certification
- Cubase Certification
- Logic Pro Certification
- FL Studio Certification
- Berklee Online Music Business Certificate
- Ableton Certified Training Program
- Music Therapy Certification
Pair your CV with a matching cover letter
FAQ
How to make a CV for a musician?
Follow our guide on how to write a CV:
- Choose a professional CV template
- Write a compelling resume summary or objective statement.
- Create a thorough skills section with hard and soft skills
- Build a complete work experience
- Include additional sections to show you’re a well-rounded candidate
How long should a musician CV be?
A CV can be up to 10 pages long. According to the University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music, a standard musician CV is six pages long. It must include your entire career journey: all your performances, your entire work experience, and all your skills. If you’re not whether you should choose a CV vs resume, always follow the application instructions.
Best Practices
- Use measurable achievements to describe your musician skills and experience.
- Use action words to empower your musician CV.
- Tailor your CV to your target musician job.
- Use keywords from the job description throughout your musician CV.
- Format your musician CV so that it is easy to read by ATS software and human eyes.
- Lie about your musician experience and skills.
- Boast about your “incomparable” musician abilities.
- Include irrelevant personal information, such as your ethnicity and age.
- Forget to proofread. A musician CV with errors is unprofessional.
Interview Tips
Research the opportunity
Learn about the opportunity by researching their official channel and asking previous or current employees and participants. Use their website, social media and the news. This will help you better prepare for the interview — plus, you’ll be able to include more relevant information on your musician CV.
Practice at home
As a musician, you understand the importance of practicing. The same principle applies to an interview. Ask a trusted individual to conduct a mock interview using commonly asked interview questions.
For example:
- What Attracted You to This Company?
- What Can You Bring to the Team
- How Would Your Coworkers Describe You?
Then ask this person for feedback on your answers and body language. Use the STAR method or PAR method to build answers and keep track of your narration as you answer.
Prepare questions for the interview
An interview works both ways. It is your chance to ask questions and learn more about how the opportunity aligns with your career goals and if it is worth your time. Arrive with at least three questions. Bring a small notebook or a piece of paper if you don’t want to forget anything.
These are only a few examples of questions you could ask:
- What’s the ideal candidate you’re seeking?
- What’s the career path for this role?
- Why did you choose to work here?
- What are the opportunities for professional growth and development?
- How do you handle conflict among members?
- What are your expectations for the first 30, 60, 90 days?
Gather your references
Stay ahead. Prepare a reference sheet to match your CV. Once the employer is ready to ask you for references, you can just email it or hand it over.
These references must be people who can vouch for your abilities, both as a musician and as a coworker. Managers, colleagues and mentors are a few good options. If you’re starting your career, talk to professors, classmates, volunteer coordinators and so on.
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Nilda Melissa is a Certified Professional Resume Writer who has written for The Washington Post and Latina Style Magazine. She has a master's in Journalism from Columbia University and is a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
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