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Careers

Discover Career Opportunities

Sample Career Options

Note: Additional training and education may be required.

  • adjudicator
  • arts administrator
  • collaborative pianist
  • community musician
  • composer
  • conductor
  • event coordinator
  • game and film music composer
  • member of chamber ensemble, orchestra or new music group
  • music curator
  • music librarian
  • musicologist
  • opera singer
  • performer
  • professor
  • sound engineer
  • studio owner/teacher
  • teacher/educator

Sample Industries/Types of Employers

  • arts councils
  • choirs
  • concert halls
  • educational institutions
  • festivals
  • instrument manufacturers
  • music producers/studios
  • music publishers/distributors
  • performing arts centres
  • recording studios

Career Resources

Check out more resources available in the Career Centre and through Navigator.

Laurier Grads are Successful

Laurier Graduate Survey Results (2021)

Respondents from the Laurier Graduate Survey conducted by Career Centre. Graduates were surveyed within 12 months of graduation.

103 Music (BMus) Graduates:

  • Employed: 41.0%
  • Pursuing Further Education: 56.4%
  • Looking for Work: 2.6%

Sample Jobs within the First Year After Graduation

  • copyright and reserves associate
  • music teacher
  • musician
  • patient intake specialist
  • program officer

Sample Further Education Programs within the First Year After Graduation

  • Master’s degree: Community Music, Education, Occupational Therapy, Orchestral Conducting, Piano Performance and Pedagogy. 
  • Bachelor's degree: Education.
  • University diploma: Chamber Music, Opera.
  • College Program: Arts Administration and Cultural Management, Music Scoring for Screen and Stage.

Careers of Alumni Two-Five Years After Graduation

  • artist relations
  • event promoter
  • film composer
  • freelance musician
  • music teacher
  • music therapy placement coordinator
  • occupational therapist
  • opera director
  • volunteer coordinator

Develop Your Knowledge and Skills

At Laurier, develop these competencies through both curricular and co-curricular opportunities to help you achieve your goals for the future.

Functional Knowledge

  • Superior musicianship skills, acquired through three full years of musicianship training.
  • Strong performance skills developed through private lessons, enhancing public presentation abilities.
  • Develop a critical understanding of the form and inner-workings of the musical score through fine-detail work and synthesis to large scale organization and sense-making.
  • Acquire a broad and deep knowledge of musical literature, style and culture.
  • Develop leadership and collaborative skills in musical settings.
  • Develop pedagogical skills to teach music.

Collaboration & Teamwork 

  • Work effectively as part of a team by identifying your role and contributing, leading, teaching, motivating and/or encouraging others for team success.
  • Oversee, lead and/or contribute to a project including determining goals, planning details, making decisions and completing tasks.
  • Demonstrate professional behaviour and an understanding of individual perspectives and diversity.

Communication

  • Explain information, ideas and opinions effectively, both verbally and in writing.
  • Probe for information by asking questions and listening, and engage in constructive conversations.
  • Prepare interesting and informative reports and presentations for diverse audiences using current technology.

Critical Thinking & Problem Solving 

  • Identify and access a wide range of relevant information and resources.
  • Learn, understand and critically interpret information and apply knowledge to new situations.
  • Set priorities, meet deadlines and manage time, data and resources.
  • Make well-reasoned decisions, think creatively, identify and consider all sides of an issue.
  • Analyze and evaluate data to discuss, support and/or question ideas, opinions, reports, theories and proposals.

Discover Career Opportunities

Sample Career Options

Note: Additional training and education may be required.

  • community agency director
  • community music therapist
  • community musician
  • educational consultant
  • geriatric counsellor
  • group facilitator
  • mental health worker
  • medical music therapist
  • music psychotherapist (master's degree required)
  • music therapist
  • neurologic music therapist
  • palliative support specialist
  • program coordinator
  • psychotherapist (master's degree required)
  • vocal psychotherapist (master's degree required)

Sample Industries/Types of Employers

  • community organizations
  • educational institutions
  • hospices
  • hospitals
  • long-term care/residential facilities
  • non-profit organizations
  • prisons
  • private practice
  • research organizations

Career Resources

Check out more resources available in the Career Centre and through Navigator.

Laurier Grads are Successful

Laurier Graduate Survey Results (2021)

Respondents from the Laurier Graduate Survey conducted by Career Centre. Graduates were surveyed within 12 months of graduation.

37 Music Therapy (BMT) Graduates:

  • Employed: 76.2%
  • Pursuing Further Education: 19.0%
  • Looking for Work: 4.8%

Sample Jobs within the First Year After Graduation

  • music teacher
  • music therapist
  • program facilitator
  • sexual assault counsellor

Sample Further Education Programs within the First Year After Graduation

  • Master’s degree: Music Therapy.

Careers of Alumni Two-Five Years After Graduation

  • community support worker
  • coordinator, community relations
  • employment advisor
  • instructor therapist
  • music teacher
  • music therapist
  • occupational therapist
  • recording artist
  • teacher

Develop Your Knowledge and Skills

At Laurier, develop these competencies through both curricular and co-curricular opportunities to help you achieve your goals for the future.

Functional Knowledge

  • Develop a comprehensive view of music therapy within different health-care settings.
  • Gain an awareness of how emotions, culture and society are expressed through music-making and listening.
  • Develop clinical referrals and assessment protocols to meet the needs of clients.
  • Think critically about how music affects clients in different health-care settings.
  • Be aware of current theoretical trends in contemporary clinical practice.
  • Develop skills in clinical musicianship.
  • Gain an awareness of culture/societal change as expressed and represented through music.
  • Identify the balance between music and words, and how these are effectively used, within the therapeutic relationship.
  • Discover how information is sourced, valued and used in creating new knowledge.

Collaboration & Teamwork

  • Work effectively as part of a team by identifying your role and contributing, leading, teaching, motivating and/or encouraging others for team success.
  • Oversee, lead and/or contribute to a project including determining goals, planning details, making decisions and completing tasks.
  • Demonstrate professional behaviour and an understanding of individual perspectives and diversity.

Communication

  • Communicate, interpret and understand the outcomes and processes of music therapy through standardized clinical documentation.
  • Explain how music therapy is a part of the clinical health care team through presentations written evaluations and case studies.
  • Probe for information by asking questions and listening, and engage in constructive conversations.
  • Prepare interesting and informative reports and presentations for diverse audiences using current technology.

Critical Thinking & Problem Solving

  • Identify and access a wide range of relevant information and resources.
  • Learn, understand and critically interpret information and apply knowledge to new situations.
  • Set priorities, meet deadlines and manage time, data and resources.
  • Make well-reasoned decisions, think creatively, identify and consider all sides of an issue.
  • Analyze and evaluate data to discuss, support and/or question ideas, opinions, reports, theories and proposals.

Discover Career Opportunities

Sample Career Options

Note: Additional training and education may be required.

  • arts program administrator
  • band director
  • children's music performer
  • city/cultural event planner
  • classroom/private teacher
  • community ensemble leader
  • festival coordinator/organizer
  • lyricist
  • music camp director
  • music program coordinator
  • music programmer
  • music school owner/operator
  • music teacher
  • music video director/editor
  • music/arts reporter/journalist
  • performer
  • researcher
  • sound effects designer
  • special events manager
  • stage manager

Sample Industries/Types of Employers

  • advertising companies
  • allied health/wellness organizations
  • arts councils
  • choirs
  • community agencies/organizations
  • concert halls
  • cultural/heritage organizations
  • educational institutions
  • entrepreneurial ventures/self-employed
  • festivals
  • film/TV industry
  • media organizations
  • non-profit organizations
  • performing arts centres
  • radio/video companies
  • recording studios

Career Resources

Check out more resources available in the Career Centre and through Navigator.

Laurier Grads are Successful

Laurier Graduate Survey Results (2021)

Respondents from the Laurier Graduate Survey conducted by Career Centre. Graduates were surveyed within 12 months of graduation.

103 Music (BMus) Graduates:

  • Employed: 41.0%
  • Pursuing Further Education: 56.4%
  • Looking for Work: 2.6%

Sample Jobs within the First Year After Graduation

  • child and youth worker
  • music teacher
  • project coordinator
  • research assistant

Sample Further Education Programs within the First Year After Graduation

  • Master’s degree: Music Therapy, Social Justice and Community Engagement, Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy. 
  • Bachelor's degree: Education.

Develop Your Knowledge and Skills

At Laurier, develop these competencies through both curricular and co-curricular opportunities to help you achieve your goals for the future.

Functional Knowledge

  • Create, edit, arrange, stage and present music for a variety of mediums and purposes.
  • Gain an awareness of how ideas, emotions and culture are expressed through music, arts and performances.
  • Gain an awareness of culture/societal change as expressed and represented through music and performance arts.
  • Use music and sound to provide information and create mood or atmosphere.
  • Demonstrate an appreciation of musical techniques and history, and the value of music and performance.
  • Analyze, interpret and appropriately convey musical background/theories to others.
  • Discover how information is sourced, valued and used in creating new knowledge.

Collaboration & Teamwork 

  • Work effectively as part of a team by identifying your role and contributing, leading, teaching, motivating and/or encouraging others for team success.
  • Oversee, lead and/or contribute to a project including determining goals, planning details, making decisions and completing tasks.
  • Demonstrate professional behaviour and an understanding of individual perspectives and diversity.

Communication

  • Communicate, interpret and understand ideas and information through music/performance.
  • Explain information, ideas and opinions effectively, both verbally and in writing.
  • Probe for information by asking questions and listening, and engage in constructive conversations.
  • Prepare interesting and informative reports and presentations for diverse audiences using current technology.

Critical Thinking & Problem Solving 

  • Identify and access a wide range of relevant information and resources.
  • Learn, understand and critically interpret information and apply knowledge to new situations.
  • Set priorities, meet deadlines and manage time, data and resources.
  • Make well-reasoned decisions, think creatively, identify and consider all sides of an issue.
  • Analyze and evaluate data to discuss, support and/or question ideas, opinions, reports, theories and proposals.