Music Directors

Direct and conduct instrumental or vocal performances by musical groups, such as orchestras or choirs.

tasks jobzones knowledge skills abilities work_activities work_context interests work_styles work_values

Tasks

• Engage services of composers to write scores.

• Meet with composers to discuss interpretations of their work.

• Conduct guest soloists in addition to ensemble members.

• Collaborate with music librarians to ensure availability of scores.

• Plan and implement fund-raising and promotional activities.

• Coordinate and organize tours, or hire touring companies to arrange concert dates, venues, accommodations, and transportation for longer tours.

• Perform administrative tasks such as applying for grants, developing budgets, negotiating contracts, and designing and printing programs and other promotional materials.

• Assign and review staff work in such areas as scoring, arranging, and copying music, and vocal coaching.

• Meet with soloists and concertmasters to discuss and prepare for performances.

• Audition and select performers for musical presentations.

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Job Zone

• Name: Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed

• Experience: A minimum of two to four years of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

• Education: Most of these occupations require a four - year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

• Job training: Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

• Examples: Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include accountants, human resource managers, computer programmers, teachers, chemists, and police detectives.

• Svp range: (7.0 to < 8.0)

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Knowledge

Browse Knowledge

• Fine Arts
  Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

• Education and Training
  Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

• Philosophy and Theology
  Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

• Customer and Personal Service
  Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

• English Language
  Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

• Communications and Media
  Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

• Psychology
  Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

• Computers and Electronics
  Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

• Administration and Management
  Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

• Personnel and Human Resources
  Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

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Skills

Browse Skills

• Coordination
  Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

• Learning Strategies
  Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.

• Monitoring
  Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

• Social Perceptiveness
  Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

• Instructing
  Teaching others how to do something.

• Active Listening
  Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

• Time Management
  Managing one's own time and the time of others.

• Persuasion
  Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

• Active Learning
  Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

• Speaking
  Talking to others to convey information effectively.

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Abilities

Browse Abilities

• Hearing Sensitivity
  The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.

• Oral Expression
  The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

• Fluency of Ideas
  The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).

• Originality
  The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.

• Auditory Attention
  The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.

• Oral Comprehension
  The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

• Information Ordering
  The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

• Written Comprehension
  The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

• Speech Recognition
  The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

• Problem Sensitivity
  The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

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Work Activities

Browse Work Activities

• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
  Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
  Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.

• Thinking Creatively
  Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.

• Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
  Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.

• Coaching and Developing Others
  Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.

• Developing and Building Teams
  Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
  Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.

• Developing Objectives and Strategies
  Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.

• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
  Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

• Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates
  Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.

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Work Context

• Work With Work Group or Team
  How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?

• Contact With Others
  How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?

• Freedom to Make Decisions
  How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?

• Structured versus Unstructured Work
  To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?

• Face-to-Face Discussions
  How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?

• Physical Proximity
  To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people?

• Telephone
  How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?

• Coordinate or Lead Others
  How important is it to coordinate or lead others in accomplishing work activities in this job?

• Responsibility for Outcomes and Results
  How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers?

• Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
  How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?

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Interests

Browse Interests

• Artistic
  Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

• Social
  Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

• Enterprising
  Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

• Realistic
  Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

• Investigative
  Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

• Conventional
  Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

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Work Styles

• Leadership
  Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.

• Dependability
  Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

• Integrity
  Job requires being honest and ethical.

• Self Control
  Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

• Concern for Others
  Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.

• Cooperation
  Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

• Social Orientation
  Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.

• Attention to Detail
  Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

• Adaptability/Flexibility
  Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.

• Stress Tolerance
  Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.

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Work Values

Browse Work Values

• Ability Utilization
  Workers on this job make use of their individual abilities.

• Achievement-Mean Extent
  Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

• Achievement
  Workers on this job get a feeling of accomplishment.

• Responsibility
  Workers on this job make decisions on their own.

• Autonomy
  Workers on this job plan their work with little supervision.

• Independence-Mean Extent
  Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employs to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.

• Creativity
  Workers on this job try out their own ideas.

• Recognition
  Workers on this job receive recognition for the work they do.

• Moral Values
  Workers on this job are never pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

• Authority
  Workers on this job give directions and instructions to others.

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