Music Directors and Composers salary in Boston, Massachusetts

Salary distribution

Where Boston music directors and composers fall on the wage curve.

Typical entry

• Education

  Bachelor's degree

• Experience

  5 years or more

• On-the-job training

  None

Top skills (O*NET)

• Fine Arts

  Knowledge

  4.7 / 5

• Hearing Sensitivity

  Ability

  4.3 / 5

• Active Listening

  Basic skill

  3.9 / 5

• English Language

  Knowledge

  3.8 / 5

• Information Ordering

  Ability

  3.8 / 5

• Written Comprehension

  Ability

  3.8 / 5

• Fluency of Ideas

  Ability

  3.8 / 5

• Originality

  Ability

  3.8 / 5

Common tasks (O*NET)

1. 01

   Use gestures to shape the music being played, communicating desired tempo, phrasing, tone, color, pitch, volume, and other performance aspects.

2. 02

   Direct groups at rehearsals and live or recorded performances to achieve desired effects such as tonal and harmonic balance dynamics, rhythm, and tempo.

3. 03

   Study scores to learn the music in detail, and to develop interpretations.

4. 04

   Consider such factors as ensemble size and abilities, availability of scores, and the need for musical variety, to select music to be performed.

5. 05

   Apply elements of music theory to create musical and tonal structures, including harmonies and melodies.

6. 06

   Determine voices, instruments, harmonic structures, rhythms, tempos, and tone balances required to achieve the effects desired in a musical composition.

7. 07

   Experiment with different sounds, and types and pieces of music, using synthesizers and computers as necessary to test and evaluate ideas.

8. 08

   Transcribe ideas for musical compositions into musical notation, using instruments, pen and paper, or computers.