Orchestral Music Librarian Jobs

About This Music Career

An Orchestral Music Librarian catalogs the orchestra’s printed music, while also taking responsibility for ordering new music. In the event of the orchestra deciding not to purchase certain pieces of music, it is up to the Music Librarian to locate the music. Once they find the music, they rent it, and then return it once it is no longer needed.

In terms of skills, the Orchestral Music Librarian must be skilled in copying musical markings, assisting the conductor after he or she has looked at a piece of music and made changes in it. Also, it is the Orchestral Music Librarian’s duty to distribute music to section members. These pieces of music are then collected after rehearsal or performance conclusions. When the orchestra travels, so does the Music Librarian, as he or she is responsible for all of the sheet music, as previous mentioned. Also, the Music Librarian also questions Guest Conductors about his or her music requirements.

Different than traditional Librarians, the Orchestral Music Librarian does not work regular hours. Also, he or she is usually responsible to the Orchestra Conductor.

Salaries
Salaries depend on the type of orchestra, because a Music Librarian working for a major orchestra makes between $27,000 and $62,000 or more per year, while a Music Librarian working for a regional or metropolitan orchestra might make between $25,000 and $35,000 or more per year.

Employment
Those seeking positions as Orchestral Music Librarians will face tough job prospects. Reason being that there are a limited number of orchestras, along with the fact that not every orchestra employs a paid individual in this position.

Advancement
Also, the possibility for advancement is poor due to the small number of music librarian positions available in orchestras. A different route for one to try is to move into another type of position, such as a Librarian in a traditional library or educational setting.

Education and Training

All Orchestral Music Librarian positions require an undergraduate degree in music theory or history at the very least. With that said, some positions require a dual major in music and library sciences. Others might even require a master’s degree in either music or library sciences.

Experience, Skills, and Personality
Prior to becoming Orchestral Music Librarians, individuals often work as Music Librarian Assistants. There are also internship programs to help aspiring Music Librarians gain experience. In terms of skills, the Orchestral Music Librarian must have neat handwriting, and must be able to copy Conductor’s markings on scores. He or she must also be extremely organized and very personable.

Unions and Associations
Options for organizations include the American Library Association (ALA), the Special Libraries Association (SLA), and the American Symphony Orchestra League (ASOL), all of which help the individual maintain contacts while attending seminars.

Suggestions for Getting Started