Now accepting applications for the year 2025. Apply Now

Top Music Courses After 12th: Explore Your Musical Career Options

It’s always the right move in a music career when one is passionate enough about it and dreams of making music a career option after the 12th standard. Music courses are good because, through these courses, you would get technical training and artistic expression that form the basis for various music career options.

What are the popular courses of music that one can pursue after class XII?

Bachelor of Performing Arts (Music): Covers the practical and theoretical aspects, right from vocal training to music theory.
B.Mus – Bachelor of Music: Covers music theory, composition, and performance.

Diploma in Music: Shorter length; specialized in audio engineering or vocal performance.

Certificate Courses in Music: These are short-term skills-oriented trainings in areas such as sound recording, classical music among others.It includes fine arts and music, mainly targeting multimedia art.

Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music): Combines fine arts with music, catering to those interested in creating visual music projects or working on stage performances.
This degree prepares students for work in music production, direction, and even multimedia art installations.

What Is the Duration of Various Music Courses After 12th?

Bachelor’s Degree: Typically 3 to 4 years, offering in-depth knowledge and professional skills.

Diploma Courses: Generally 1 to 2 years, allowing for focused training.

Certificate Courses: 6 months to 1 year, ideal for short-term specialization.

What Skills Are Required to Pursue a Career in Music?

1. Musical Aptitude and Rhythm:-

Music aptitude can only be measured with a valid music aptitude test. Music teachers’ judgments about students’ musical “talent” are often based significantly on musical achievement, not the potential to achieve.

Rhythm is a flow of rising and falling sounds in a language that is produced in verse by a regular repeating of stressed and unstressed syllables.

Example: Drummers, for instance, need impeccable timing, while vocalists must understand pitch and intonation.

2. Creativity and Innovation:-

Musical creativity is something beyond science which means the different and similar ways of thinking that come together to make new and useful music in certain social and cultural settings. This can happen both alone and with a group. 

Musical innovation refers to the introduction of new ideas, styles, or techniques in music that change or enhance musical expression.

Example: Music composers are constantly creating new sounds, mixing genres, and innovating with rhythms.

3. Performance and Stage Presence:-

Performance is the act of dancing, singing, or any other form of entertainment on stage. Stage presence is basically the ability of a performer to essentially get and keep the audience engaged in the performance they are putting on.

Example: Singers and musicians work on maintaining audience engagement through confidence and charisma on stage.

4. Sound Knowledge of Musical Instruments:-

Music Instruments usually produce a sound when a part of it vibrates and produces sounds that are loud enough to be heard by the human ear. These sounds, or musical notes, are produced differently in each of the four main families of instruments: Woodwind, Brass, String, and Percussion.

Example: A guitarist specializing in classical music must master techniques like fingerstyle and arpeggios.

5. Collaboration and Teamwork:-

Music collaboration takes place when two or more artiists come together to produce a musical project. Collaborative partnerships can occur at various stages of the creative process. It’s one of the most significant creative forces driving music today.

Example: In bands or orchestras, musicians learn to coordinate with each other to produce harmony.

What Career Opportunities Are Available After Completing a Music Course?

1. Music Composer:-

A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation.

Example: Composers create scores for films, ads, and video games, transforming scenes with music.

2. Performer (Vocalist, Instrumentalist) :-  

A music performer is generally either a singer, who provides vocals, or an instrumentalist, who plays a musical instrument.

Example: Performers may play live at concerts, in recording sessions, or as part of musical theater productions.

2. Sound Engineer:-

A Sound engineer helps to produce a recording or a live performance, balancing and adjusting sound sources using equalization, dynamics processing and audio effects, mixing reproduction, and reinforcement of sound.

Example: Sound engineers work on recording setups, mixing tracks, and managing acoustics for live events.

3. Music Teacher:- 

A music teacher is type of a teacher who teaches different kind of music to students 

Example: Music teachers may teach at schools or offer private lessons, guiding students in vocal or instrumental music.

4. Music Producer:-

A music producer is a creative and technical leader who manages the recording and production of music & A music producer helps artists record their songs, album, or project.

Example: Producers manage the recording process, often mentoring artists and bringing creative visions to life.

What Are the Prospects for Higher Studies in Music?

Below are the 3 prospects for higher studies in Music

Master of Arts (MA) in Music

Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Music

Ph.D. in Music

Example: A student who completes an MA in Music may specialize in advanced areas like musicology, ethnomusicology, or music theory.

Are There Any Entrance Exams for Music Courses?

Institutes like BHU and Delhi University conduct entrance exams like DUET, BHU UET, or auditions to assess music knowledge and skills.

How to Choose the Right Music Course for Your Career?

Assess Your Genre Interest

Example: If you enjoy traditional music, you might lean toward a Bachelor of Performing Arts; for a tech-focused path, consider a diploma in music production.

Consider Course Duration

Example: Certificate courses are ideal for rapid learning, while bachelor’s degrees offer comprehensive training.

Practical Exposure and Internships

Example: Check if the institution provides real-world experience through internships at recording studios or with performance groups.

Faculty Quality

Example: Investigate faculty experience; accomplished musicians as teachers can provide invaluable mentorship.

Conclusion

Pursuing music courses after the 12th can open numerous music career options, from performance and composition to production and teaching. Whether you dream of being a composer, an audio engineer, or a stage performer, each path has a course that can guide you toward your goal. Choosing the right program based on your interests and career aspirations is essential for success in the music industry. If you are also interested in pursuing a career in music, if are passionate about pursuing a music career then AAFT University could be the right place for you to pursue your dreams in music. 

Explore. Discover. Connect. Follow us on: