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Careers: Music/Questions Answered by Expert Todd Sullivan
| Subject | Date Asked |
| Prospective Music Career | 5/15/2012 |
| Q: If you would be so willing to take a moment to lend advice to somrone aspiring to get to where you ... A: You are correct that if you have the inspiration and talent to write music, you need the technical ... | |
| Playing as a professional | 3/22/2012 |
| Q: What must I do to play in a live band, do I need a liscence to do so ? A: fortunately no license is needed to play in a band if you write your own music. All you need to do ... | |
| Career Advice | 9/23/2011 |
| Q: Hey there. I am at a lose as what to do for college. I want to play violin/viola and/or piano as a ... A: Apologies for the slow response. The best thing to do is play whatever instruments you like, take ... | |
| Singing in puberty | 3/12/2011 |
| Q: Sir Todd, I'm a teenager that is growing out with music.I sing , play the guitar etc.But I saw a ... A: I think the documentary dispensed some poor advice. You can certainly overuse and strain your ... | |
| How can you send your demo if you have only one song? | 6/22/2010 |
| Q: I’m an amateur pianist and I’ve written a song, about which I’m happy. I want to send the demo to a ... A: One song can make a demo, but I would not recommend you send it to a publisher or recording company ... | |
| Career in Music | 4/28/2010 |
| Q: Sullivan I currently major in vocal performance, and my career goal is to first teach whether ... A: Although a Masters may be helpful, it is not necessary for teaching at the secondary level. You ... | |
| classical music recording | 12/29/2009 |
| Q: i am a completely blind pianist. I learned only by ear and never used a music sheet. I like to ... A: A blind pianist introduced me to classical music when I was a kid, and set me on the path to what I ... | |
| Music Careers | 11/26/2009 |
| Q: I love music and I play flute, sax, clarinet and trumpet, but I don't know what career I want to go ... A: especially the low reed books, so this is what you should aim for. You'll need to play all the ... | |
| Music Performance | 7/8/2009 |
| Q: Sullivan, I have been having a real hard time in music lately when it comes to performance. I would ... A: Beyond my suggestions below on how to improve from this, you should learn to have a short memory ... | |
| career advice | 3/10/2009 |
| Q: I'll write you for some advice on my situation since you may have had some experience with these ... A: Two thoughts on your location: The advantage to staying where you are is that you probably have no ... | |
| Qualifications and Opportunities for Backup Singers | 12/20/2008 |
| Q: My son is considering a career as a backup singer, but we are having a hard time finding specific ... A: to be a professional backup singer you are most likely looking at studio work because today's ... | |
| P.A. | 7/30/2008 |
| Q: What is a personal assistants role in relation to working with a musician? A: Personal assistants are in charge of the business details that a highly in-demand musician has no ... | |
| My "next step"!! | 3/17/2008 |
| Q: I'm a 27 year old musician. I've finished the prac part of my music degree (voice major) and have a ... A: It sounds like you have a good start to your plans. There is no playbook for your next step, you ... | |
| Musical Career after High School | 3/6/2008 |
| Q: I'm currently a high school student who loves music, and would love to continue with it through ... A: I attended a conservatory where everyone had to fulfill the requirements of the music performance ... | |
| Music Copyright Training-Intellectual Property | 2/25/2008 |
| Q: I am a HS librarian, and have a student that is interested in becoming a music lawyer, and wanted ... A: The student should follow the traditional law school path after high school; it is my understanding ... | |
| requirements | 2/2/2008 |
| Q: Hopefully some day I can play for a major orchestra. I wanted to know if there is an age ... A: Acceptance into an orchestra is by competitive audition, so there is technically no minimum ... | |
| music | 2/1/2008 |
| Q: A friend and I make hip hop music and he has already started his own personal mix cd, I on the other ... A: This is right down my alley, since I am involved in a similar business arrangement myself (although ... | |
| music | 1/23/2008 |
| Q: I would like to record my own version of several old hymns such as "Amazing Grace", etc. and ... A: Anything written before 1923 is in the public domain, so you can do whatever you want with this ... | |
| how can i get an scholarship in usa to be a tenor? | 12/4/2007 |
| Q: , my name is juan javier, i am from ecuador, i love classical music,i've been taking singing classes ... A: New York has Juilliard, Manhattan School of Music, Queens College, and SUNY, to name a few. Oberlin ... | |
| how can i get an scholarship in usa to be a tenor? | 12/4/2007 |
| Q: , my name is juan javier, i am from ecuador, i love classical music,i've been taking singing classes ... A: First, you need to make sure you are prepared for conservatory training, so you need to have a good ... | |
| Singing | 10/22/2007 |
| Q: Ok i love to sing and one day i want to be able to have a career in singing... i mostly like Jazz... ... A: There are always going to be people that say you can't sing...you can't let that stop you. All that ... | |
| singing | 10/16/2007 |
| Q: how do you get a license for singing? A: The easiest approach is to ask BMI (www.BMI.com) and ASCAP (www.ascap.com) about the songs you are ... | |
| music | 8/6/2007 |
| Q: My name is Vafa. I'm 18. I decided to address to you for advice. I don't know what to do. Please ... A: First, you need to network to find good musicians that share your goals and will form a band with ... | |
Careers: Music
Answers by Expert:
Todd Sullivan
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I am a full-time violinist/violist for Broadway/musical theatre, opera orchestras, and symphony orchestras in New York City. Any questions you have regarding your pursuit of a career in music performance or your study of an instrument are welcome! I am not qualified to field questions concerning careers in music education other than private tutoring.
Experience
12 years of professional experience in musical theatre, symphony orchestras, opera, and celebrity acts.
Education/Credentials
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Violin) Carnegie Mellon Univ. '99
Pierre Monteaux School for Conductors '00
Encore School for Strings (Viola)
Teachers/ Violin: Daniel Heifetz (solo artist), Viola: Karen Tuttle (LA session player/Curtis faculty), CJ Chang (Philadelphia Orch.)
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