A musician’s biggest selling point is, of course, their music. But depending on the type of job you’re looking for, a musician cover letter can lend lyrics to your beautiful music, giving you the edge when it comes time to offer interviews.
Especially if you want to teach, join an orchestra or work behind the scenes, your style and professional personality count along with your talent. Your musical style will be apparent in your audition, but your application documents can convey how you approach composing, interpreting, or teaching.
A cover letter should be no more than 400 words, but it should get across your excellent talents and why you are a great fit for the job. Within this guide, and its accompanying musician cover letter sample, you will read about:
- How to organize your musician cover letter
- What each paragraph should include
- Tips for strong writing
- How to recognize and avoid common errors
If you’re looking for additional inspiration for cover letter writing, you can check out our related cover letter samples:
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Best format for a musician cover letter
Musicians know all about patterns, so understanding that your musician cover letter should follow a pattern may make it easier for you to proceed with writing. The pattern for your letter is the sequence of elements it contains.
The format of a musician cover letter should contain the following parts:
- The cover letter header
- The greeting / salutation
- The cover letter intro
- The middle paragraphs (body of the letter)
- The ending paragraph of your cover letter (conclusion and call-to-action)
For general information about how cover letters should be compiled, you can read the comprehensive cover letter guide, but the guide below is targeted specifically at making the most of each paragraph and section of a musician’s letter.
This musician cover letter example will give you a blueprint for writing your own cover letter:
Dear Mr Gomez,
I'm writing to express strong interest in the open musician position in Guitar Center as Band Director. As an accomplished and creative musician with over 10 years of professional performance experience, I'm confident I have the background and skills to thrive in this role.
As demonstrated on my resume, I have extensive experience performing as a guitar player across a variety of settings, including orchestral performances,chamber music concerts, jazz club gigs, studio session work, solo concerts, and more. Over the years, I have honed wide-ranging musical abilities in sight reading, music theory, improvisation, functional piano skills, and musical arrangement.
As a dedicated musician, I actively practice daily to continue refining and expanding my skills. I'm always seeking out new musical opportunities to collaborate with high-caliber ensembles like yours. I thrive when playing alongside other seasoned and talented musicians, and I look forward to contributing my strengths to complement your group's musical style if given the opportunity.
In addition to my performance abilities, I pride myself on being responsible, professional, positive, and team-oriented. I consistently receive high praise for my leadership, focus, creativity, and ability to collaborate effectively with conductors, composers, and co-performers. Above all, music is my greatest passion, and this shines through in the quality and artistic flair I deliver in every performance.
I welcome the chance to speak in person about how I could make a meaningful addition your musical organization. Please feel free to contact me to arrange a meeting or if you need any additional information. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Josh Waterfall
Cover letter header
Because you’re in a creative business, you have a little more leeway in the design of a header for your musician cover letter, but keep in mind that above all else your information needs to stay legible.
Adding a logo or a musical symbol to the header—like a treble clef—is fine as long as it doesn’t interfere with your main purpose: making it easy for the hiring manager to contact you to schedule an interview. Your secondary goal is to make a memorable first impression that also complements the design of your musician resume to create a cohesive application package.
Your header should include your name, title or type of music/instrument you play, you best telephone and email contact information, social media accounts that showcase your performances or music and your city and state.
Cover letter greeting
How you start your musician cover letter makes a difference. You greet the audience at the beginning of a concert to get them personally involved, and you should also greet your reader to get them personally involved in your application.
The best way to do this is by using their name. “Dear Mr./Ms./Dr.” and their last name is best if you are sure you know the correct title to use. If a little digging does not get you there, use the person’s full name instead.
Cover letter introduction
You have an attentive audience now, so you need to choose your first words wisely. The introduction of your musician cover letter should hit you career high notes flawlessly and get your reader excited to hear the details of what makes you the best candidate for the job.
Make sure you address the specific job directly, explaining how you will harmonize well with the current staff and how your skills will enhance the musical program. Offer a sentence on the musical philosophy you will apply in the position you seek.
Finally, leave your reader with a hint about what is coming up in the body of your letter, which we will discuss next.
Dear Mr Gomez,
I'm writing to express strong interest in the open musician position in Guitar Center as Band Director. As an accomplished and creative musician with over 10 years of professional performance experience, I'm confident I have the background and skills to thrive in this role.
Cover letter middle part (body)
The middle part of your musician cover letter offers the highlights of your career in more detail. No need to describe everything you’ve done, instead choose two or three relevant achievements that relate to the job at hand.
Here are some ideas for the body of your letter:
- A musician you worked with who taught you a lot
- A prestigious choir/orchestra/band you were invited to play with
- A composition that won an award, was chosen for performance or became a hit
You know your career and accomplishments best. Pick the ones that resonant and speak directly to the job you seek.
As demonstrated on my resume, I have extensive experience performing as a guitar player across a variety of settings, including orchestral performances,chamber music concerts, jazz club gigs, studio session work, solo concerts, and more. Over the years, I have honed wide-ranging musical abilities in sight reading, music theory, improvisation, functional piano skills, and musical arrangement.
As a dedicated musician, I actively practice daily to continue refining and expanding my skills. I'm always seeking out new musical opportunities to collaborate with high-caliber ensembles like yours. I thrive when playing alongside other seasoned and talented musicians, and I look forward to contributing my strengths to complement your group's musical style if given the opportunity.
In addition to my performance abilities, I pride myself on being responsible, professional, positive, and team-oriented. I consistently receive high praise for my leadership, focus, creativity, and ability to collaborate effectively with conductors, composers, and co-performers. Above all, music is my greatest passion, and this shines through in the quality and artistic flair I deliver in every performance.
How to close a musician cover letter (conclusion and sign-off)
The conclusion of your musician cover letter is both your last song and your encore. You want to leave your reader feeling like they got enough information to know they want more (in the form of an audition or interview, of course).
Within the ending of your letter, you need to remind your reader of your main point (“Here’s why you should give me the job!”). If you have the space, a personal anecdote such as how you were introduced to music, how a teacher inspired you or why you are drawn to the instrument or genre of music that is your specialty.
Finally, sign off with “Sincerely” or “Regards” and your full name.
I welcome the chance to speak in person about how I could make a meaningful addition your musical organization. Please feel free to contact me to arrange a meeting or if you need any additional information. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Josh Waterfall
Musician cover letter with no experience
Looking for your first real gig? Never fear! You’re a musician, so you have probably played before some audience, composed music or performed another task relevant to the job you want now. Focus your cover letter on your passion and desire to start your career by gaining experience.
Writing a cover letter with no experience gives you the freedom to explain who you are and why you love music so much.
Common mistakes in a musician application letter (and how to avoid them)
- Getting too casual. The best tone for a cover letter, even a musician cover letter, is businesslike. You’re not talking to a friend or bandmate; you’re addressing a potential employer. If you get the interview, and the environment is casual, you can ease up a bit, but always stay professional.
- Long-winded stories. Maybe you have a great anecdote about meeting your hero. Wonderful! But if it takes more than two sentences to explain it, you may lose your reader’s interest. Save it for the interview.
- Typos, misspellings and grammatical errors. Use the tools on your computer to avoid making small errors that can have big consequences.
- An overly fussy header. Go ahead and get a bit creative, but make sure your contact information stands out. If you’re in doubt, use one of our cover letter templates and avoid the hassle of designing it yourself.
Key takeaways
- Your recorded work may mostly speak for itself, but some employers may want a cover letter that tells why you want the job and why you think you’re right for it.
- Keep it professional throughout your letter unless you have a personal relationship with your reader.
- Use the middle part of your musician cover letter to highlight achievements that directly relate to the job you want.
- Leave your reader intrigued enough to want to know you better.
