My career goal is to have a role, or even multiple roles, in some aspect of music technology or audio production. Many factors need to be taken into consideration for this career path in particular as there are some fields in the creative industries that I could go into, such as music production and composition, sound design or composition for films and games, live sound and much more. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The path to that career would involve skill development, effective networking, promotion, branding, and much more. An important aspect of this is having a strong social media presence, which would allow me to gain audience traction and also be more available for collaboration. Supporters, fans and followers are important to establish a career in the industry. To do this, I could post my work on a number of social media platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Facebook and LinkedIn because this would only spread my work further rather than limiting it to one platform. As it stands, my social media presence is pretty weak, and that's something I need to work on. Networking is essential to most career paths in the music industry. Additionally, networking in person can be much more effective than on social media for several reasons. In our current digital age, face-to-face interaction is extremely compromised. Interacting with people in person would allow you to build more mutual trust. It would also allow you to check whether they are genuine people or whether they have unwanted qualities such as rudeness, impatience and arrogance. Attending networking events is also helpful in expanding your contacts, getting advice from industry professionals, and promoting yourself. For example, when I attended BBC Introducing Live this year, there was a group of video game composers in one slot, and one of them suggested attending gaming audio networking events like "Games Audio North". My point is networking events could also lead to other networking events, so you can establish a regular cycle. I could benefit from attending more networking events and building relationships with other industry professionals; this is something I will do in my career path. Promotion on social media could also lead to effective networking and collaboration, which is a useful way to develop professionally as you could learn from each other. This would also open up a new fan base for my work, thus building a stronger presence on social media. A variety of tools are also very useful for creating a social media presence. For example, ContentCal can allow you to queue posts and is integrated with a range of platforms. Canva is a tool that allows you to create images, it gives the ability to use the correct dimensions for social media platforms. Inshot is also another tool that can be used for video editing, the advantage that this application offers is that it can be downloaded to your phone, which can be very convenient. All things considered, there are many resources available that could help me build my strong social media presence. Branding is also a critical element to promoting yourself in the industry, this could be approached in several ways. For example, using characters, designs or logos that focus on your brand is an effective way to promote yourself as it is memorable, engaging and fun. An artist who used acharacter for his own brand at one point in his career is Richie Hawtin, under the pseudonym "Plastikman". The release of the song "Plastique" came with a video of a dancing goblin, reminiscent of a dancing style caused by the use of the hallucinogenic drug known as "acid". This "dancing goblin" logo eventually became one of the "first real techno brands ever". "The cult really hit its peak around 1993-94... you'd see people with Plastikman tattoos all over their backs... you'd see people with huge Plastikman logos on their cars... it was a bit crazy." (Karl Kowalski) British virtual band Gorillaz have also incorporated cartoons or characters into their work, which have been incorporated into live performances at venues such as the Brit Awards and the MTV EMA. Their characters 2-D, Murdoc, Russel Hobbs and Noodle have been at the forefront of their brand and the band has developed narratives around these characters through their music videos over the years. Hip-hop artists like MF DOOM, Madlib, RZA, Eminem, and Kendrick Lamar have all incorporated alter egos, identities, or personalities into their careers in some way. As well as pop stars such as Miley Cyrus, The Beatles and David Bowie. Overall, using a logo or design can be an effective way to promote your creative work and build a brand. A strong brand could lead to business models such as merchandising. I could apply myself to my work, for example, as a casual beat creator for multiple genres, I could create characters or logos suitable for each genre - this could be an interesting concept to explore. In the field of music production and beat creation, sample packs containing drum loops, one-shots, melody loops, chords and textures are a staple for certain genres such as heavily sample-based hip-hop. It is also beneficial for those who lack confidence in creating composition ideas. If you were to create a sample package, with a strong brand and social media presence, it would open up a new revenue stream that could be used to fund new equipment, resources, or other business models. The skills and experience I have will impact my career goal. I have some experience in musical performance as I am a classically trained flutist and have been for numerous years. I have experience in ensemble performance, having been part of an orchestra for some years, also a jazz group and a school band. Since then, I have been interested in music technology. I have worked on numerous projects such as integrating music with interactive digital design, composing and mixing music for a 5.1 film, and composing for games. The qualifications I have could influence my career goal. The qualifications I currently hold which are directly related to my career objective of having a role in music technology or audio production are an NCFE Level 2 in Music Technology and a UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma in Music Performance and Technology with honors. However, I am currently studying a degree in music technology and audio production. While not directly related to my goal, I have a Level 3 Certificate in the Graded Exam in Music Performance at Grade 7. However, my background and experience in Music Performance, Production and Technology could lead to other opportunities. Many professionals in the music industry have portfolio careers – where they take on multiple roles to earn an income. I am willing to earn a living through a portfolio career, as this adds more variety, for example teaching music or music technology on a contract basis, as well as working for a games company in sound. 2019].