A career in the piano is a dream for many aspiring musicians and pianists. Whilst some use the piano as a way to relax and de-stress from the 9-5, many are keen to take the next step and turn their passion for this incredible instrument into a living.
Thankfully at Millers, we are in the position to show that there are many other avenues of making a career in the piano without just being a world class concert pianist and most of all, the skills that you learn whilst playing can be fantastically transferred into no end of other potential careers.
So without further ado, let’s jump into some fantastic careers that the piano can open doors to!
Musician / In House Performer
Let’s start with the most obvious and for many people, the most aspirational career within the piano and music industry in general is of course to be a performer. Whilst it is only a select handful who are able to sell out stadiums and concert halls, the definition of what it means to be a musician is incredibly varied and constitutes everything from busking on the street to being a session performer at perhaps a hotel, restaurant or wedding venue!
Many higher end food establishments hire pianists in order to add a delightful sense of allure and decorum into their rooms. When we caught up with the now piano social media superstar (another career in itself!) Pianocole, she began her journey and learned her performing skills at hotels and restaurants just like this!
Likewise, with the creation of new bars and clubs that are dedicated to live music, more and more venues are opening across the country that celebrate the piano, check out Jukeboxers in Birmingham for example, the first UK duelling piano bar! Perhaps opening your own bar or restaurant could be the next hit venue in your town!
Music Teacher
Another career that many aspiring musicians opt for is to share their knowledge with the next generation! Teaching the piano is not only incredibly rewarding, but with just a little word of mouth and relationship building, it can almost certainly become a full time career if you would like it to!
The first place to start is to build your student base and get yourself listed on teaching sites such as Music Teachers. At Millers, as part of our Teacher Privilege Scheme, we also have a number of teachers on our contact lists who we recommend customers to on a near daily basis!
Also, thanks to the wonderful enhancements in online teaching resources and utensils thanks to the pandemic, online teaching now means that you can reach new students from all over the world with the right marketing set up!
This being said, piano teachers are 10 a penny and so it’s important here to differentiate yourself and find your niche, are you a classical connoisseur? Or a jazz enthusiast? Or perhaps you prefer teaching younger children? Or perhaps you have a knack for helping those with disabilities or conditions? Whatever avenue you choose, make sure you’re not just ‘the piano teacher’!
Piano Retailer
Our area of expertise, and we promise, it is a seriously fun career to be in! At Millers, we’re fortunate enough to be constantly surrounded by piano music and some of the most beautiful instruments in the world.
Not only do we develop an incredible appreciation for these instruments, but our careers can take us all over the world. In order to understand every aspect of what we are selling, our showroom experts travel the world, visiting piano factories in Europe and Asia, as well as conventions in America and almost everywhere in between.
We might be biased, but we do assure you that if you have a real lust for learning and appreciation for piano, becoming a piano retailer and helping other people find their dream pianos is mighty satisfying work! We often have a number of positions at Millers opening up as we expand, so be sure to review our careers page for more!
Piano Tuner & Repairer
Have a fine ear for detail? Have you considered becoming a piano tuner or technician? If your ears prick up at the idea, then you’ll be pleased to know that there are thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of incredible pianos out there that all need tuning, servicing and repairing!
Just speak to any of our expert tuners and they’ll tell you that tuning pianos isn’t easy!
With over 12,000 moving parts and some incredibly intricate pieces that need to all be perfectly aligned, it’s no surprise that It takes years of practice, but when you get the job done just right and see the customer’s face light up, it’s more than worth it!
Piano Maker
If you consider yourself more of a DIY or hands on kind of person, why not try your hand at making your own piano? Whilst this might sound straightforward, we can assure you now...It’s not, but everyone has to start somewhere!
Even the first C.Bechstein piano was produced at some point and many piano manufacturers are continuously innovating in order to produce the highest quality instruments they possibly can.
One company that we love in particular when it comes to both refurbishing and making adjustments to pianos is The Little Piano Store in Leicester who paint and place LED lights inside of old pianos, giving them an all new lease of life!
Music Psychologist / Therapist
Similar to that of a music teacher, but on a more humanitarian level, more and more people are learning about the incredible work of music therapy and the joys it can bring people in dealing with trauma, loss or mental health conditions. If you want to actively help let music into people’s lives, look into the incredible work by the likes of companies such as Nordoff Robbins or private music therapists.
There are some truly incredible stories out there if you just look for them!
Did we miss your career? Or do you have an idea that you think people would love to know about? We’d love to include it! Simply get in touch with our marketing team today and we’ll get it added! Or if you are looking to upgrade your piano to a more professional grade one, contact our showroom experts today!