Advice · Education · Interview

Professional Development : Kate Amrine

When I left music college (nearly) 20 years ago, the approach to building a healthy portfolio of freelance work as a trumpeter was rather different to now:  Face-to-face networking; Being in “the right place at the right time” with the right people; Backing up any opportunities by being a “good guy to have around” and a good player.  This was the limit to one’s self-marketing. It struck me at the time that even when things were busy, and the diary was booked up a couple of months ahead, there was never a feeling of being in control and having ‘ownership’ (this seems to be the buzz word) of your career.  This is what led me to start to explore other things that I could do alongside the trumpet-playing that could bring me more of a sense of control over my own career. Speaking to younger professionals now, I see quite a different picture.  The opportunities that the internet has brought are vast, and musicians are quickly learning how to maximise what it has to offer. Players now have limitless control over their own image and career.  This series looks at this in more detail: Next up in 'Part 2' to help me look at this in more depth is Kate Amrine.  Kate is a trumpet player and educator based in New York City.  She currently freelances in many different genres from Orchestra to Broadway, and also is an active soloist, currently working on her second album.  Music entrepreneurship has always been an interest and she recently presented her "Designing your Career in Music" masterclass at New York University where Kate has been an Adjunct Professor since 2013.