Performer

Musician, Singer, Theater

Work Activities

• Play musical instrument, sing or participate in acting as soloist or as member of group.

• Study, rehearse and memorize music or script

• Practice performance to maintain and improve skills.

• Perform for live audiences. Play from memory, follow score, or improvise.

• Perform for or work with the public

• Establish and maintain relationships

• Process information

• Make decisions and solve problems

• Think creatively

• Perform activities that use the whole body

• Communicate with supervisors, peers, or subordinates

• Monitor events, materials, and surroundings

• Develop and build teams

• Develop goals and strategies

• Resolve conflicts and negotiate with others

Working Conditions

Interpersonal Relationships

• Have a medium to high level of social contact. They often work closely with other performers.

• Communicate mostly by face-to-face discussions and e-mail.

• Almost always work as part of a team, such as a quartet, orchestra, or other performance group.

Physical Work Conditions

• Often work indoors, but may on occasion perform outdoors.

• May be exposed to loud sounds and distracting noise levels at times, such as during rehearsals.

• May work physically close to others, usually within a few feet.

Work Performance

• Must be very exact so their performance goes well.

• Repeat the same physical and mental activities.

• Work in a competitive environment in which weekly deadlines must be met.

• Usually make decisions together that affect the reputation of their group.

Hours/Travel

• Often perform at various times of day and evening

• Often perform in a variety of settings.

Physical Demands

Performers frequently:

• Use their hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls.

• Sit for long periods of time.

• Repeat the same movements.

It is important for performers to be able to:

• Hear sounds and recognize the difference between them.

• Hold the arm and hand in one position or hold the hand steady while moving the arm.

• Use one or two hands to grasp, move, or assemble objects.

• Focus on one source of sound and ignore others.

• Use fingers to grasp, move, or assemble very small objects.

• Understand the speech of another person.

• See details of objects that are less than a few feet away.

• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.

• Move two or more limbs together (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while remaining in place.

It is not as important, but still necessary, for performers to be able to:

• Make fast, repeated movements of fingers, hands, and wrists.

• See details of objects that are more than a few feet away.

• Use muscles to lift, push, pull, or carry heavy objects.

• Use stomach and lower back muscles to support the body for long periods without getting tired.

• Make quick, precise adjustments to machine controls.

• Use muscles for extended periods without getting tired.

• See differences between colors, shades, and brightness.

• Coordinate movement of several parts of the body, such as arms and legs, while the body is moving.

• Keep or regain the body's balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.

Skills and Abilities

Communicate

• Understand spoken information.

• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.

• Listen to others and ask questions.

• Read and understand work-related materials.

• Write clearly so other people can understand.

• Understand written information.

Reason and Problem Solve

• Think of original, unusual, or creative ways to solve problems.

• Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong.

• Concentrate and not be distracted while performing a task.

• Analyze ideas and use logic to determine their strengths and weaknesses.

• Follow guidelines to arrange objects or actions in a certain order.

• Develop rules that group items in various ways.

• Judge the costs and benefits of a possible action.

• Combine several pieces of information and draw conclusions.

• Think of new ideas about a topic.

• Use reasoning to discover answers to problems.

• Understand new information or materials by studying and working with them.

Manage Oneself, People, Time, and Things

• Check how well one is learning or doing something.

• Manage the time of self and others.

Work with People

• Be aware of others’ reactions and understand the possible causes.

• Change behavior in relation to others’ actions.

Perceive and Visualize

• Identify a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in distracting material.

• Quickly and accurately compare letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns.

Knowledge

Performers need knowledge in the following areas:

• Fine Arts: The methods and concepts needed to create visual, music, or dramatic arts.

Interests and Values

Performers typically have the following interests:

• Have artistic interests. They like work activities that deal with artistic forms, designs, and patterns. They prefer work which allows for self expression.

Values

Performers typically have the following work values:

• Consider achievement important. They like to see the results of their work and to use their strongest abilities. They like to get a feeling of accomplishment from their work.

• Consider relationships important. They like to work in a friendly, non-competitive environment. They like to do things for other people. They prefer jobs where they are not pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

• Consider recognition important. They like to work in jobs which have opportunities for them to advance, be recognized for their work, and direct and instruct others. They usually prefer jobs in which they are looked up to by others.