This is a standard but essential interview question for musicians because it speaks to motivation. Musicians are a diverse group of professionals and their expertise can vary based on their instrument or genre of choice. No matter what type of musician you’re looking for, knowing why each candidate is pursuing a job as a musician can help you find the applicants best suited to your project. Listen for the following:

• Interest in musicianship
• A history of passion for the field
• Commitment to being and growing as a musician

This is your chance to know which genres an applicant has experience with and which ones they might be able to tackle with a little practice and mentorship. This is especially important for cover bands and performance groups that often collaborate with artists across the musical spectrum. If you plan to focus on one specific genre, though, the answer you’re looking for will be more black and white. Listen for:

• General knowledge of popular musical genres, especially those related to your project
• Interest in musical exploration and multiple genres
• In-depth knowledge of at least one genre

Life as a musician can be as stable or as inconsistent as somebody wants it to be. Knowing how a candidate sees their future could affect how easy it is for you to build a cohesive band/group. This could also be a good time to identify potential leaders who could grow into bandleaders or other managerial positions. Things to look out for include:

• Signs they’ve thought about the future
• Plans to stay put and grow in the position
• Critical thinking and leadership ability

This question gets the candidate to open up about previous positions, including their thoughts on former colleagues and supervisors. It also gives you an idea of how the candidate perceives themselves through the eyes of others. An overly negative answer could be enough to raise an alarm, but an overly positive one could be unrealistic or even disingenuous. Be on the lookout for:

• Self-awareness
• Acknowledgement of how others perceive them
• Ability to be self-critical and filter feedback

Does the candidate attend performances, or are they locked in a practice room 24/7? There’s so much to be learned from other musicians and productions. It may be important to you that applicants participate in the music industry outside their day job and that they can constructively critique performances. Listen for the following:

• Constructive criticism delivered with honesty and tact
• Participation in music events, especially those most relevant to the job
• Critical thinking about how productions can be improved

Mistakes happen. No musician is perfect, and anyone answering this question with an immediate denial (“I never make mistakes!”) is likely either dishonest or unaware of their own failings. Look for candidates who acknowledge the possibility of a slip-up and know how to get back on track without panicking or drawing attention to their errors. Key in on the following:

• Realistic about being human and making mistakes
• Kind and not overly critical about the mistakes and poor performances of others
• Learns from past experiences

This musician interview question only applies to shows where performers will be expected to interact with the audience—they’re not background musicians, but the main source of entertainment. Passive musicians can easily succumb to a tired or disengaged audience. However, strong, experienced musicians will have a plan for maintaining their composure and creating a connection that gets people interested and increases interaction. Listen for:

• Experience playing for many kinds of audiences
• Ability to avoid taking silence or even heckling personally
• Multiple tactics for turning around a failing show

Musicians who have taught other musicians or taken industry newbies under their wing are more likely to be team players. There’s also a lot you can learn through teaching. A musician who teaches the art of listening, musical expression and interpretation alongside technical exercises and music theory understands music in a holistic way and is invested in people other than themselves. This question can be as much about skill as it is about culture fit. Be mindful of responses that show the following:

• Experience assessing skill level and adapting teaching methodology
• Ability to customize lesson plans
• Invested in the learning arc and progress of junior musicians

This is another question about motivation, this time geared toward an applicant who might be tasked with composing music or creating new arrangements of existing scores. Understanding how someone connects to and interprets music gives you a glimpse of how they make creative decisions. The process part of the question also speaks to work ethic and discipline. Listen for the following:

• Ability to take inspiration from a variety of sources
• Clear and open communication with colleagues sharing the workload
• Sensible process for creating and fine-tuning compositions

This question explores the applicant’s dedication and strength in the face of adversity. If they can pinpoint when and how complications occurred and convey how they overcame those difficulties, they might be better positioned to apply that knowledge to hurdles that pop up in the future. Take note of responses that convey the following:

• Flexible and resilient in pursuit of goals
• Problem-solving skills used to overcome each challenge
• Demonstrates personal awareness and growth