Advice for newbie?

College Majors Music Major
1

Hi, I am pretty clueless regarding music in general and music majors in particular. I have been reading this section for a year or so in the hope of becoming better informed.

I have a 9th grader who has started making quiet noises about the possibility of majoring in music. Her concerns are the seemingly lack of professional opportunities and the low income levels typical of the sector.

She has been taking piano for a few years. She is at Certificate of Merit level 6 (out of 10) this year. I have zero musical knowledge but her teacher often remarks on her beautiful musicality. For anyone familiar with California’s Certificate of Merit, she was chosen for both Branch Honors and Convention in level 5.

She absolutely loved her first ever marching band season as a clarinet player. Her school has a top program that is pretty challenging. At first she found it difficult because she had only ever done clarinet back in 5th grade (1 day/week program) and bass clarinet in 6th grade, but pulled through successfully and ended up loving her new instrument. She is resolved to remain in band all 4 years. She switched to the bassoon in 7th grade, and is back to playing the bassoon now that concert season has started.

Her clarinet teacher has encouraged her to pursue music as a double threat (clarinet and bassoon). Not sure if her teacher knows that she also plays the piano.

I can see my daughter lighting up when pursuing her musical interests, not that she loves every aspect, definitely not a friend of music theory or sight reading, or even practicing relentlessly sometimes, but I would say music is a strong contender for college. She has mentioned she would love to play even more instruments! Her other possible strong interests would be physical and environmental sciences.

I realize that there is still time to decide, not sure what I am asking, maybe words of wisdom, guidance, since I nor my husband are really equipped to guide her music wise? Any feedback you may have will be welcome.

Thank you so much in advance.

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"definitely not a friend of music theory or sight reading. "
she needs to practice practice practice sight reading if she has any hope of doing a music major or minor in college.Or she will be at a great disadvantage.
the kids she will be competing against for music spots WILL all be able to sight read.

3

When I say she is not a friend of sight reading, I don’t mean that she cannot do it; it’s one of the sections in the Certificate of Merit exam that she has to pass. I mean it’s one of the less enjoyable aspects of playing piano. She understands its importance.

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@infoquestmom your D sounds like most musicians…sight reading and theory are not high on their list of “fun things to do with music”…lol. It’s like eating your vegetables when all you want is dessert. No worries…she sounds fine. My D is a vocalist…who in high school had no great love for theory nor sight singing but of course worked on it…grudgingly. My husband nor I am musical. We leaned heavily on the private teacher (and school music teachers) for guidance. Hopefully some other parents of pianist will chime in.

5

Whenever I do not know about something but want to find out, I try to find “the source”, visit it, learn what it requires to be there, and then go build up to that. Possible “sources” to visit could include:
[1] meeting and interning with full-time working musicians,
[2] going to concerts with a mind of doing what those performers do
[3] auditioning into a drum corps (DCI)
[4] providing private lessons to classmates
[5] playing in the arguably best youth orchestra in your region
[6] forming a band that plays out locally and/or join a local civic orchestra/band.

You will meet more people and see more things and give the student a chance to shake out some ideas or pick up new ones. You might want to pick a (new?) private teacher recommended from “the source”.

Piano is sort of a secondary (if not primary) instrument for college musicians. You would probably want to keep up on that instrument.

In addition to sight reading and music theory, there could be consideration of singing and dance, depending on your final vision of how the student would be participating.

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As you know, she doesn’t have to worry about what to major in (or career) for a couple of years. The thing about music, of course, is that training is involved and those decision need to be made earlier. I would say just help her develop in whatever directions she seems to be drawn to. Most conservatories and schools of music like a focus on one instrument, but music ed majors often thrive playing several. And college BA music majors have a good deal of flexibility.

Have you read the Double Degree Dilemma essay posted closer to the top of this forum? I think it would be useful. If you read it you’ll see why. It describe the different way to study music as an undergrad.

Your daughter will have to decide between a BM program (2/3-3/4 music) a BA (1/4-1/3 music often with gen eds), a double degree (BA/BM or sometime BA/MM), or a double major (in conservatory this could be two instruments, in a college it would be two subjects including music). Science and music can be hard to combine in a double major- not impossible- but both have foundational courses, a set sequence, and labs/practice/ performance.

There is a lot of discussion of the practicality of majoring in music. Some want a “backup.” Every family has their own take on this. and avoiding debt is helpful for any major. But music major grads do very well on the job market, both in and out of music, and also tend to be valued by med school and other professional schools. The performance world is different these days and orchestral jobs aren’t the only option.

The school marching band sounds like a passion of hers. If she wants other experiences, she could seek out a youth orchestra or conservatory prep. If she likes her teacher that is fine for 9th grade. Later on, if she needs a new one, she will know it. Teachers are invaluable for guidance but sometimes they do hesitate to lose a good student :slight_smile:

Good luck and hang around here!

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Hello and welcome! My music student is a HS senior. It seems to me that the music students self-select. For those who love music but don’t necessarily want to make it their career, there is a BA in music or even a double major in music with something else. This means they do about 1/4 of their courses in music. This doesn’t usually require an audition, and is much less stressful and more flexible than the BM (Bachelor of Music) music school/conservatory route.

On the other hand, if your kid decides they want a career in music, there is the BM route. These programs require auditions, and may take place either at standalone conservatories (Juilliard, Berklee, Curtiss, etc.) or at music schools within universities (USC/Thornton, Frost/Miami, Eastman/Rochester, etc.). A BM kid will take about 3/4 of his/her classes in music. It’s harder to get into these programs, they tend to offer more merit scholarships, and the definition of “great school” is different than in general colleges.

Starting junior year, my son became more and more sure he wanted to have a career in music education and performance/recording. He stepped up his private lessons, applied to honors bands, made the all-states jazz ensembles, and began to get feedback from his teachers that this was a real possibility. By senior year he had dropped some of his AP courses to make room for more music. He now takes honors choir, honors wind ensemble, symphonic choir (he’s a teaching assistant), supplemented by private saxophone and piano lessons, regional band, marching band, and honors bands.

Instead of buckling under all the musical responsibility, he thrived. As one faculty member said to us, “My condolences, madam, you have yourself a musician.”

Another litmus test came when he found out how difficult the audition process was – the lessons with faculty, the prescreen videos, the travel, the auditions, the time lost from school. Some kids realize this isn’t their passion at that point, while others keep on going.

So – you are in for an adventure either way. Good luck, and keep us posted!

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Your daughter has the best tool available literally right at her fingertips. Youtube. All of the Great Performances are there, and listening and watching what the experts do is the best education. That, and practicing, is all she needs to do right now. And then think about going to some summer programs to be with other peers who love music as much as she does. Her level will increase more in 6 weeks than in a year. Good luck!!

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I know many young people who got a BA in music and went on to grad school and/or a career in music. It is possible to progress with lessons and extracurricular performance, though it requires talent and hard work along with a lot more academic work in other areas. A BA does not have the immersion in music that a BM does. A BA in music can also be a liberal arts major: I know one music major at a college who never touched an instrument in those 4 years.

For BA programs that do not have an audition, applicants can submit a music supplement to the common app with a recording, music resume and letters of recommendation from a couple of teachers or directors.

This forum includes kids and parents approaching music in different genres: classical, jazz, contemporary/popular, electronic, and the paths may vary a bit. For instance, some kid will quit school band to better pursue their training while for others it is a highlight.

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Let me echo others who have recommended summer programs! It’s a great way to see how serious you are, where you fit with other musicians, and have a grand time to boot. I’m sure there are tons in CA — the ones I know best are Interlochen, Berklee (not classical), Eastman, and Ithaca, all of whom do a great job.

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And there also could be prep programs offered by local conservatories, often on Saturdays. My S absolutely loved his jazz program (which consisted of ensembles, lessons, ear training, theory and took up most of his Saturday) and it helped confirm that he wanted to major in music. He began his junior year and said he wished he started as a sophomore. But your D could also just try a class and not sign up for the more intensive certificate program.

12

Thank you so much for the warm welcome.

She has private teachers for piano, bassoon, and clarinet. She does weekly lessons for both piano and the in season wind instrument. The off season wind instrument is once a month for maintenance.

It sounds like several of you are recommending summer programs. Our local Cal State has a Summer Music Institute. We also have a Youth Symphony and Conservatory program during the school year if she decides that’s the way to go.

@compmom I have read the double degree dilemma. I am not sure she fits neatly in any of the categories. I see both Jennifer and Howard in her. My daughter feels very conflicted. She is telling me that she would like to combine scientific research and music performance 50/50 after college. She also realizes that this is a pie in the sky dream. The Uncle Louey in her life is herself acknowledging the reality of music performers financial prospects. This is a kid who, although not materialistic, values financial security.

I feel that we need to do a lot of career exploration both in music and in science and be open to any possibilities. @GoForths Your list is very helpful for music.

Looking back, it is natural that she is strongly drawn to music because she has been investing a lot of time. She has had private teachers for years to nurture her love for music performance. So far she has only experienced science as a school subject. I think it’s time to explore other aspects of science so that she is better equipped to decide.

Thank you all so much again for your feedback. I am sure I will be back often for advice.

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Have her look at Interlochen Arts Academy for an intense summer program, or Idyllwild Arts – she will have lots of options for future music whether she goes the conservatory BM route or BA route. Now is the time for her to figure out what she loves to do and focus on that. Summer programs are really great at giving the kids a taste of full time music learning. Also music majors have the highest med school acceptances, FWIW! For science programs in CA look at COSMOS!

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Idyllwild and Cosmos would both be absolutely fantastic but they range from the low $3,000s to close to $4,000. We would not qualify for financial aid, but our budget cannot accommodate everything. Financing lessons for three instruments plus marching band and other life enhancing activities is not cheap. Just as we have budget constraints for college, we also have them for extracurricular and summer enrichment activities.

I should have added that I am looking for low cost career exploration tools. If anybody has knowledge of or experience with any, please hit me up! I am open to suggestions.

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She’s only in 9th grade so lot of change possible ahead.

What aspects of science does she like? Is there a summer program that is affordable or perhaps an internship? The financial prospects for undergrad science grads isn’t great either. Doctoral work and beyond, seems to be the norm.

I think it matters whether your daughter view the undergrad as a terminal degree.

I found my kid changed interests quite a bit in 10th and 11th grade. Some don’t. It is so hard in discipline that require training (I also had a dancer, who doesn’t dance now!. I had to make sure I would feel okay if they stopped and switched course.

We could not have afforded lesson in three instruments and fees for band. (We started conservatory prep in junior year due to cost. Do you think she will choose one instrument at some point? Then maybe the money could go to a summer program.

Lots of time! It sounds like she is enjoying her high school years, which is so important. You sound like a great parent. You can probably let things roll for a bit :slight_smile:

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We never did a summer-long camp except for once - drum corps. S did one camp per summer, 1-week long, $800 for the week all-inclusive, and local, except one camp in Texas once he was thinking that was the college he would like. He did jazz camp at NIU (Northern Illinois) in this case. His other preparation was private lessons and playing with the region’s great youth jazz band, and gigging some with the friends he met there. We (I) also wrote the the likely instrument professor in Texas asking how S could spend the next 2 years preparing for auditions. S was probably a teir-2 student (I just made this name up becuase I like to label everything) behind the tier-1 candidates who either had a lifetime of playing, or an excellent support network who already knew how everything was going to work, or a top combination of insight and effort on their instruments. The tier-1 students are more likely to be able nab the top scholarships or spots (so I observe and imagine), but the tier-2 students (and there are other tiers than those) will gain admission left and right and have many good options and good scholarships.

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My daughter did summer programs from age 10 (Kinhaven Junior Session), and now two years post-grad school she’s just starting to think she will probably stop participating as a student in festivals. Through high school we paid for these, sometimes needing to borrow against a line of credit (which we paid back, not a long-term loan.) From the time she was a senior in high school she went to free festivals, but often we had to cover airfare. After college she paid her own airfare if it wasn’t covered.

She attended most but not all of the so-called elite string festivals (there are still two on her bucket list, but there aren’t always openings in her instrument, so it’s not clear if she will ever attend.) This year for the first time she’ll probably only do teaching and performing, but no festivals.

My perspective on festivals has shifted a lot over the years. When she was in college I thought we’d probably wasted money by sending her to festivals that required tuition and rued the spent money, which would have come in handy in other ways. But as the years passed it became clear that some of the connections she made at these places were invaluable in ways that we had no way of recognizing at the time. For example, now she has a faculty position at one of those festivals–and being an alum definitely contributed to her being offered that position.

On the other hand, elite festivals can be very grueling, physically, for performers. Often the rehearsal requirements are upwards of 6, 7, 8 hours of playing a day, leaving some players injured. Last year she won a spot at a coveted European festival where players literally had to lug their instruments up and down unpaved mountain roads, often in dress clothes and shoes, no transport provided. Is it worth risking injury in exchange for playing and coaching with top faculty and peers? I don’t know. I think the culture of these festivals encourages a kind of competitive physical intensity that you don’t find in actual professional level playing, where rehearsals are shorter and broken up by longer breaks… Anyway, the OP’s daughter would likely be a student in a much milder festival and not risk any sort of overuse injury or midnight death by mountain goats. For someone trying to decide whether she wants a career in music, I’d strongly encourage this ninth grader auditioning for as high a level festival as she’s likely to be accepted to and attending for a short session, if possible, if she is accepted. Yes, it would be expensive, but it would 1) give her valuable information about where she stands in relation to peers in the music world, and 2) even more valuable information about whether she wants this life in music. In the end, more frugal to spend on a summer program than embark on a degree in music if it’s not what she truly wants and loves.

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@InfoQuestMom don’t exclude all summer programs based on cost… there are scholarships based on need and merit! If she likes Jazz, tons of $ for female players. My S got a scholarship to Berklee’s five week through a performance group he’d done locally. And so on.

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California State Summer School of the Arts (CSSSA) gives scholarships as well and is $2K without. Both my kids had great experiences there – arts focus only, no science. My son did music, daughter did theatre. Held on the campus of CalArts in Valencia.

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Hello from another music mom and also a musician who started on piano, started clarinet in 4th grade and bassoon in 6th! You daughter reminds me of me!! I did major in music in bassoon performance but due to medical reasons and other things I’m no longer playing. But I pour all of my musical energies into my daughter who is a violin performance major at New England Conservatory.

You have gotten wonderful advice here already. I just wanted to chime in about youth orchestra and summer institutes. These are fantastic ways for you daughter to explore the musical world with other kids who are passionate and serious about music and give her a real taste of what that world can be like. I agree that some summer institutes are crazy expensive and we would not have been able to send her if she had not won scholarships through local competitions. Our local youth symphony has a concerto competition every year and the top two kids perform with the local symphony but all the kids in the finals are ranked and given the opportunity to choose a summer camp scholarship from camps all over the country. She was able to attend BUTI this way which was HUGE for her! The next summer she didn’t compete and instead opted for Heifetz Institute (just strings) and that one we had to pay for. yikes. But then last summer she went to PIMF through another scholarship. Now she’s 18 and is auditioning for the fellowship programs around the country (yay! for no tuition).

All this to say, there may be ways to find those summer scholarships if you dig a little.

Wishing your daughter the best in her journey and Yay for Bassoon - if marketability is a concern - bassoonists are rare and of course the best! haha.