<p>Yoshi, I am happy that something I mentioned turned out to be exactly what you were looking for. I think that’s an excellent way to keep your options open. No degree guarantees a job these days, but what you learn at a great school makes life inside your head a lot nicer 
Best wishes and enjoy!</p>
<p>Yoshi-
I don’t know Umich program, but is that BA in music actually playing music, or is that an academic ba (i.e history of music, etc)? A BA can be either, but you need to make sure that the BA degree you are talking about is in playing music, rather then academic, based on what you have written so far. </p>
<p>One other comment based on what I have gleaned from your posts about the various things you can ‘do’ with music:</p>
<p>-Performing. In terms of getting gigs, like being hired to accompany for others, playing in a church, etc, that is going to be based on your reputation as a performer, networking and so forth and where you went to school is generally not going to be a factor, usually music jobs/gigs come about when people who know of your abilities ask you to play. </p>
<p>-Teaching. If you are talking in a public school, then yes, you would need to get a Music Ed degree or some equivalent. If you are talking private school chances are you won’t need a Ed degree, least not the ones I have seen. For getting a job at a private school, where you go could make a difference, especially with first jobs, while as a private teacher it is more mixed, with private teachers you usually get students from your reputation as a teacher and how well the kids you teach do…initially where you went to school might have some influence, but in the end it is going to boil down to how good you are.</p>
<p>-Composition. Where you trained might help, in terms of getting commissions and such, but in the end composition commissions tend to be made based on your portfolio of work and reputation. </p>
<p>Your piano teacher is one way to be involved in music while not necessarily making it a full living, there are plenty of people I have worked with who worked in tech fields, engineering, office jobs, etc, who also were working musicians, had bands, did gigs, played in churches, etc, that allowed them to do music while also making a living:). That is probably the most common way people stay involved in music, they work other careers/jobs but they have music as a sideline to keep that side of them going, I know a lot of people who teach on the side, do gigs, etc while maintaining jobs that can help support that.</p>
<p>Just a word about “options” for musicians: My S sings with a jazz band that plays regular gigs almost every weekend. The band members are all in their 40s and 50s and have a variety of day jobs. They include studio musician (recording commercial music), church music director, 2 college music professors and a software engineer. They have all had a variety of jobs in their lives while supporting families and staying active in music. Honestly, I don’t think that there is any one “right” way to be a musician.</p>
<p>Thanks megpmom. That sounds wonderful! For your son and the other part-time musicians ^^
So basically, your skill as a musician (whether it be networking, playing, composing, etc.) is usually most important. </p>
<p>While UM isn’t one of the schools where you pick a specific focus of Music, you can take composing, musicology, music theory, jazz, and ethnomusicology classes, and can still join bands/orchestras and you have 2nd priority for studio assignments for private instrument instruction (above non-music majors, but below BM students), so you can customize up to 60 music credits in any way you want, with the requirements of taking 1 or 2 basic courses from each music field.</p>
<p>So, while the music concentration isn’t going to be something that will give me intense study in performance, it’s not all humanities/culture/history classes, and according to UM it’s note uncommon for BA students to switch into a BM, and its website actually says that the BA helps prepare you for the BM (I’m guessing they mean being prepared to audition or improve your portfolio, etc.), and if the BA music classes weren’t helpful, they probably wouldn’t have mentioned that.</p>
<p>Thanks once again for everyone’s help! I feel like writing a new thread just to say thank you xD It means a lot to me!</p>
<p>(Nonmusician parent of a musician appreciating this thread right now too!)</p>