<p>What can I do with a BA in music from an Ivy League school in terms of jobs after graduation? Or am I going to be looked down upon because I don't have a BM?
Thing is, I'm planning on being pre-med with a major in music (or double major in music and bio), and I want something to fall back on just in case I don't get into medical school. Can I teach music theory, history, and that stuff if I go on to get a teaching degree? Or should I skip out on the music major and do bio instead with perhaps a minor in music?
Feedback is well-appreciated.
Thanks!</p>
<p>An interesting set of questions in that most here are looking for a plan B in case music doesn't work out. Musical performance is usually a very poor plan B because only a small minority of those who try are able to support themselves that way. Teaching music is usually only recommended for those who really want to teach, not as a fallback position from something else. Many people who have used teaching as a fallback eventually become frustrated with the job and turn into the kind of teacher that no student would want to have.</p>
<p>You could look for a job performing music after getting a BA. That takes a lot of talent, self-promotion, networking and business skills, plus more than a bit of luck. I see from some of your other posts that you mainly play piano, plus a bit of oboe and flute. You could look for work as an accompanist (or collaborative pianist as the modern term goes), you could offer private lessons if teaching interests you, you could try to get freelance gigs of various sorts or a position as a church musician.</p>
<p>You could look for the same sort of work that BA degree holders with many other majors find. Some employers do not really care what your major happened to be because they expect to train you on the job. A few actively look for music majors, even though their business does not directly involve music, because they know that musicians usually have excellent time management skills, value teamwork and are detail-oriented.</p>
<p>You might decide to go back to school. If you are interested in teaching K-12, then you would normally need an education degree and a teaching license for the state in which you want to work. Private schools do not always require the license. Use the search function to turn up any number of threads about music ed. If you want to teach in a college in a tenure track position, you are going to need a doctorate in the field you would be teaching or in something very closely related. If you want to teach applied music as an adjunct at a college, a graduate degree may not always be needed, but the better music schools would expect you to have some serious performance credentials. Schools not well known for their music departments will generally be less picky about that sort of thing.</p>
<p>If you are considering a music minor, you have to look very carefully at what the school offers. There are not a lot of places where you can minor in a performance-oriented program, for example. You also need to be aware that sciences and music are a particularly difficult combination for either a double major or a major/minor because the required science labs and the required ensemble rehearsals tend to get scheduled in the same mid-to-late-afternoon time slots. A double major with music and anything else is difficult because of the time commitment needed for the music major. You need to sit down with a course catalog and a class schedule and figure out if it is possible to schedule all of the classes you would need to complete the degree requirements for everything that you want to accomplish.</p>
<p>BassDad pretty much covered it all. I just want to post a couple of links as food for thought: <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=460187%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=460187</a>
Peabody</a> Institute - Conservatory Admissions: The Double Degree Dilemma</p>
<p>There's some interesting prospectives in the first, and a pretty good insight as to defining a muse driven pursuit in the Peabody link.</p>
<p>While neither serves to answer your question, they may help in defining your path.</p>
<p>The BA/BM designation typically matters not, as the composition within degree requirements can vary widely by institution or discipline. In general, the BM is a more "technical" degree in so far as there is more applied and participatory coursework and fewer liberal arts and general requirements than a BA. My experience is that talent and knowledge carry more weight among peers than the paper credentials.</p>
<p>Arguably admissions to med school or masters/doctoral programs in music academic disciplines are extremely competitive, and I won't stir the pot by saying which is tougher. Some of the skill sets and motivating factors overlap, and some are discipline specific but a liberal arts discipline will teach you how to think, analyze and research effectively. All great skills most employers look for.</p>
<p>A good part of the process is in trying to define your own motivational factors and trying to guage what drives you, be it money, prestige, stability, or creativity. It's not unusual for those entering college to be torn (or pushed) in two different directions. It often takes time (or a lifetime).</p>
<p>Most of the Ivys will give you an excellent background in the music academics. From a practical standpoint, there are variations between programs and the availability of "minors" as well as the specific availability of course options for non-majors.</p>
<p>Teaching as a fallback in any field can be rewarding or frustrating. It can be a second career in later life, or after a change of direction in paths. Within a K-12 curriculum, the licensure and certification requirements are state mandated, and vary by state. Private schools, music specific schools and programs often do not require state certification, but these jobs may also be filled music with BM performance and composition grads, as well as those with music general and ed credentials. There are lots of aspiring performers combining this type of position while cobbling together an existence studio teaching, gigging and auditioning.</p>