<p>It is my desire to be a music performance major. I practice oboe every chance I get, take private lessons, and take as many music classes as I can at my high school. Although I have been playing musical instruments since I was 11, I did not pick up the oboe until a little under two years ago. Despite this, hard practice and lessons have overcome my lack of experience. I am a sophomore in high school.</p>
<p>However, I come from a family of scientists, doctors, and engineers. My father is not very keen on my musical focus. He wants me to double major in engineering or completely abandon the idea of a music major. I do not want to double major, especially in something like engineering, because it would take away from practice time and reed making.</p>
<p>My Dad thinks that even if I do go to a college with a good music program, I will not succeed in finding a solid position in an orchestra. I really hate it when he tells me this because I feel like he thinks that I am not good enough to make it, though many professional musicians who have heard me play support my choice.</p>
<p>What are my chances of success? I would like clear points that I can use to counter my father's arguement, but I understand that sometimes the truth hurts so tell me whatever you think will help.</p>
<p>Well since I can’t hear you play, I’m afraid I can’t judge very accurately. I’ll give you a few different choices.</p>
<p>1.) The first choice is you could do what your dad is suggesting. He’s right about knowing a little bit about the instability of jobs as a performance major. But you aren’t interested in engineering or any of that at all, so chances are you won’t like it and I imagine it’s hard to double major in anything, let alone something you don’t like. So I wouldn’t go with this option.</p>
<p>2.) Any very dedicated musician who practices and improves consistently has just as good a shot as anyone at making it in music performance-related jobs. But the truth is most graduates of even top-notch performance schools (Juilliard and Eastman and such) either don’t have a performance-related job later on or they need to take a more steady job as well just to make a music career work. It’s very challenging. So in short, if it’s what you want to do, you should do it. But there will always be a large uncertainty in this job market (as well as just getting into a reputable music school, but you know all of this I’m sure).</p>
<p>3.) My personal choice. I want to be a pro musician, too, and I don’t think I want it as bad as you do, but I’m deciding to take a Music Education major in college and have a steady band directing job after I graduate. A music performance graduate has more performance-related classes in college than a music ed. and probably will be a better musician because of it, but technically the difference between a music ed. major and a performance major when auditioning for a performance spot is really nothing. If the music ed. person is better, they go with him/her. But a music ed. person has a degree that opens him/her up to other jobs in case music performance doesn’t work out. So that’s what I’m doing.</p>
<p>I’m not going to recommend my personal option to you, just give it as a suggestion. If performance is really what you want to do, well do it. There are still lots of people that do make it into quite a comfy performance job. Not most though. So just keep that in mind. I wish I could be able to give you stats on performance majors and all that, but I really can’t. I can just say that I would go the Music Ed. route. I hated the idea of a band directing job like 2 years ago cause a performance job is all I wanted. But it grew on me. And I’d probably take the band directing job over the performance (but with a better salary lol). Sorry if I’m not much help, probably just rambling now.</p>
<p>I agree with SaxGuy. My son is a HS Senior and will be a Music major, his dream is to perform in a major symphony and I encourage him to go for it, but you have to pay rent and put food on the table, and those jobs are very, very difficult to get. After meeting with several music professors, the clear best choice is to get your undergrad degree in Music Education, then go to Grad School where you can focus on performance. Having the Ed degree gives you options in the music field when you get out, and if you can perform, they don’t care what your undergrad degree was in…but, you need that practice time and instruction from a professor.</p>
<p>Some schools also have a “Music Peformance Certificate” that allows you to get instruction and play with other students, while majoring in something other than performance…ask around on this.</p>
<p>I mostly agree with musicmajor, except for the part about a fall-back career - especially in the music field. Unless you just hate teaching, almost every music professional in the world shares or teaches their passion for music with young people - otherwise they know it will eventually die out. They all get paid for clinics, lessons, master classes, etc.</p>
<p>Like it or not, the Arts are the first thing to suffer in a bad economy as sadly they are often viewed by politico’s as “non-essential.” I really, really encourage you to MEET WITH THE PROFESSORS at the schools you’re looking at in person. They know what careers are out there because they graduate music students every year, and they can tell you the differences between Music Ed, Music Performance or a non-Music major…what is realistic, and what isn’t. I have found every one of them willing to give their time and insights to High School students.</p>
<p>I do believe that people need to follow their passions in terms of life and career, otherwise you will have regrets, be miserable and always wonder “What if?” If you’re good at what you do, there is ALWAYS a way to make a living at it. Best of luck in your journey!</p>
<p>Thank you all so much, I think I might do a double major in both music performance and education. I have always had a knack for encouraging younger musicians. Thank you, musicmajor, for stressing the importance of getting my name out there even while I am still in high school. A year ago, the only times I performed were at my high school band concerts. Now I am much more involved, with clinics and youth orchestra concerts and church events. I have also begun to visit some colleges. Hopefully all will work out. I have also considered someday founding a program that assist musically inclined youth who are not in a financial state to afford musical expenses. Perhaps that would be an avenue I could go into.</p>