<p>I have a cello playing daughter in middle school who has started to express an interest in going to studying the cello in college (and I know this can change over the next several years, but from browsing this forum I know that it is a very different thing to track a kid to a major in music).</p>
<p>My question, what are some options for majors/careers that her and I haven't though of. Here's what we have so far:</p>
<p>Teaching orchestra or elementary music
Music therapy
Music performance (symphony, quartets, chamber, etc)
Music composition
Music administration</p>
<p>For background info, she has studied some piano in the past, but really preferred studying the theory vs performing piano. She truly loves cello. Practice isn't an issue. She plays without asking, wants to play more, etc. </p>
<p>Her other music experience is singing with an RSCM church choir, musical theatre, and one year of flute. She's also into art, computer programming, music, and science. </p>
<p>She's starting private lessons and seems to be pretty good. She has just really taken to the cello. I have no delusions about this being an easy path, and know that she's starting late compared to most kids that will be music majors. </p>
<p>So, any advice would be welcomed! (I tend to research early, obviously!)</p>
<p>First I don’t think your daughter is starting too late. My own son (Jazz-Double Bass performance) started in middle school. </p>
<p>Second, the time between now and when your daughter is applying to college goes by quickly for most parents. So I would focus on living in the moment and not get too focused on where your journey is taking you. Make sure to enjoy the sights and in your case sounds as you go along your way. Also there are many many pot-holes on the road through adolescence so be observant and attentive and present as a guide but do not try to pull your daughter along, otherwise she might catch her foot in one of the potholes and while you are pulling it will break…(OK bad metaphor…but hopefully you get the idea).</p>
<p>You are so right things change. My own daughter said she wanted to dance and do theater when she was in middle school. She dreamed of going off to NYC to Tisch school for the arts. And she made that dream happen. But once there she realized that she did not want to live the life of a performer and more importantly she started to appreciate academics. Fast forward 6 years, two additional undergraduate colleges and she is in graduate school to become a nurse practitioner. My middle son was also determined to go on in music in middle school. For him school was a struggle due to significant learning disabilities. Today he is a Dean’s List pure math major who is contemplating applying to competitive graduate programs in mathematics. For these two siblings their passion for the arts defined them and helped them get to where they are today. It is why I myself am passionate about arts education. Children who pursue the arts tend to do better academically. </p>
<p>What can you do now? You can do what all parents should do when a child shows a passion…work with it. Take her to performances. Have her meet professional and student musicians. Look for opportunities in summer for her to work intensely on something she loves. Summer is a great time to explore and push yourself. Have her read books by musicians and artists. Have her watch “making of” shows that feature orchestras…there is a wonderful “Dr Who Confidential” that shows what it takes to make the music for the show. By doing that you will find that music can lead one in all different directions. I am told that conservatory students actually make up a significant percentage of people admitted to medical school. But most important have FUN and ENJOY. So many kids fail to find something they care about and they become apathetic as teens. Even if your daughter does not go on in music her musical studies and her passion for music will aide her in academics, social skills and life in general.</p>
<p>Thanks for the response! I can only imagine that these next few years will fly by. </p>
<p>Music has been wonderful for her and I have seen it help her academically. I’m thrilled she has something that she enjoys, and that provides her with a peer group of similar interests. I want music to be an enjoyable experience for her and not a chore. Right now, it is a joy and my husband and I are just along for the ride!</p>
<p>I’ll look for that Dr. Who Confidential episode. She has friends into Dr. Who and wanted to start watching it anyway. </p>
<p>StacJip offers great advice. If you have a public or private performing arts high school in your area, check it out. It may be something she would be interested in attending. That doesn’t mean she is bound for the arts, but it’s a pretty nice way to spend high school. While it may not be the same at other performing arts schools, academics were not pushed aside at my son’s (which is public). The #1 and #2 students in his class went to MIT and Columbia respectively.</p>
<p>We do have a public performing arts magnet. We have looked at it before, but our home school has a wonderful performing arts program (chorus, band, orchestra, and theatre). The orchestra is small, but well respected in the area.
We’ll check it out again before she goes to high school and see which one she prefers.</p>
<p>I just want to add a small note to the excellent posts above. I read an interesting article that said that overplanning can actually interfere with opportunities. It talked about “wise wandering.” At this stage, don’t worry too much about career options (let alone college major). If you daughter follows her interests and works hard while also enjoying them, things will take care of themselves naturally. Thinking too specifically may close off options rather then open them, and many skills are transferable. Remember too that a BA in music or BM in performance is like any other bachelor’s degree, and gives access to jobs requiring a BA, as well as graduate and professional schools.</p>
<p>Middle and high school are times to explore all kinds of things, enjoy friends, and learn about oneself. As you have said, lots of changes happen. Your daughter already has many interests, and one or the other may or may not become a focus of her “passion.” It’s also okay to go to college undeclared, with multiple interests!</p>
<p>If she does end up wanting to go to conservatory, of course that will take a lot of work and focus, early on. If that comes from her, as you are allowing so wisely, so much the better. Some of us have had kids who did that hard work and had that intense focus only to see it change at the very end of high school or during college years.</p>
<p>It’s a tricky balance, supporting and providing enrichment for what seems like a promising talent while also letting the child be in the driver’s seat. I always think of it like surfing: helping the kid catch the wave, but the wave has to be there in the first place!</p>
<p>I really do want her to spend these next few years exploring all her options. Whether she ever does anything with music or not, I just want her to forever enjoy it.</p>
<p>The original question was regarding career options. I’m sure that if you google “careers in music” you will get lots of lists popping up. One thing though about music is that it is ever -changing and I would bet that many future jobs do not even exist now. Be prepared for thinking ouside the box and entrepreneurship. I would continue to encourage your daughter to pursue her computer and technology talents. That will serve her well. Have fun!</p>