Help - To Major In Music... Or Not

College Majors Music Major
1

Hello,

I am going to be a senior in high school come Fall 2015 and am trying to figure out where I want to go for college and why. This is my first post on College Confidential.

I am very strong academically in essentially all fields and have a sizable list of extracurricular activities. Getting into a college I’d like, and perhaps even Ivies, isn’t too far of a stretch. However, I’m not sure what I want to do with my life.

I have played the piano for almost 10 years and I am quite strong at it; I play local gigs around the area, am involved with the school band and chamber choir, and host my own solo concerts locally. My piano teacher, who went to Peabody, believes that I could get into a decent conservatory (like Peabody, for example), if I tried. I absolutely adore music.

However, I am also looking for financial stability and music majors are notorious for being unreliable. I want to have a job that I can rely on to pay the bills, and one that will grant me a comfortable life after I am out of music. Although music is a particular passion, I enjoy my academic endeavors - especially math - and would likely enjoy other careers as well.

My question is, what do I do? Should I involve music in my college life full-time? Partially, like a double major or minor? Even at all? I really, really don’t want to give up the musical part of me, but I don’t want to constantly worry about finances. Is practicing independently a horrible idea? I wish to grow as a musician as well, not just stagnate.

Thanks a million!

2

All of the Ivies attract students who are fine musicians, as do most competitive colleges. At many fine schools, you can double major in music and another field (this can be difficult if the other field is science), minor in music, or just become involved by taking lessons and/or music classes and joining ensembles. (Actually, that’s probably true for not-so-fine schools as well. ;)) Or, as you suggest, you can simply work independently, although my suspicion is that it doesn’t end up working out that well for most people.

The standard advice I’ve heard is that if you can even consider working in a field other than music, go for that and keep the music for enjoyment. There are a surprising number of accomplished adult amateur musicians, and a good pianist is always in demand. :slight_smile:

3

Welcome. First, I would suggest reading this excellent essay on the Peabody admissions site, about the different ways to study music and the different types of students best suited to each:
http://www.peabody.jhu.edu/conservatory/admissions/tips/doubledegree.html

You can major in music with a BM (conservatory/music school), which would mean 2/3-3/4 of your classes would be music (theory, solfege, history, technology etc.) and you would spend a lot of time in lessons, rehearsals and performing. These programs have auditions for admission, usually with prescreens.

You can major in music with a BA (college/university), which would mean, generally speaking, 1/4-1/3 of your classes in music (at Harvard it is 1/2) with academic music classes in theory, composition, music history, ethnomusicology, musicology and technology. It is actually possible to major in music and never touch an instrument! Some BA programs have performance elements, some don’t. Many or even most don’t have auditions. Instead, if you are talented, you submit an art supplement with music resume, recordings, letters of recommendation from music teachers, awards and so on added on to the Common App.

You can also double major (yes, tough with some subjects with exact sequences of courses or with labs that might conflict with music obligations), major and minor, or do a double degree. Oberlin, Bard and Lawrence are often mentioned for double degrees but there are many others, including Peabody/JH, Tufts/NEC (BA/BM), and Harvard (BA/MM). Bard actually requires all conservatory students to do a double degree.

Some of the most talented musicians at a school like Harvard don’t major in music at all, but study privately and perform in extracurriculars or professionally off campus.

So you see, there are many ways to do this.

I will tell you that studying music can be a fine preparation for careers in many fields and gives access to the jobs and grad schools (including med, law and business) that any other bachelor’s degree gives. I firmly believe- and I have three kids now in mid-to late 20’s, one a PhD music student- that if you follow what you love, things work out. You might love math more. You still have time to think about it. I bought a book called “The Musician’s Journey: crafting your career vision and plan”. The music world has changed with Internet, “new music”, freelancing and a lot more entrepreneurial activity.

It is fine to apply to both colleges and conservatories and decide at the end of senior year. My own daughter did that. if money is an issue, that approach is a good one. To me, very superficially, you sound like someone who might want to go to a college or university and either do a double degree or do music outside of academics. But that is just an initial impression. Read the Peabody essay and see where you think you might fit! And come back here anytime over the next year- people here are really helpful.

4

There are even more good articles on the Peabody page http://www.peabody.jhu.edu/conservatory/admissions/tips/ that are good reading while you try ot find your path.

5

Thank you all for the advice and links!

6

Look at University of Rochester/ Eastman School of Music. There you could indulge your passion in piano and pursue some other “stable” discipline as insurance.

7

Do also be aware that conservatories like Peabody and many universities will require an audition prescreen before you are even invited to formally audition for the school. To keep a music major or double major open as a viable option as you consider your route for college, take a look at some websites like Peabody’s, Eastman, Oberlin, etc. Do you have their required repertoire close to ready? Prescreens are generally due on December 1. Many piano students are already well into their audition repertoire preparation - many different works required and memory necessary.

8

And just to repeat, many college/university music majors, even at the most selective schools, have no auditions for admission (though there are auditions for extracurricular ensembles). If you do attend a college/university, the presence of a conservatory on campus has pros and cons: most of the best opportunities go to conservatory students. So it can be better sometimes to attend a school that does not have a conservatory. That said, if, say, you entered Oberlin for math and then decided you wanted to do double degree with math and piano, or wanted to do a BM in piano instead of your original math major, you could make that transition.

9

Thanks again, everyone;

@Momofadult - My piano teacher has been prepping me for conservatory work since I was little, so looking at the requirements for numerous famous conservatories, they look difficult but not overly challenging and I already have many of the pieces that I believe they would require. Additionally, I have a penchant for memorization (and many of the songs that I’ve played for personal concerts and so on are all but memorized), so I think I’d have a decent shot at them. Nonetheless, I’m considering the music programs in universities to just escape the whole audition process.

10

Great! It sounds like you will have many options, not everyone is so well prepared. I’m sure you are not assuming that most universities have no audition requirements, many do. I think Compmom and I are, in our own ways, pointing out that there are many routes - conservaory to LACs to large and small private and public universities. Each will have its own admissions requirements, rules regarding double majors, ease of access to teachers for non-music majors, etc. But, I’m sure you are aware of this and are researching the Music Department pages of places that might be of interest ro you.

Please note that many musicians cringe whenever an instrumentalist refers to the instrumental repertoire as “songs”. Singers sing songs, instrumentalists play works, pieces, repertoire or specific genre such as sonatas, concertos, etudes, etc. I don’t mean to belittle your post, but many who hear the term “song” used in reference to an instrumental work will assume a lack of higher level or serious training - obviously not true in your case. Please forgive me if I seem rude in mentioning this, I don’t intend to be offensive, just pointing out the terminology a professonal musician is likely to use and to expect to hear.

11

Hello! Still not completely sure if I’m replying correctly- darn being new to college confidential. But anyways…

Thank you for the heads-up concerning terminology; it didn’t sound rude to me, I understand you’re just helping to further my legitimacy as a musician. :wink:

And yeah, there are so many paths… I hadn’t fully realized all the options open to me. On one hand it’s a relief and on the other hand it’s overwhelming. As long as I nurture my musical side at an academically and musically strong school, I think I will be happy with where I go. The notion of a double-degree program with a college department, as well as some of the collaborations between conservatories and universities, look prospective and I will continue to muse on them. A massive thanks to everyone on this forum- it’s only been a day and I already feel far more aware of my options and preferences. :slight_smile:

12

Be aware that double degrees are usually 5 years- forgot to mention that!

13

As others have said, there are plenty of options. The Ivy league schools, for example, though they don’t have performance degrees, they do emphasize their music programs (orchestra, chamber) and at least several of them (if not all of them) I believe offer lessons as part of tuition (you would need to check that). I know for a fact that schools like the Ivies tend to lend weight in admissions to talented musicians (as do other top colleges and such), so you wouldn’t find a musical drought at many of them…

The one thing to keep in mind is as compmom said, the dual degree program (generally BM and a BA/BS) is a 5 year deal, and it can be very, very time consuming doing both. Likewise, the joint programs, like Peabody/Johns Hopkins , NEC/Tufts, NEC Harvard have their own difficulties, the complaints I have heard are things like getting to the various campuses (like Peabody/JHU), and coordinating schedules (NEC/Harvard doesn’t have the big problems with coordination, since it is a 5 year program where you get the bachelor’s from Harvard and the MM from NEC, the only real overlap can be in the 4th year if you are still finishing your bachelor’s degree).The joint program downside is that they don’t admit a lot of kids into them relatively, I have seen kids who were music superstars and academic superstars get turned down from the joint programs (I am talking things like Columbia/Juilliard, NEC/Harvard, NEC/Tufts, not dual degree programs).

A lot of kids go to programs like Vanderbilt or U Michigan or Northwestern if they want to do a true dual degree from what i can gather because it is easier there to coordinate among other factors (doesn’t hurt that those are top notch academic schools and strong music schools as well).

It sound to me like you do have a lot of choices, and what you do in the end will be how you see music. If you want to do the academic degree but want music for enjoyment you could go to let’s say an ivy or similar school, take lessons, do music ensembles, and then afterwords decide you want to pursue an MM, because you can do high level music at those schools. You could do a BA music/BA or BS in an academic field, the BA has a bit less time in the music, which leaves more for the academic, or you could do a dual degree (if available)…it is nice to have options, and the nice part all three of these ‘alternate’ routes to a BM degree alone can lead to staying in music after undergrad.

14

A couple of things related to the post above: Harvard, for one, does give credit for some performance, and some classes involve performance. You need to check details at each school. Also, it is not true that the only overlap between Harvard BA and NEC MM for double degree students is in the 4th year.

15

A music school admissions counselor once told me that if you even question whether you should be a music major, you probably shouldn’t be. The field is very competitive, and the people in it are extremely passionate, so passionate that they see no other option than to do music. Many of them have been playing for ridiculous amounts of time. It’s one of the only field in which you are competing with people who have been learning the subject all their lives.

Your college will require you to audition for the program if you’re persuing a BM. (A BA is almost useless in my opinion.) This might be a stressful process. I have also been playing piano for ten years (and I’m a rising senior!), and I started to learn audition music before getting insanely stressed deciding the field just wasn’t for me. Piano performance is a very competitive major, so you’ll have to play some high level music. (Typically one Prelude & Fugue, a couple movements from a Beethoven sonata, and a romantic/contemporary piece.) Definitely something to keep in mind.

Double majoring in anything with a BM is impossible to do in four years. Every college has told me this. Music majors just have so many classes, including a lot of zero credit classes. (Yep, you read that right.)

If money is a concern for you I would generally steer clear of music performance majors unless you absolutely can’t see yourself doing anything else. Professional musicians typically don’t mind low wages because they are so passionate about what they do. If this doesn’t sound like you, I would seriously consider trying another career. Especially since your grades are so high that it sounds like you can do almost anything you set your mind to. :slight_smile:

If, though, throughout all I just said, you still feel like “But I REALLY like music…”, music might actually be for you. It’s not a bad idea to at least start preparing audition pieces. You can always stop if you find another field you like, but it’s hard to make up for lost time if you decide you want to go into music later.

In the end, I think you should go with your gut. Facts are nice, but you know best if you will be happy in a field for the rest of your life or not.

Best of luck! We’re all in this together:)

PS - I think maybe pursuing music ed, music pedagogy, or music therapy might get you a more reliable income, if those are fields you are interested in. Nothing extravagant, but they should lead you into a job right out of college if you do well.

16

I find it interesting when I hear high school students talk about “Financial Stability” because I am not sure they really understand what it means. What does it mean to be financially stable for your generation? I am not sure anyone knows. Gone are the days when one could go work for a corporation and be sure you would have health insurance and retirement. These days even those with advanced skills in hot fields such as biochemistry and computer science struggle to find financial security. So much depends on your expectations and what you grew up with. I know teachers who make very modest incomes but who are extremely happy with what they have, while I know people in high tech who always feel they are poor because they compare themselves to their peers who have considerably more money. I know doctors who are miserable because they can not afford to leave their hospital jobs to work independently but at the same time feel they can not practice medicine the way they want to. I know ivy league graduates in high tech who have found themselves jobless and with zero financial stability, while I have known musicians and teachers who manage to have a solid income and a comfortable lifestyle. Financial stability is not the best metric to use for choosing a career and if it was a metric that made sense than many more people would be going into trades such as plumbing.

I once knew a hairdresser who came from a very accomplished family. All her siblings had advanced degrees. But she told me although her parents were unhappy with her choice of career, they all laugh because of all her siblings she makes the most amount of money.

Also how one manages money also influences how financially stable you are. My oldest is about to enter a career where starting salaries are quite high. But she has a taste for luxury and loves to spend money. I worry that she will struggle financially to make ends meet as she moves into the real world. My middle son is a graduate student earning a very modest stipend. He lives very modestly and as a result has managed to save a small fortune. When he wants something (like a new cooking appliance) he has the money to buy it. My youngest, the musician, loves expensive clothes and nice things. He is still a student but he earns enough doing gigs to cover his living expenses. How will that work once he graduates? I do not know.

You need to think short-term about what will make you happy. Do you want to go to Conservatory and spend your days practicing? Would you miss taking classes in other subjects such as math and science? Do you want to be immersed in a setting where everyone is focused on music or do you want more diversity? Also remember nothing is set in stone. If you decide to go to conservatory and you do not like it you can always transfer and if you go to a liberal arts school and find music consuming you and a feeling as though it is all you want to do you can work hard and go to a conservatory for a master’s degree. Life doesn’t have to be in a straight line and often it is not for those who are the most interesting.

17

@StacJip - That is a good post. I have been thinking the same thing when I hear about financial stability. I have the same observations as you do. I think there are careers or jobs that end up having been stable in their time. I am an engineer, and I can tell you that the money flow turns on and off, and a cancelled order here or there and you need to look for work. There actually are several engineers I know who have had a very steady and even career, but not the majority. I always hustle for work and keep an eye on the engineering job market through my network. I read an article about “I am now 50 years old and lugging my amp to the next gig - how long do I want to keep doing this?”, and I think - wow, that could get old I guess. But then I think about what many of the rest of us are doing for a living, and a lot of people I know who have been doing their job for 25 years also feel tired of their jobs.

18

@StacJip & @GoForth Yes, I agree with you two. There is a lot of pressure on students/parents these day to pick something “stable” with a “direct line” to jobs, meaning science or business majors (which is fine if that’s your interest). And yes, there are certain jobs that will pay more and we all have to come to terms with the fact that we are not what we earn. Yawn. The good thing about getting old is … these universal truths even get a bit boring.

BUT life is long and I agree, it must be hard doing gigs at 50+! But honestly it’s hard doing anything at 50+ particularly if you been doing it for 30 years!!! You had better like what you do a bit!! And having “enough money” is really a relative concept for most college educated individuals. You do have options. I decided in my late 20s to go into an area where I could make more money. It has a lot of flexibility and more creativity than I expected.

You have only one shot at college. My advice is follow your interests so you have no regrets. If you get a college degree there will be MANY doors you can open with a little hard work.

My D graduated this year, she came home and promptly got 2 jobs. One offers full benefits and has sent her to weekly one day training classes for the first month. She works 30 hours and just filled out her 401(k) info which she can keep when she goes part-time in the fall for grad school. She also wanted to waitress a few hours for the tips so took the second job on weekends. While this may not be everyone idea of “success” she is very happy to know that she could support herself. She’s 22 and I’m glad she doesn’t have it all figured out. My brother got his PhD from Stanford and he said a professor there told him “you should never have a serious job before you’re 27.” I think this is sound advice. Before you are 27 you should still be pursuing your interests if possible.

The company that hired my D was looking for people with college degrees. A friend of mine has a daughter who got a “women’s studies” degree and worked in advocacy for a few years. She just got hired by a company in their training department. Her mother said “she still wants to save the world but she decided she also wants to make a little more money.” She spent years in theatre and then got passionate about women’s rights. I’m sure she has great speaking skills and she’s not afraid to work hard.

Being a liberal arts major, I know people get hired with these degrees. If you wonder where they work look in any big corporation or the financial/insurance/banking/real estate industries. It’s full of liberal arts majors. And I have no regrets studying liberal arts in college. It enriched my world.

I hope students understand that you can find good jobs with these degrees. No one will hand them to you. You’ll have to work to find them BUT I suspect the same is true in the sciences.

19

I could fill this post with stories of both success and failures among liberal arts graduates, science graduates and artists. So many factors go into success I am not sure you can quantify it. And one must realize that the world is changing. Doctors and Lawyers no longer are guaranteed a good income. Computer programmers are constantly at risk of loosing their jobs to outsourcing overseas. Academics can no longer depend on tenure. Corporations no longer hire people for life. Many Americans are one health care crisis away from bankruptcy. One person’s mansion is a 3 bedroom ranch house in suburbia. While that same house is another person’s idea of failure.

All that being said bridgenail college is not necessarily a one shot opportunity. Learning is a lifetime pursuit. I have returned to school at 50 to pursue a career I did not pursue when I was young. My own daughter started off at a conservatory studying theater and is now a Nurse Practitioner. I buy my bread from a man who was a successful Jazz Bass Player who now has a very successful artisan bread company. My dog trainer went to the Frost School of music and also has a rock band. My CSA where I get my vegetables every week is run by a woman who attended NEC for Jazz Vocals and who also taught art at a school for children with language based LDs. And if you are the type to find those stories of alternate careers depressing think about one of the engineers working on the Landing Curiosity on Mars who went to Berklee or what about Brian Greene who was a famous musician and is now a professor of Astrophysics in the UK and a book author.

The worst thing that can happen to any of these kids is for them to become passive or disinterested in life and learning. It drives me crazy to see smart talented kids go off to top colleges and then they take easy courses so they can continue to get good grades and party. When they are done they look for jobs in finance or banking. They have been taught that all that matters is that they make money and that is how they measure their self-worth.

20

Bravo to you for going back to school! And you are right. There are always 2nd acts - or maybe 3rd! My comment about it being “one shot” was meant to say “do what interests you in college” without so much “fear” about (or attempt to control) the future. Your first (and maybe only) college days should be your first attempt at in-depth learning and mastery of a subject while balancing the many demands of life. There are many transferable skills in the college experience particularly if you love what you are studying and become very involved. Learning is a life long pursuit.

Which reminds me I have to sign up for more of those darn “continuing education” classes…I have to admit I don’t love those…