I’m on a committee to imagine new courses within existing degrees (i.e. violin performance), new takes on degrees (i.e. a singer-songwriter track), and new degrees/certificates (i.e. Musical Scoring for Video Games). Please give me your biggest wishes as you look around at college degree programs. What do you wish existed? What do you wish there was more of? Is there a degree that you are not seeing enough of?
Thanks in advance!
~VT
Exploring careers in music
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As someone who did a BA in Music, I would have loved to take a course on entrepreneurship opportunities in music, careers in music, or on business writing (it wasn’t offered at my school when I was a student). As someone that’s now in a graduate program for music librarianship, I would have liked to know in undergrad that there are career paths for music majors that are not based on performing or teaching (though both are valid options).
My son would just like to feel welcome to pursue two instruments instead of one (in his case, voice and cello). Even pursuing music education rather than performance, he feels forced to choose between a strings emphasis and a choral emphasis. For him, it’s a little too soon to decide between the two, and the decision hasn’t been made for him based on talent or skill, yet. He can’t see himself giving up either one. He has been asked many times through the application process which is his primary instrument. It’s frustrating to him, because he doesn’t have an answer.
I agree with the previous poster. There are so many multi-faceted young people whose stories show up on this forum, who want to study more than one instrument, or are interested in composing and playing, or performing and music ed, music therapy and performing etc. etc.
I would even extend that to say that I would love to see more interdisciplinary or collaborative courses. One of my kids is taking a class with performers, composers, dancers, choreographers, music tech kids, theater and theater design students, film students, visual artists- in a black box theater where they put on several small group collaborative performances each week.
May be using music for dog therapy? Humans are going through a dog obsession era and spending billions on things dogs don’t care for, let music professionals have a piece of the dog worshipper’s organic vegan gluten free fortified gourmet pie. It’s a win, win, win situation, doing what you love for creatures who love you back and earning good money- which otherwise may end up in pockets of custom doggy sweater designers or doggy clip on earring makers.
Voice and an instrument, plus heck yes, video game music. -S
Some flexibility in BM programs would go a LONG way with my kid. He is having a bit of an identity crises. And is auditioning for a a number of BM VP programs but they really aren’t a perfect fit for his interests and goals. Plus having a really odd and ongoing off putting experience with a program he applied to EA has made him wary of institutional needs of rigid music programs vs. student goals. He is seriously considering his BA options right now and hind sight, I wish we had dropped a couple BM apps for a couple more flexible BA apps or possibly more offbeat BM options. He would love to be immersed in a music program and is well prepared but I think his more frenetic application (that includes several instruments, composition, and MT) is possibly off putting to many of these programs as well.
He’d love something where he could study voice and collaborative piano, do collaborative music of varying styles, options for small possibly student established ensembles where students take turns directing, get some communication and entrepreneurial skills, get some composition and arranging skills. Get some tech music skills. Options for vocalists to dip into MT. And get some really solid academics and writing skills too. Maybe a “modern musician” track that had a variety of options - performance, pedagogy, composition, direction, technology, etc.
Any type of music program that would focus on creative undergraduate research in music similar to other BS and BA programs that require this. Many potential research offshoots combine w/ music - if all music students had undergraduate experience in this, perhaps the arts wouldn’t be the first to be cut, as the proof of the dire consequences would be coming directly from those in the field.
@MusakParent — sorry I can’t PM, I sporadically read these forums as an alum of the college app process, and I hope this doesn’t come across as solicitation / trying to sell my school — but I’m currently a sophomore at Westminster Choir College and studying essentially what your son wants to do (if this isn’t already on your list), AND I’m a product of auditioning for BM VP programs despite not wanting to do VP. The BA program at WCC is allowing me to privately study collaborative piano /and/ voice /and/ have time to music direct student run musicals, accompany choirs and extracurricular groups… and the composition classes are open to the entire student body… and on top of all of that I have the opportunity to take classes at Princeton University if they fit in my schedule. + lots of merit-based financial aid available, especially for boys. + no prescreen. Please feel free to PM me if you want contact points.
I think there are many schools that offer those options, but have heard good things about WCC.