<p>I've been thinking really hard about college lately and I still have questions about what I might want to major in. So, basically, I really have no interest in doing anything but music for my career. I've gone through numerous different options. What I think I'd like to do is double major in Sound Engineering and some form of business class. My question is whether Music Business or Business Administration might be a better option for my other major. I feel like a Business Administration degree would be a much more stable option, but would that teach me the skills I need to survive in the music business? Music Business sounds great. But if I could learn the skills and achieve more stability than I'd much rather do Business Administration. Any advice would be appreciated.</p>
<p>My son is a music business major at the Hartt school. The degree is acombination of music and business classes, and he had to audition on an instrument to be accepted. The curriculum includes music theory, lessons and an ensemble as well as music business classes. I think, if you look at different school’s websites, many of the music business programs are similar. </p>
<p>Do you play an instrument? </p>
<p>Belmont University has a business school that is solely focused on the business end, and is not part of the music department. Is that more what you are looking for? If so, you could probably do a straight business major at pretty much any school, and add in some arts management classes to cover issues like copyright, etc.</p>
<p>You could go the double major route, like you suggested, or you could minor in business or music. Or you could get an associate degree in business prior to your sound engineering degree. Or you could hold off on the business thing until grad school and then get a MBA.</p>
<p>There are endless combinations of education that would support your end career goal.</p>
<p>You might want to make a spreadsheet of the curriculum for sound engineering, and music business and business. Find out if music business or if business has more classes that overlaps with sound engineering, and figure out which combination would take the least amount of time.</p>
<p>Also, some colleges offer a “commercial music” degree. That sounds to me more of what you are really wanting. One of the colleges in my county offers a BA in commericial music, it requires about half as much music theory/aural skills/music history/performance classes as is in my sons BM program, but it also allows for coursework in electronic music, songwriting (as opposed to music composition), a class or two that are music business specific, one class in music recording and production, etc and it has room for a minor without having to take any extra classes - and naturally many BA/commercial music students choose business as their minor.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice. I appreciate it. I like the idea of just waiting until grad school and getting an MBA. If I were to double major in say music business and sound engineering, would this support what I want to learn in undergraduate and help me towards grad school and an MBA? And yes, I do play an instrument. A few in fact. Were music performance a more stable option I’d probably major in that. It’s all so much haha. My issue is I kind of want to learn everything. How would a music business and sound engineering double major effect my educational endeavours after undergraduate? If I wanted to change my career interest, would a degree in these 2 areas look good to graduate schools? Sorry for all the questions. But again, thank you for the advice.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice. I appreciate it. I like the idea of just waiting until grad school and getting an MBA. If I were to double major in say music business and sound engineering, would this support what I want to learn in undergraduate and help me towards grad school and an MBA? And yes, I do play an instrument. A few in fact. Were music performance a more stable option I’d probably major in that. It’s all so much haha. My issue is I kind of want to learn everything. How would a music business and sound engineering double major effect my educational endeavours after undergraduate? If I wanted to change my career interest, would a degree in these 2 areas look good to any graduate schools? Sorry for all the questions. But again, thank you for the advice.</p>
<p>I would think that there would be some advantage to having more than one bachelors degree in getting into grad school, but I would also expect that good grades in just one major would be more important that average grades and two majors.</p>
<p>It’s going to be a little different from grad school to grad school, everyone has their own unique policies. My best guess is that if they only had one spot left and two candidates who were otherwise equal, except that one had to majors or two degrees, the one with two majors/degrees would probably win out. But if the applicant who only had one major/degree had better grades than the one with two majors or degrees, the one with better grades would probably get the spot.</p>
<p>MBA programs differ from college to college, and some large universities may offer multiple options to obtain graduate business degrees. the university that my son goes to has a fast track mba program that is a one year program only offered to students who already have a bachelors in business. they have a different mba program for students who have bachelors degrees in other fields, and a different program for people who have years of practical working experience in business but didn’t major in business for their bachelors, etc.</p>
<p>I’m still thinking that if you arn’t planning a career in sound engineering, that you would be better off in a more general music program. I don’t know much about sound engineering, but it sounds very specific. Thats why I suggested a degree in BA in commercial music, which in most cases will allow you to take some sound engineering classes and various music classes, just like sound engineering, but it will also give you a broader base of classes, which could more easily include a minor in business or a duel degree or double major in business. Most likely a sound engineering degree will be either a BS which will be intensive in math and science and otherwise very specific to just sound engineering, while a BA in commercial music will be a very rounded degree with a few classes in most all aspects of music and music business. Then you get your intense business education in grad school or with the second major in business, or get the mba prerequisits (intro to macroeconomics, microeconomics, accounting, finance, marketing, management, etc) with a minor in business.</p>
<p>I have a friend that got a degree in hospitality management. Only at the end she didn’t want to work in the hospitality field! Her employer (she works in management in the banking industry now) said that they liked that she had management experience in her hospitality field (an internship) and the banking part they train individuals for anyway, “how they want it done”. So it didn’t matter she wasn’t a pure Business Management major. If you’re into Music and business, I’d go for the Music Business degree, learning to apply business skills in something you enjoy even if that’s not what you end up doing.</p>
<p>I’ve decided to go with the music business route. I’ve began applying to a few colleges for music business. The way I see it, music business seems like the best option. I also plan on doing the sound technology (or related major) double major route, hopefully. Thanks again, for the advice!</p>