Music Ed/Performance

College Majors Music Major
1

<p>I'm currently a senior preparing applications and auditions and things. Specifically, I'm a cellist. I currently have a list of colleges I'd like to apply to ready (12 in all), however this was before several music teachers that I really very highly respect came to me highly recommending that I also get a degree in music education. I realize that music education should never be a plan B. In fact, I had a music teacher who was unhappily living her plan B and really very much discouraged me from ever going into teaching for fear of becoming her. However, after much careful consideration I think I may like to get the teaching degree. I've conducted my school's orchestra while the conductor was absent which was really so much fun and enjoy helping out fellow musicians with fingerings and rhythm problems. I find music not only fun but interesting. Music education isn't my first choice, performance is my "dream job", however I think I could really enjoy being a teacher and of course there's a far higher liklihood of getting a job as a string teacher than as a string performer. And so here are my questions:</p>

<p>1) Is there anyone out there who has done a performance/education degree or has a child who is currently or has done it? Is there still enough time to practice? Did you still get the same performance opportunities? What degree or job did you go onto afterwards? Do you get the same number of private lessons and are you treated the same as any other instrumentalist within the studio? Are you realistically able to devote enough time and attention to both majors within the 4-5 years?</p>

<p>2) Does anyone know if Butler University, DePaul University, Indiana University and Peabody Conservatory offer double degree programs in string performance/music education? I've checked their sites and Butler, DePaul, and Indiana each offer both education and perfomance but it's unclear as to whether or not a double degree can be obtained. Peabody claims a perfomance degree with appropriate education courses "may lead to an education degree" but I have no idea what that implies. </p>

<p>3) Does anyone have any recommendations regarding a double degree for the Bachelors as opposed to performance for bachelors and masters of music education or bachelors of education and masters in performance?</p>

<p>4) Does anyone know anything, specifically any first-hand experience with the music performance/music education double degree programs at Boston conservatory, Boston University, Roosevelt University, Harrt School of Music, and/or Northwestern?</p>

<p>I would really appreciate any advice or comments.<br>
Thanks.</p>

2

<p>cellochik, I could fill a page or two here. Bear with the truncated version, and feel free to come back with specific questions. I’ll answer or point you to additional resources. </p>

<p>I’ve detailed my son’s journey as a “torn” perf/ed major at Hartt in numerous past threads. The most recent is post 2 here:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/630466-please-comment-these-music-schools-violin-performance-me.html?highlight=performance[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/630466-please-comment-these-music-schools-violin-performance-me.html?highlight=performance&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>We’ve beaten the “Plan B, don’t go into ed as a safety” horse pretty frequently, but while I feel it is typically sound advice, for those well-informed, and with a foot solidly in each camp, some background and exposure to both, it could well be an option worth exploring. </p>

<p>Another spout of verbiage probably worth reading is here: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1060926187-post91.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1060926187-post91.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>The answers to your first question is that they are all most likely VERY school and program specific. The devil is in the details: the overview pages within the admissions websites, and quite often buried deep in the undergrad handbook. Lesson policies, performance opportunities, grad/undergrad balance, mix, and “bone-throwing” are both subject to policy and practice. You do have to do your homework.</p>

<p>Personally, son’s experience at Hartt was all that he hoped for. You need to understand that a music ed curriculum is highly structured and sequenced. There are overlapping degree requirements as well as degree specific ones. The schools that offer a dual path tend to have the scheduling options pretty well covered, but realize that any “glitch”, scheduling oversight, closed course, canceled class, may well add time. Additional time equals additional cost, something to keep in mind. </p>

<p>Some Hartt specific info is here. Additional sources of (instrumental/performance) info are RunningtheBasses, BEK, musicmom (undergrad music ed/MM perf); love2sing24 as a music ed (vocal) source.<br>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/456111-hartt-school.html?highlight=hartt[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/456111-hartt-school.html?highlight=hartt&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/472471-violin-performance-hartt.html?highlight=hartt[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/472471-violin-performance-hartt.html?highlight=hartt&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>The school specific options in #2 really require you to dig, read, and potentially email/call/establish personal contact with a music adcom or department heads at each. Oft times you will find more info by this method than from what is available on a school’s website. My experience with Peabody is that they tend to frown on a cross discipline or dual discipline approach; their wording on the description of a music ed path suggests to me that a great deal of further deep digging and direct contact is your best approach.</p>

<p>Number 3 is really a function of the student. If you really are unsure, I can’t help you choose. Performance is a tough field. Three years as a performance undergrad may give you the background to assess your skills and talents across a broad base of competition. You may decide you want to “go for it”, or see it as a pipedream. You could position yourself in a strong music ed program that treats ed and performance majors equally, and find teaching is something you just love. Honestly, if I “knew” the answers, I would have told my son. :wink: Do look for schools with a String Project. You will be involved from the beginning in a teaching environment. It may help you sort out some answers and direction early on. A list is here: [NSPC:</a> NSPC](<a href=“http://www.stringprojects.org/]NSPC:”>http://www.stringprojects.org/) </p>

<p>Some info on BU is here, and more in some other threads. thumper1 and fiddlefrog are both excellent first hand sources of information.<br>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/364070-music-ed-schools-boston-ma.html?highlight=performance+music+ed[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/364070-music-ed-schools-boston-ma.html?highlight=performance+music+ed&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Boston Conservatory typically does not come up in a music education thread. I would look deeply. Northwestern has a fine rep, but historically issues of tough admits (musically and academically), financial aid policies have been stumbling blocks for many. It is a school that may require some deep pockets, and I would caution anyone particularly a performance or ed major with a desire for grad school study to minimize debt loads.</p>

<p>Additional sources of school specific info are suggested here: </p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1063382411-post2.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1063382411-post2.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

3

<p>Indiana does not have a Music Ed\Performance degree. For example, students in Music Ed only have to take 3 credits of instruction on their primary instruments a semester and Performance students 6 credits so their degree requirements differ. They do have a minor in Music Ed (15 credits) but that does not lead to a teaching certificate. However, they have a Masters of Science in Music Education designed for students with Performance degrees which gets you a teaching certificate. Not many colleges do have such a double degree and very rarely can it be completed in four years due to differences in the requirements between the degrees. Ithica College does have one and it is scheduled out for 4 1/2 years of study and I heard similar comments at other some colleges where the question was asked. I would look at the semester plan Ithica lays out on their web site and think if you would want to complete a schedule like that. One other (maybe easier) route is to seek out colleges that do not differentiate the level of playing required from Education and Performance majors. Rutgers and Penn State were two that I think fit that bill and other board members may have suggestions or your can enquire during your visits or when speaking with the admissions folks. Then you can complete just the Education degree and still come out at the same level as the performance folks.</p>

4

<p>A couple of points I forgot to mention:</p>

<p>Music ed is typically most cost effective instate. Look to your flagship or dedicated music ed schools first if you think you want a pure music ed path. There are many valid reasons to look outside however.</p>

<p>Consider adding Ithaca and Lawrence for investigation. Both have excellent reps, and Ithaca particularly is known for both cello & ed.</p>

5

<p>On Family Weekend at Eastman, my d announced to us, totally out of the blue, that she’s fairly certain that she wants to add Music Ed to her vocal performance degree. At that school you can take your Ed courses with the requirements for you performance degree and they’ll give you a 9th semester for student teaching without additional charge.</p>

<p>Their name for the program is Forte if you’re looking for details about it on their web site.</p>

6

<p>Oberlin has an interesting grad-level program that takes students coming out of a BM program and results in a Master of Music Teaching degree in 14 additional months (one academic year plus the summers before and after.) Total tuition for the program is $28,500, which is about half of what they would charge for the equivalent number of undergrad credit hours. The advantage of such a program is that you can concentrate on the BM for four years and decide over that time whether or not you want to spend the additional time and money pursuing an education degree rather than committing up front to do both in five years. Plus, you wind up with a graduate degree rather than two bachelor’s degrees. They say the program will allow you to meet licensure requirements in all 50 states, not just Ohio. Check out [Oberlin</a> College | New Master of Music Teaching Program Overview](<a href=“http://www2.oberlin.edu/musiced/mmt/default.html]Oberlin”>http://www2.oberlin.edu/musiced/mmt/default.html) if interested.</p>

7

<p>cellochik19, you may also want to peruse my post #19 in the thread here <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/586081-need-music-related-grad-school-career-suggestions.html?highlight=librarian[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/586081-need-music-related-grad-school-career-suggestions.html?highlight=librarian&lt;/a&gt;, and the associated comments.</p>

<p>Don’t let the thread title fool you. Some of the best insights are found in tangential discussions that develop within seemingly unrelated threads.</p>

8

<p>Please contact me with any questions about Hartt’s Application/Admission process. Also, I can arrange a lesson for you with one or both of our cello faculty: </p>

<p>Terry King: [The</a> Hartt School | Music Dance Theatre > Terry King](<a href=“The Hartt School - University of Hartford”>The Hartt School - University of Hartford)
Mihai Tetel: [The</a> Hartt School | Music Dance Theatre > Mihai Tetel](<a href=“The Hartt School - University of Hartford”>The Hartt School - University of Hartford)</p>

<p>Best regards,</p>

<p>Erin Arrison, Assistant Director of Hartt Admissions
<a href=“mailto:earrison@hartford.edu”>earrison@hartford.edu</a></p>