<p>Posters who emphasize checking with individual states are right on. Some of what has been stated does not apply in specific states. Since the OP mentioned warmer climates, I’m going to chime in about California. In CA, a music ed undergraduate degree does NOT result in a certification to teach music in the public schools. In CA, certification is ALWAYS a post graduate, 5th year -plus program, for any subject, including elementary classroom. One cannot do student teaching without having completed their degree first. This is very important to understand. After 4 years, you still have to attend a college of education, whether or not your undergrad is in music ed, performance, composition, BA, BM, BFA, whatever. The post grad requirements for the credential usually take one year plus a semester of student teaching, especially if you try to do this with the public universities, the so-called “state flagships.” In any case, it’s quite simple to do the performance degree (in any state), and take a few music ed courses as electives (or not, just study the books), and pass the state subject test, and still go on and get certification.</p>
<p>You can attend a “state-approved” music education program, but the ONLY thing that will do is waive the requirement to take the subject matter standardized tests for music. For some people that is a big deal, but for most hard working music students, this is unimportant, especially since these approved programs are not necessarily the best music schools–at all. To see a list of these approved programs, consult the CTC website. Anyone who has gone through a good music ed program in another state, example, Eastman, Crane, NU, WCC or numerous others will find this test to be a piece of cake. And, you will have another advantage. You will have finished student teaching and hold teacher certification in the state of NY or wherever, WHICH IS TRANSFERABLE to California, with some additional requirements that are less onerous that what you’d have to do if you do the whole thing in CA. You have to pass the subject test (not hard), and take a few extra courses which you can do during your first year of teaching. So, you can be making money in a teaching job after 4 years, whereas the CA students are still in school. </p>
<p>2nd subjects/degrees: I strongly disagree with the advice given that there is no point in getting a second degree (math, english, spanish, whatever). While you won’t really need the degree, a strong minor will help tremendously in getting your first job. If you know a subject well enough to pass the subject matter competency exams, you can add it to your credential. You do not need to student teach in each subject to be fully qualified to teach that subject in school. Schools most certainly will hire you to teach say, 4 periods of music and one of math. In fact, most administrators will prefer to hire teachers with multiple certifications, as it will vastly simplify their lives as far as staffing. When budget cuts happen, the music teacher can now teach 3 periods of music, and 2 English, instead of having to drop down to two part-time teachers. Also, remember that we are in a deep crisis as far as arts budgets are concerned right now. This will not last forever. In four to five years when our kids are ready to enter the work force, they will likely encounter music programs that have been decimated. Districts that want to build these programs back up will have to start with teachers who are certified in music plus at least one other subject. Example: the school will not have enough students to fill 5 music classes this year, but if you can take a full time job teaching a few periods of music and a few of math, you’ll get a job over anyone else. That second subject does not have to be a major, because with a certain # of credits in a subject you can add a “supplemental authorization” to an existing credential. In a few years, the dynamic music teacher will in fact build up the program so that s/he teaches only music.</p>
<p>Regarding 5-year undergraduate programs of any kind: For salary purposes, all undergraduate degrees are equivalent, be they BA, BM, BFA, BS, or BM/BA. Your salary will be the same. So it’s ideal if you are working on your masters in the 5th year, so that after 5 or six years of college, you will be making A LOT more $ than after 5 years of undergrad. So, from this point of view, get the bachelor’s (maybe performance degree if that is your interest) in 4 years, then get the masters in Music Ed WITH a credential to teach, which has been discussed as a good option for some in other threads. Check posts by uskoolfish, I believe.</p>
<p>Remember that you are hired by the district, not by the school. So, you could start in a less than ideal job where you teach history and music, or drama and music (this is very popular) and then transfer to a different school teaching only music. And if music gets the axe, you will have a job, albeit teaching another subject.</p>
<p>Regarding choral/general/instrumental: Yes, your certification will “qualify” you to teach any music in the school, but of course we know that the choral teacher will not be hired to teach woodwinds, strings, marching band etc. HOWEVER, those musicians who have the skills to do it all are in huge demand, and will always work (example, my DH). If you sing, play clarinet and piano, or violin, or drums, you would do well to keep it up for music ed. If a school can hire one teacher to teach chorus and band, or chorus and orchestra, or band and orchestra, they will. And in California, that is often the case, because there are probably not enough music classes at the school to have full time chorus, band, and orchestra–very sad but true.</p>
<p>These issues may well be true in other states.</p>