music majors post college goals

College Majors Music Major
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<p>As I read here I often wonder what the different students hope to do with their music degree. DS had thought about being a h.s. music/marching band instructor. DD1 wants a job in a professional orchestra.
What's the plan for most of your kids, is it realistic and do-able?</p>

<p>as a side note in our own family -My DD2 is off to major in anthropology. It is almost impossible to get a job in the field that pays enough, though we are not concerned about it. My hope is she learns to learn, work, write and develop as a person.</p>

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<p>OIJ-good thread. I had thought about starting something similar, but am glad you did.</p>

<p>S has been a double degee viola performance/music ed major. Though December, he had completed 9 of what for him would have been an 11 semester program. This semester started as a fairly heavy course load (23 credits), with his final semester being supervised student teaching and an additional 3 credits to maintain full-time status.</p>

<p>Two weeks ago, he shocked us by expressing his desire to drop the ed portion, and graduate this semester with just the performance degree. While we felt he might be doing himself a disservice by not completing the ed portion (which would have resulted in state teaching certification), the decision was his. He spent the last 10 days pushing through the paperwork, and rearranging his course schedule.</p>

<p>He is on track for a degree "with highest honors", an exceptionally strong performer, a highly sought after collaborator, and has been attending on full scholarship due to his performance abilities. He also is an extremely gifted teacher (peer, employer, and instructors' evaluation; not mine) and has had extensive experience teaching younger children, his own age group, and intermediate and advanced students two and three times his age.</p>

<p>Because he had planned on graduating next December, the "off" semester, he had done nothing in terms of grad school apps for Fall 07. </p>

<p>His long term goal is a career in chamber music, meaning at least an MM in performance/chamber music, probably a graduate professional diploma after that.</p>

<p>I know that next year is now effectively a gap year, without fulltime employment, trying to pick up freelance, orchestral sub work, and other gigs, possibly some part time studio teaching. He's now at the point where he is playing at the strongest he ever has and now has to find a suitable fairly local studio teacher that can further improve his abilities. </p>

<p>I have some serious doubts about his level of motivation. This week is spring break, he's been home and he's not made a contact phone call, prepared his resume, or even bothered to secure his job from last summer.</p>

<p>We are extremely proud of his accomplishments, and have always supported his choice of a career path, yet I fear that he does not have the personal strenght required to effectively market himself to showcase his abilities. He has let things basically fall into his lap.</p>

<p>Come May, the bills for his personal student loans, health and car insurance fall into his lap as well. We shall see.</p>

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<p>DS will graduate with a degree in performance in May. All he wants to do is earn his living with his instrument. He also loves teaching younger students privately and has had a successful studio here at home since high school. I know he wants to continue that regardless of whatever else he pursues. He is waiting to make grad school decision(s)...that should happen hopefully within a few weeks. He'll go to Aspen for the summer. We'll see what happens. He is motivated, and wants to succeed...but so do many others. It's a competitive field, and I do worry about him.</p>

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<p>Mine son graduated from Eastman last spring with a degree in cello performance. He is taking a year off. During this year he has studied with a teacher at our local university, practiced quite a bit with no other distractions and subbed with the local orchestra along with a few other gigs. We are currently waiting for results from grad school auditions. </p>

<p>If he could have his dream job, he would play in a string quartet or piano trio that had a residency at a college or university. He would like to teach at the college level and has not ruled out playing in an orchestra. He says that when he finished his MM he will apply and audition for everything that he can and see where he ends up. He also says that he will likely end up getting a DMA at some point.</p>

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<p>Our son is a third year music education major......
He'd ideally love to win an orchestral spot but understands how competitive that goal is. We imagine he will apply for a performance masters.</p>

<p>He does talk about auditioning for a service band. Several music students from his school have won positions in the Navy or Army bands.
Can anyone share real info on this choice? Anything relating to the military sends me into my protective mom mode. But on paper, it seems a viable option for playing and earning something like a real paycheck.
Anyone?</p>

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<p>Great thread. Since my S2 is only a junior, I am eager to learn from those of you with older kids.</p>

<p>His goal has steadfastly been to be either a member of an orchestra or a soloist. I have no clue as to how that will pan out. He is also looking into grad school options, though I would love it if he could have a paying job first.</p>

<p>Although he sees a private studio as inevitable, I have a few doubts. He is teaching some beginning students in NYC this year. He enjoys it, and will do it again next year, but I think he struggles to teach something that comes so naturally to him. He does not understand what the big deal is about practicing, for instance. His students have no ear, and he doesn't know how to teach them to have one. He runs out of ideas of how to teach something differently when kids "don't get it" the first time around. (Part of it is that he never needed to be taught these things, so hasn't had them modeled for him.) This summer he might get the chance to teach some older students who already play, so I hope he will get to see what it's like to teach non-beginners.</p>

<p>Cross-posted -- When my S was in high school, an army band came to the school to run master's classes. They told my S that if the draft was ever re-instituted, he should quickly enroll in one of the military bands. A good friend of his (graduated last year) just took a job with one of the bands. He has to go to boot camp, but otherwise it seems to be a pretty "regular" job. The friend's only dissatisfaction with it is that they travel a lot. My H has a high school friend who joined right out of college, and has lived outside DC ever since, playing with a military band. Her husband does as well.</p>

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<p>We have a friend who is a musician with one of the armed forces bands (I believe Marines). He did have to do basic training, which was followed by some kind of special training for firearms. He then was sent to the Armed Forces School of Music which I believe is in Norfolk or Virginia Beach (I think it's Norfolk). He is in hog heaven. It's music all the time...a condensed conservatory program. I believe he is there for six months or so...then will be posted with one of the military bands. Those accepted into the music programs are not sent for combat duty (his mother had to hear that before she allowed him to go...he was not yet 18). He is an outstanding musician, and says the quality of the playing is absolutely terrific. It was quite an honor for him to have auditioned with an acceptance as a high school senior. He is extraordinarily talented.</p>

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<p>Musicmom,
HS classmate of my son went directly into the Marine band. College was not his thing. He was accepted to the band before he enlisted. Don't sign up thinking you have a better chance getting in the band-you might not get in the band and you are still in the military. He loves it, has time to take college classes and play other gigs. I believe he is cross-trainned to be police. In the past 4 yrs he hasn't had to do "real" military stuff. He did have to do boot camp with everyone else. I also go into "protective Mom mode", I believe he could be sent at any moment. Two years ago we heard he was going to Iraq-it was second hand info-it never happened.</p>

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<p>Actually, the best military band gig is the Marine Band, "The President's Own".</p>

<p>It's the only service band where any actual traditional military obligations or duties, including boot camp are effectively waived. </p>

<p>Audition winners do go through a vetting process, and are given courses in military protocol and etiquette as part of their training within the performing organization.</p>

<p>Competition for spots is fierce, on a par with any of the top orchestras. For the right type of individual, it's a great opportunity.</p>

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<p>Wow, this group is amazing!</p>

<p>I've got some great feedback MOMENTS after posting!<br>
Thanks for the stories on your musicians in the military....I also have heard that those choosing this route are thrilled with the level of playing.</p>

<p>Our son will be 22 when done with school but I will absolutely require him still to show me the papers BEFORE signing on......the protective mom person will not fade easily.</p>

<p>I started a separate thread on this specific question to make it easier for others to find, if interested.
Thanks again!</p>

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<p>My daughter will graduate in May with a vocal performance degree. She has been called to the Episcopal seminary, and will work for a year before she starts. She has had some interesting interviews in the corporate world, despite being a "musi". She has gotten a great education and the skills she has learned will serve her well in many capacities. She is confident in front of groups and is at ease as a "performer"- whatever the arena. Music will be a huge part of her life and her ministry in the future. She hopes to attend seminary somewhere with a connection to a university where she can perhaps take some music courses.</p>

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<p>My son is a sophomore trumpet performance major. His dream is to play in a major symphony and have a trumpet teaching studio, as well. He has taught students since he was a sophomore in high school and seems to have a real knack for it--at least the kids and their parents all seem to love him. And he enjoys working with kids.</p>

<p>He has a real drive to succeed, and although he started college behind most of his peers, he has made tremendous progress in his two years at Indiana. However, he recognizes that the competition is extremely tough. He plans to give it his all, but, if he can't make it as a performer, he would consider teaching at the college or high school level and performing on the side.</p>

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<p>Here's a different career path.D began as a Performance major in Flute,dead set on an ensemble career,or orchestral career.Did some intro teaching for beginners for her private teacher durig her HS years and hated it.
Round about her fall semester of soph year in college, she fell in love with music history and research,and became conflicted over her loyalty to the flute studio.After hearing from the musicology professor.."have you ever considered a career in research?" she had a long heart to heart with the lovely studio professor.Result, a turnaround in career goals...graduated as a Music History major,summa cum laud,wrote her senior honors thesis on a music topic,applied to grad schools in musicology with much mentoring from the music faculty at her undergrad institution, and is now happily ensconced finishing her second year of graduate work in a PhD program (Masters gets awarded along the way).shes discovered she loves teaching undergrads through being a TA,is finding her way to a dissertation topic and revels in the collegial academic life.
She plays her flute sometimes in an ensemble,or for a wedding,rarely "practices".
Shes ensconced in the world of music and happy as a clam.</p>