<p>I'm having a major dilemma here. For awhile I've been planning on majoring in musical theatre..but recently I realized that maybe I'm not doing it because it's my passion as everyone assumes, but rather I'm doing it to make everyone else happy. What I would love to do is become a kindergarten teacher. I've always had a talent for musical theatre and I feel a bit pressured to do it just because I can and everyone expects me to. Don't get me wrong, I ADORE theatre and I couldn't imagine my life without it..but teaching just feels right. Is there any way to get the best of both worlds? Most colleges I visited said it was impossible to double major, which is understandable given the rigor of the musical theatre programs, but does anyone know of any colleges that maybe have a 5 year program that combines teacher certification with a musical theatre major? I got this idea from another thread I saw in which someone mentioned a college with this option. I'd go for that college, but it's a bit far away for me. I would appreciate it SO MUCH if I could get a response as quickly as possible, I'm a senior now and I really don't have much time to overthink this. If there isn't this option, I'm going for musical theatre because that's what I planned for...and I guess I'll go back to school or find some other way down the road to become a teacher.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!</p>
<p>I originally got into College Confidential because I had a daughter who was both very talented academic and in musical theatre. I was trying to find some way to accommodate most passions, but ultimately, it became apparent that they don’t blend. Pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre, or any performing art, will take every credit hour of coursework other than your core classes, and sometimes, doesn’t leave room for core classes. (CMU, which has perhaps the top MT program in the country, allows you one math course, one English course, a computer workshop, and all the rest is MT, all the time.) Then, outside of your classes, you’re rehearsing and working on shows.</p>
<p>On the other hand, becoming a teacher requires intensive student teaching experiences in which you’re not at the college campus but being supervised in a school setting. It doesn’t work with MT.</p>
<p>What you might do is to pursue a BA in Theatre, which is a liberal arts course of study - not a pre-professional, conservatory-style one. Your Theatre work would likely have to come to a stop once you begin student teaching. And of course, the program would be Theatre - not MT.</p>
<p>Something to keep in mind is that it’s not necessary to have a degree in MT in order to pursue it as a career. Many stars did not go the degree route and developed their skills in other venues. Of course, you cannot pursue teaching without doing it as a college degree.</p>