<p>We'll be visiting a couple schools this coming week to check out the music and academic programs. D is interested in music ed, possibly. She wants to start out and see how she likes it with the alternative to major in another subject, possibly math or accounting.<br>
She's realizing that music ed and another major is pretty difficult to do. </p>
<p>Here are some questions I think we should ask. Let me know if there are other questions you would include. </p>
<p>What is the financial cost for non music majors to take lessons?</p>
<p>Can non music majors participate in ensemble groups? </p>
<p>How long are lessons for non music majors?</p>
<p>If she started with one teacher (say as a music ed major) and then changed majors would she have to change studios?</p>
<p>Is it possible to minor in another subject and major in music/ music ed?</p>
<p>I would also ask what year they first put you into the classroom. I know some programs get you in, say, a middle school setting almost immediately your Freshman year.</p>
<p>Expand on this to include if lessons for non-majors are taught by TA’s or grad students. This is school contingent. And realize that at some schools, the TA/GA pool can be exceptional and include incredible talent.</p>
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And at what level? Are some groups “off limits” even by audition?</p>
<p>How difficult is it to transfer OUT (or into) music ed? If into, what additional time requirements.</p>
<p>If it’s a school with a String Project, ask about participation for non majors.</p>
<p>Are the music ed classes open to non majors?
Does the music ed program finish with an internship?
What is the audition to be admitted to the music ed program?
How many credits (aside from the general education courses) must be completed to get a music ed degree?
What different tracks can you take when completing a music ed degree?</p>
<p>Suzukimom, I think once you mentioned exploring Case Western Reserve?</p>
<p>Here’s a thought - if not relevant to you - maybe to someone else!</p>
<p>In the past (4-5 years ago??), I’ve known Case music and music ed major violinists who have taken Suzuki pedagogy classes at CIM. The students can be certified for Book I in one semester and Books 2 - 4 by taking a 2nd semester of Suzuki pedagogy. (It’s common for CIM undergraduates to take these courses.) </p>
<p>If interested in the option, you might want to ask about the current availability of these courses to Case students.</p>
<p>Thanks for the input. Yes, we are visiting CWRU next week. My D’s violin teacher’s son, who is in a professional orchestra and a teacher, had a student attend CWRU in music ed and he said he couldn’t recommend their music ed. program. I’m not sure why, but we’re still going to check it out. It might still be a fit, especially if she decides to minor in music, not major in music ed.</p>
<p>How long does it take for a music ed student to get a degree? (At my D’s school, music ed students usually go an extra semester. More if they are double majoring.)</p>
<p>Also, be aware that you may have to ask more than one person to get your answers. At several schools, the music teachers were completely oblivious or gave us wrong info about cost and procedure. Even at Miami (where my D is), the teacher reassured us that double majors were quite common. Only after the fact did we learn that certain other majors require too many credits to be doubled, and other majors always have required courses in the same time slot as the music required courses. So doubling is much more difficult than we’d be led to believe.</p>
<p>How long does it take for a music ed student to get a degree?</p>
<p>A lot is going to depend on how you started the program, the school, the music ed and performance departments, how well they work with each other, school politics, etc. </p>
<p>My son started with a lot of credits from high school, AP’s and college courses taken through his HS, so he has been able to bypass many school required core curriculum freshman classes. While he might not be able to finish in 4 years because of a semester abroad of strictly performance related work, 4.5 is very doable. He’s also been told that he might also be able to spend some time in his last year taking several Masters classes while he finishes up his performance degree. He should be done with Music ed by the end of his Junior Year which the college will consider his Senior year (does that make sense ?)</p>
<p>The SUNY system will consider him a Junior at the end of this semester although technically he’s just a freshman now.</p>
<p>It’s really going to be up to many factors specific to the school and your daughter.</p>
<p>Got booted out before I finished. Anyway we sat down with the Music Ed department dean and son’s prospective performance prof and they entered his data into the school system to figure out what he would be required to take at the school and this is what they came up with. So be prepared to answer specific questions (we brought son’s HS transcript with us and his senior schedule). Talking to the right people helps a lot. I found most performance profs aren’t up on Music Ed requirements and vice versa. I imagine the same is true of Music Ed profs and other major depts.</p>
<p>I would also ask where most of the music students dorm so that you know when the time comes to decide. We know several students who basically chose a dorm pretty far from the music building because they didn’t think to ask in advance. You want to dorm close to the music building.</p>