<p>I don’t think music is a career of last resort. Any student with a passionate interest should pursue that interest. They will find their future opportunities and career path. If they give up their interests because they are concerned about potential jobs, they could end up unhappy and still need to find their career path. Going into an engineering program is not a sure thing - even for a student who cannot imagine doing anything else with their life.</p>
<p>Hi FantomBassoon - here are my two cents. You will be able to play your bassoon as much or as little as you want for the rest of your life, whether you have a music degree or not. I faced the same choice you’re facing now about 25 years ago. My degree is in math, but I played bassoon and took lessons while in school. Believe me, if you end up living in a medium or large city, you will be able to play bassoon and get a lot of enjoyment out of it for the rest of your life. I play on a professional level now as a woodwind doubler, and while most people I play with have music degrees, not all of them do. I have plenty of colleagues who play at the top of their profession, and honestly, I don’t think they enjoy the MUSIC any more than the people I know who play a couple of levels down. I know plenty of talented musicians with music degrees who have a day job they don’t love and gig at night. </p>
<p>If you can’t swing the double degree, keep playing, take lessons, find places to actually gig off campus, and get your degree in engineering!</p>
<p>No one in this thread has stated that music is a career of last resort. No one in this thread is discouraging the poster from pursuing music to his heart’s content! I say have your cake and eat it too - do both! I still maintain if his primary interest as he states is engineering and he can do it for free, then that is the path he should take and pursue his music in whatever way he feels driven.</p>
<p>Wow, this discussion is on the verge of getting ugly…
Anyways, I’ve decided to attend Caltech. I really like the atmosphere and I worried that I would regret not experiencing the house system and the incredible research opportunities. While obviously not getting a music degree is a turnoff, in the end, I had to face that only programs within four years were a options, given my current financial and parental situation. I would like to continue to take lessons and plan to find a teacher over the summer (any recommendations about how to approach this would be helpful…?). I will also definitely continue to play and pursue music, probably on a less developed level. My goal is that by the end of four years, I will not have lost any ground on where I am now. Obviously I won’t have a ton of practice time, but I think I will make time as well. Music is so much of me, but I don’t think I have that all-consuming passion that I see in some people. I really do love math and science and I think that I really will enjoy my time at Caltech. I would rather start and finish an engineering degree at a top notch engineering school, then start both degrees at a more liberal arts-focused school and not finish one.</p>
<p>Congrats Fantom-----take it from someone who lives 7 miles from Caltech. You are going to find PLENTY of opportunities to pursue your music. Los Angeles and Pasadena have a strong, accomplished and vibrant classical music scene. You are going to love it.</p>
<p>FantomBassoon, good luck to you. In case you weren’t aware, here’s a link to CalTech music [Caltech</a> Music, Theater, Art I home](<a href=“http://www.music-theater-art.caltech.edu/index1.html]Caltech”>http://www.music-theater-art.caltech.edu/index1.html).</p>
<p>As musicamusica suggested, you may want to begin to research private instruction from local/area performing professionals. Contacting the music department might result in a list of instructors they have recommended. You may also want to begin to look into playing opportunities locally, such as community orchestras and playing opportunities at surrounding schools beyond the CalTech/Occidental collaboration.</p>
<p>One student posted that rapes are frequent and the offenders only have to write apology letters to their victims or leave parties before their victims.</p>
<p>My son has many talents and had the opportunity to choose between top level music and top-level academics. Many, many musicians are also top students academically and have juggled balls all their childhoods. They will succeed academically whatever they do. When they choose music, it is NEVER, I mean NEVER for money! Most of them know they will not get rich and many of them also know that they could get rich doing almost anything else. If money is what someone is after, that’s fine, but they shouldn’t choose music. Music is an avocation - if you have to do it, you have to do it, for richer or for poorer…etc…</p>
<p>Fantom: I also congratulate you and agree with ABlestMom… If you can have it all, why not?
It is perfectly ok and a blessing to be good at music AND engineering. Sorry if things appeared ugly. I think I can safely state that the way the arts get treated in this country is very frustrating for everyone posting on this message board.</p>
<p>But anyway, welcome to California! Hope this gets you started:</p>
<p>[American</a> Youth Symphony](<a href=“http://www.aysymphony.org/]American”>http://www.aysymphony.org/) American Youth Symphony auditions late summer.
[YMF</a> :: Debut! Orchestra](<a href=“http://www.ymf.org/programs/debut.php]YMF”>http://www.ymf.org/programs/debut.php) Young Musicians Foundation, Debut Orchestra. Auditions in October.</p>
<p>Both of these are high-level youth symphonies intended for college students. If this does not work out for you, I understand the Caltech Orchestra is very good.</p>
<p>I don’t know Bassoonists very well but you could start with the Colburn school
[****</a> The Colburn School ](<a href="http://www.colburnschool.edu/]">http://www.colburnschool.edu/)</p>
<p>or John Steinmetz at UCLA. Perhaps your current teacher has heard of teachers in the LA area. Other resources would be the Thornton School of Music at USC, the LA Phil or the Pasadena Conservatory of Music, this last option likely being the most economical, and very close to Caltech.
[Pasadena</a> Conservatory of Music](<a href=“http://www.pasadenaconservatory.org/home.php]Pasadena”>http://www.pasadenaconservatory.org/home.php)</p>
<p>best of luck!</p>