<p>I have a dilemma. I'm a senior in high school, planning to be a music education major in college. My dilemma is wether I should concentrate on voice or instrumental music. I've been playing instruments for much longer than I've been singing, and I do play many of them, but I'm a much better singer than I am instrumentalist (I discovered my singing talent late). I plan to become a music director at a high school, so that will definitely involve teaching band, but also might involve teaching chorus also. Would it be more beneficial to struggle in college by concentrating on instruments, but have that needed experience for band, or to do what I'm good at and concentrate on voice, but risk not having the needed experience to pursue my dream?
Comments?
Solutions?
Input?
Thanks.</p>
<p>Most music ed degrees require you to chose between vocal/choral and instrumental. You must audition on an instrument or in voice, and that will require a demonstration of some level of technical achievement on your instrument and/or talent in singing. Most middle and high school level music programs have separate choral and instrumental (band and string) instructors. Elementary music teachers must have some vocal and keyboard background. All will need to pass some degree of piano proficiency. Instrumental music ed majors will have to take "methods" courses in the categories of instruments outside their major, for instance if they play the trumpet, they will take a brass methods course, a string methods course, and a woodwinds methods course. The curriculum will require you to play all of the instruments well enough to teach a beginner. Some schools will require a higher level of proficiency in a music education audition than others, it depends on the general level of the music school. Good luck.</p>
<p>I would say audition on both, and see what your acceptances are. You can choose from there. You can always drop one if you start doing both, and you see what you really like. (I was a violin/viola double, but dropped viola eventually) I do know of people that have done concentrations in voice and an instrument, so it is possible. I also know people that started instrumental, then switched to vocal music halfway through. You may just have to take a few more classes. Good luck! :)</p>