Hi,
Ive been singing for 8 years and is currently attending an art school for songwriting? I’m not sure which to major in since I love both and have experience doing both. Although my resume is more involved in singing, I have been attending numerous of classes on songwriting and will graduate with an art diploma in it. I want to do vocal because there seem to be more options for schools and the career path as an opera singer is less unstable as entering the pop industry. I’ve also been singing forever and it seems natural for me to pursue it. On the other hand, songwriting is quite new to me but it makes sense for me to major in it because I went to an art High school to study it. I also find that a lot of undergrad songwriting programs are also more commercial based and geared towards “making hits”, which is not what I’m interested in. The pop music industry at the current state is also extremely saturated and unlikely to be successful. This is just my opinion, which obviously leans more towards a vocal degree but please weigh in. All opinion are helpful. Which degree is a better investment and durable for longterm career?
Thank you
How much does it really matter?
Getting a vocal performance BFA from a serious classical/opera program would be a huge shift, requiring you to start more-or-less from scratch. Does “I have been singing forever” mean that you have rigorous 1:1 classical training? Or does it just mean that you have a lot of experience as a singer-songwriter, ensemble programs at school, etc.? Can you realistically get into a conservatory-level vocal performance program, and is that a personal and financial commitment that you’re prepared to make?
I don’t think anyone ever chose either of these paths for the job security. Do what your gifts and passions and resources steer you to.
Think again if you think a career in opera is stable or somehow economically profitable. How many opera singers can you name? Compare that with the hundreds of singers entering college to study classical voice every year and consider as an opera singer ( if one makes it that far) your career won’t hit its stride until you are at least 30. It is not a career to enter without deep passion and commitment. I say this only knowing very little of the whole process, just insights from four years of undergrad. My D is a graduating senior and planning to continue for her MM (which one has to do if you want a career in opera). Even if she is accepted to a MM program, the odds are against her ever having a sustainable career as a solo artist. Why does she continue? Because she loves it beyond words. It is not a path for profit but one of love of the art.
Ditto to the above. It’s a mistake to choose one option over the other bc one seems more stable and easy…bc NONE are stable and easy. You see this more often in music Ed. A student picks music Ed bc it seems stable and more socially acceptable…even though they don’t want to be a teacher. Oops.
One way to handle dueling interests in music is to apply for both and then let the money and acceptances show you the path. My D had a similar split in interests and went with enthusiasm and money to help decide. It’s a career where you want to try to get out debt free. So my D figured she’d take the best offer…and make it work for her after she got the music degree. There is a certain scrappiness needed to be in the arts (teaching, performing, survival jobs…constantly auditioning). You also need to be a bit of a risk taker. If not, maybe a business degree with a set salary you can look up would be better, right?
So if you love music and are entrepreneurial it can work (note there are no 9-5 M -F jobs with benefits). If you are looking for stability you can still get a music degree, then a regular job (with a bachelors and young you will get hired) and gig or write in your spare time. People warn against this…they’ll warn against anything, right…but my D has some friends doing this that wouldn’t want it any other way.
So go ahead and apply to both and maybe an academic safety…and continue to explore opportunities in music and other academic areas if you have other interests. There are many ways to do music.
Final comment: I think there is typically more money (Scholarships) in classical music as opposed to contemporary.
@bridgenail My son is a freshman in jazz performance. I posted more last school year during audition/acceptance season. Your last two paragraphs are so wise and sound so spot on. I always appreciate reading your insights!
We don’t know your background in vocal. If you are qualified to audition for vocal, you could still write songs during your undergrad years. Flip that: if you did songwriting, I assume you would still be singing. What kind of singing have you done? That seems key…Do you currently have a voice teacher?
If you want stability, as @bridgenail says in the wise post above, you can get a BM or BA and work in many fields, in addition or instead of music, and would be eligible to go to grad or professional schools. Music grads can go into medicine, law, business, nursing, etc. if they do the prerequisites before or after graduating.
It is fine to apply to both and decide in late April. Things can change over the next few months, even though it seems like a short time. And once confronted by choices, you will feel clearer perhaps.
Finally, consider going to a liberal arts college or university that can support both your interests, as a major, minor, double major or even studying something else and continuing lessons, performance and songwriting. (Check out Bennington, one of my personal favorites.)
Are you happy at your high school, focusing on songwriting? Are you singing there?
Have you shown an interest and have experience in any classical singing?
Good luck whatever you do. Music can be a hard path but it is worth it for those who truly love it.