Don't Major in Music Performance from a Music Performance Major
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 พ.ค. 2019
- Playing music is fantastic and such a joy, but you should think seriously before you decide to take this joyous hobby and turn it into your career.
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Are you considering majoring in music? What are your top concerns about it, or choosing a major in general?
I want to major in music because music is something that I love and value so much, but I lean more to the vocal side of it because I am a choir student and don’t know how to play any instruments what so ever or know anything really about how to read music. Do you think I will have problems with majoring in music if singing is all I know how to do?
Lesly Lara, I was in the same shoes as you and most colleges will most likely require you to take piano classes.
@@ivanforeva119 not most likely. Nearly every collegiate program will require vocal majors (especially education and performance) to be able to play chorales if not be proficient in piano at a fourth semester level.
@@SeaofTrees56 No you’ll be just fine
Sorry I didn’t see this until now! You can major in voice, so it should be no problem! Like others have said you will need to learn some piano and if you major in education you will need to learn some of all the instruments, but you will take classes and learn all of that in your degree.
Deciding to study music in college is brave. Half the world congratulating u for having a talent that u wanna pursue. The other half telling u urging wasting ur time and money. That’s the problem with college. It’s not seen as a place of learning, it’s literally just an investment in a piece of paper.
This.
Yep, unless you do stem fields or medicine
but the thing is that paper gives u a better chance of getting a good job, u can get a good job without one, but you can explore ur options with it, and pick a job you genuinely love. As long as im happy and as long as me and my bf’s jobs can support our future kids and pay what needs to be payed, i really couldnt care about the negative opinions about it, all the hard work and money may make u wanna quit, but in the end if ur able to make it through college, it will be worth it
It is an investment, and all investments demand a return. Will having a music degree get you that return on your tuition investment? Everyone should exercise their own due diligence to determine chances of success. But you have to know going in that the vast majority of your peers and the millions that came before you had to live at or below the poverty line until they "made it." And sadly, most never did.
A teacher told me about a clarinetist who kept playing at age 88 because he felt he was finally figuring the instrument out. That's kind of inspiring.
I feel like most people who want to be musicians want to be musicians. Even if it gets hard or challenging. That’s their life purpose and that’s what they need to pursue, idk y everybody tries to scare kids out of it. If it’s the career path they choose, then it’s that simple. No matter what u decided to do, life will never be easy
That’s exactly what I mean by do it if you must! Don’t go into music just because it is fun or to prove yourself to anybody. Go into music performance if you love being a musician: practicing, working with others, dealing with criticism, and all.
Wonderful comment...👍 So positive
Fair enough. But…
“Being a musician” doesn’t not necessarily equal “majoring in music performance”
I don’t care who you are. If you are about to put in a ton of work and put yourself in a ridiculous amount of debt for something, you better make damn sure that that thing is actually what you want and need.
Even if you decide college is right for you for your ambitions, not all “musicians” really want to go down the “performance” route. I’ve heard from many that went that route that they regretted it and wished they had focused on composition or some OTHER aspect of musicianship.
This actually happens a lot because of the way most music education develops. Almost all initial interest in music starts with learning an instrument and learning how to play other people’s music. It naturally and automatically leads down the performance route, and too often musicians discover that’s not really what they loved about music and why they wanted to be “musicians”.
I think it’s a GOOD thing to question aspiring youth about their goals to help them really understand if their goals and plans actually align. They often DON’T. It’s mentorship, and it’s important.
Degree in Jazz Performance here. Addressing subjectivity: I switched to playing double bass in college. I remember I would get so frustrated. I was playing in thumb position and memorizing songs in 12 keys, and spending 4 plus hours in a practice room daily. I could actually do bowing solos over chord changes. There was a guy who had been playing double bass since he was a teenager. By my third year I was subbing for people in the local orchestra. By his third year he was still working on Simandl (beginning bass books- this is made for middle schoolers). He was picked over me every single audition. There was a consensus among the jazz faculty I still didn't understand my instrument yet despite serious objections from my double bass teacher. There can be an unhealthy focus on students and when you mentioned the emotional roller coaster and the "he does xyz that you don't" is real. Those same people will also say you have a bad attitude when you object, but will also get extremely hurt if you return the favor. I've noticed that performance majors rarely hear positive criticism and I think it has a bad impact on them because often they are never told they are doing things right. I taught music for years and strongly understood making a student feel bad got me nowhere with that student.
Also, there are students who like to create social hierarchies solely based on how they perceive your playing. Its weird. I'm a very successful lawyer and logical thinking always came extremely natural to me. In some ways its likely why music came natural - because its all math patterns and when doing things like transposing it made math sense. However, musicians in my experience tend to be emotionally driven in their way of thinking. That is a bad mix for those who think less emotionally.Lots of hard depression going on amongst the student body as well.
Gigging. Ugh. Gigs can be up or down but its not uncommon to be ripped off by the person getting you a gig. Also, musicians test each other in weird ways and its inappropriate. "Let's play Xyz jazz song, and we just met and never played together until now. Song ends on tonic but I'll randomly land on the IV chord with no warning. Oh you caught that? But you caught it on beat 2 and not on beat 1. We have a problem now . Allow me to yell at you." I used to be the house bass player at my city's local jam session. I was playing with a very established jazz group. I would still see this kind of thing. At one point you need to ask if your self respect is worth $30 to $80. Most gigs are not going to be more than that (at least not in my part of the country. Cost of living is low here).
Finally, let's talk about the money. I gigged 5 nights a week on average and still struggled financially. My first day in jazz class the directors made it a point they wanted you to have the ability to eat when you graduate. Think about that mindset for a minute. When everyone is starving, money goes missing.
Now that I make very good money, I gig occasionally, but I have no obligations because I play for free. It changes a lot of attitudes towards you because nothing is held over your head.
Don't major in music performance unless you have a backup plan. Having a backup plan takes the edge off because you aren't competing as hard, even if you are still practicing like a mad man. That way, You don't need it, you just really want it. There's a difference. Also, know that some music schools can be VERY NEGATIVE. I've heard from other classmates that not all schools are like that (they moved on to graduate school and attended other music colleges). Always ask yourself if you feel happy in your environment or are you so in the thick of things that you are just used to it.
Lots of really good points here! I do think some of these things have improved in recent years depending on where you are at, but a career in performance is still way harder than it should be.
I was very close to being a music Major in college but didn't based on many of the points you described in this video. I really resonate with your message of "never being done" with music. It's so true.
Everyone has to forge their own path and just because you make one choice at 17 doesn't mean it's permanent. It's wasn't a "must" for me so I decided to go nursing school instead. Now I'm 34 and I never stopped playing. I guess having music in my life is a "must" but getting paid for it wasn't as important to me. Just my 2 cents 👍
Absolutely! It is nice to be able to do something just because you like it without having to worry about making money from it.
Hi! I'm 17 and I'm in this part of my life where all these things that you put out in the video are really close to me, I feel a spiritual connection to my instrument (the piano) and all I do in my day is either play piano or study music (when i'm not in school/resting) or composing music of my own. I always have these moments that you talk about in the video, I have the physical need to put out my feelings and emotions through music but sometimes it's so hard to deal with the uncertainty of what the future will be for me. Like "Will I be able to live on my own and afford my own house?", "will I really play as good as I wish I would?". I can relate to all of this so deeply but I just can't help but keep going because it is something that I need so much in my life. Thank you for this video it helped me a ton to hear how someone who just majored actually thinks about it. Greetings from Italy!
I'm glad it was helpful! It sounds like you are someone who falls into the must do it category. There are lots of ways to make money so don't let that stop you! And even if you have to make money doing things outside of music at times, music can still be your primary purpose in life, but don't forget there are lots of other things to enjoy in life as well.
I think this video may be helpful too: th-cam.com/video/TTUjx1XdikA/w-d-xo.html
I didn't major in music, but considered it when I was in high school. Your perspective is very valuable for those starting out and figuring out which direction they want to go.
I majored in art, not music, but I still played in the University bands, and most of my friends were/are musicians. I think a lot of people major in music or art for the wrong reason: they like it, and they think a career in the arts will be more "fun" than a "boring" 9-5 job. I've known music majors that went on to great careers in music, and others who either switched degrees, or ended up never working in music even with a degree. I think that the "why" someone picks their major is what makes the difference.
If you know that you are a musician, and majoring in music is a clear step on the path you are already traveling, you will probably do fine. If, however, you think that a degree will transform you into something you aren't already, there's a good chance you'll struggle. As you pointed out, Josh, self-doubt is a constant in any artist's life. Music is not a major for someone without perseverance and the ability to compromise on everything except their art.
This is a great way to put it!!!
"If you know that you are a musician, and majoring in music is a clear step on the path you are already traveling, you will probably do fine." No...bad advice. I did a lot of things in classical music when I was a teen that many adults could only dream of yet I've been shut out of virtually everything for decades due to professional jealousy. If you are mediocre and sure to pat people in your network on the back often, especially on social media (AKA a bunch of BS), then "you will probably do fine." And don't forget to be an absolute bastard/bitch to any musicians who are outside of the loop because they are at the bottom of the barrel down there with smegma...extreme hate deserved!
@@ayakosaito7323 Hmm. I don't know your exact situation, so I can't say if it's completely unique or if others will run into the same thing. I do know a LOT of professional musicians who make/made their livings entirely from music. Most have degrees. My husband is one. Though I have hardly met every musician everywhere, not one of the musicians I've known has had their careers blocked by "professional jealousy." I have zero experience with such a phenomenon, so I can't offer any concrete advice to you, but it does sound like you have difficulty socializing with fellow musicians. This can definitely be a problem in a profession that requires you to interact and perform with others.
It’s also super important to self evaluate and decide whether you want to engage with music as a hobby or as a career. The amount of dedication and time involved in being a music major didn’t sound like fun to me, which is when I realized that music was just a fun hobby I wanted to do sometimes, not a career.
i think im the opposite. I sleep, eat, and breathe music and i honestly love practicing, and playing music. I play the viola and i absolutely love it. I honestly knew the minute i hit highschool (last year, currently been playing for 5 years) that i wanted this to be my career. Sorry for rambling
A few things jumped into my mind hearing you go through this.
Life is a process; make up your mind to be process oriented.
Someone said that if you can make a living doing what you love, you'll never spend a day in the office.
Many careers, especially professional careers, require ongoing education, so if yours involves doing what you want to be doing you're coming out ahead.
By all means use others' performances to challenge yourself, but if you're struggling to be better than them and that distresses you, decide that you just have to be better than yourself. It's a journey.
I love that idea of being process oriented!
Even as a music composer, I struggled with a fair amount of points you made in this video! Comparison of compositions can be very intense, and all the pieces can be wonderful, but it is all extremely subjective! The emotional impact is so chaotic as well! Plus, the composing never stops. You can always keep composing (and practicing if the university that you go to requires music ensemble participation.)
However, I still love that I get to create music. It takes a lot of emotional work, but it is worth if if any person is able to do it.
Yes, absolutely! Keeping up that love of it is the most important, and is totally what I am getting at when I talk about that do it if you must feeling.
Thank you. I need periodic reminders for why I chose not to major in music. I can't tolerate the reasons you listed.
I think there is another perspective one can take with high level skills of any type. Pushing to a high level in any skilled craft does not happen in neatly punctuated steps. But progress will be made over years, and one day you will find that even bad days, you still perform at a high level.
I play guitar and always wanted to major in music but I do realize its not necessary. Your comments on practicing is true. The infinite ceiling does exist!
I started community college this year and I decided to go into business major. The semester is getting close to an end and I have found that I absolutely hate being in business. It's boring, and I don't even need a business degree to be successful. I've always enjoyed doing choral music, and I've always wanted to be in a huge choir. I know it doesn't pay a lot, but I've also been considering becoming a choir/band director as a career. The main reason I chose business was because I knew it'd make a lot more money than pursuing music, but I just don't get the same amount of joy as I do when I work with a group of people to create sound.
I'll be continuing in my community college so if I do end up changing my mind about my major, or even college in general, it won't take a huge tole on us. If I end up finding this is truly what I want I'll go further ☺️
It is always tricky to balance money and joy unfortunately. Though it isn’t easy it is definitely possible to support yourself in music!
Unless you plan to complete an MM and a DMA to teach in University, the best route is to pursue a bachelor of music education degree for an undergraduate degree. With a BME, you can teach in a public or private school, work as a director of music for a church, and have a private studio. If you want to continue your education, then do your MM and DMA. That was my route because I knew job opportunities would be scarce with only holding a Bachelor of Performance degree. When I went that route, I made sure to take the same amount of piano lessons as a performance major so I would be performing at the level for a master’s audition. Something to consider.
I’m having kind of the same idea. I’m a bass player, i just got accepted to Berklee, i was planing on going for a performance major but I started to think about all the job oportunities so i wanted to get another major (don’t know what yet) but still get bass lesson as if i was in performance.
My daughter just got accepted to a conservatory for college. She applied as music Ed, but really wants to be a music performance. She will have to figure that out soon
Translation: The conservatory is "allowing" you to hand them over a huge some of money. Congrats! Lucky parent.
Thanks for this video! I graduated college about two years ago now, and everything you're saying has become relevant to me. I never thought, when majoring in music, that I'd have practical issues like making money and finding a job and whatnot. I was very naive. But I cannot live without music, and I can't see myself doing anything other than practicing, performing, recording, and writing music!
Don't worry. Once you starve several times you will be like "FUK MUSIC!" LOL
It’s really important to remember that you can still do music and make money from other things!
@@QuickStartClarinet Oh yes, you're very right! I've been learning this through experience, as well.
This video is very insightful! I’m a senior in high school and have been going back and forth between what I want to do in college. The reasons you listed for not majoring in music performance really resonate with me; I am someone who really fixates on the lows and compares and doubts myself a lot, so that would be extremely tough to handle in school. I’ve been thinking a lot about music ed since it still involves a great deal of music but it is not as pressuring and with less judgement. I also love kids and teaching sounds right up my alley. Who knows what I’ll end up doing tho ah!
I’m glad it helped! The other piece of advice I would give is that nothing has to be permanent. I have two degrees in performance but am doing a ton of teaching now. You can also look at someone like Mars Gelfo who didn’t major in music but is now doing some very serious performing. You never know where life will take you! There are so many possibilities and you will probably end up doing many more and varied things then you can imagine. Just follow your passion and you will find what will allow you to contribute the most to the world and your life. Good luck!
@@QuickStartClarinet Thank you so much!!
@@ellapeirce5103 it's been 2 years any updates on yourself?
@@pneumonoultramicroscopicsi9645 wow thanks for asking!! This is so funny because I do not remember commenting this haha. I’m actually a sophomore in college now double majoring in music performance and education!! So far I am actually loving the performance side more. I think the points in the video are still valid but I have a very supportive community at the conservatory I’m at and I’ve really loved focusing on my instrument. I’m still glad I’m doing ed however since it will be extremely useful to have teaching knowledge and it’s a secure career choice at this time.
I just found this video today and I wish I found it 4 years ago! I've been in college for 5 years (with one more semester left) for Music Performance (on clarinet too, if you couldn't tell by my geeky username, LOL), I have my Bachelor's and I'm almost done with my Master's. I still love music, but IDK if I love Music Performance. Performing for myself is fun, but meeting deadlines for concerts or recitals I'd prefer not to do is more stressful than fun because I'm one of the musicians that struggles to practice and I have performance anxiety on top of that (don't ask me how I got this far, I have no clue, LMFAO). As a mentally/emotionally troubled person (on top of the fact that COVID took away part of my college experience and one of my close college friends got murdered), I've been trying to do a lot of soul-searching and figure out what I truly want but I'm still unsure. I'm finishing the Master's degree with the hope that it'll still give me a degree of worth in getting me some job, either music performance, private music lessons, or something completely different. I was always so annoyed by the amount of people and things that discouraged me from pursuing this path, but now that I've overcome the "don't do it unless" advice, I'm now wondering if I've wasted my time, I can only hope it leads to something that makes me happy. Thanks for making this video, I truly feel seen/heard in my experiences as a fellow music performance major, and this explained it way better than even my professors tried to.
I’m glad that you found it helpful! So sorry to hear about your friend and the hard times. Even if you never do anything music related for your career, you will still have learned many valuable things through your music education. There are tons of skills that transfer, and having to face that bit of identity crisis may actually be a valuable skill that you will be glad you have later in life too. Best wishes in whatever you do, and keep searching for the things that are most fulfilling to you!
@@QuickStartClarinet Thank you, I appreciate your response and your wisdom. You're right that some use will come from my experiences somewhere, I'll try to apply it where I can. Best wishes to you too, and happy clarineting! 😌🎶
the whole thing about music being subjective doesn't bother me at all as a music performance major rather it actually gives me in my opinion more of a reason to major in performance. The whole idea of music is to make different people feel different things. I view it as if there is always something to improve on then I guess professional principal clarinetists of large orchestras also have something to improve on.
I have considered music education but honestly it wouldn't work with my time schedule as there is no way I'm waking up at 5:00am each morning and getting 3 hours of sleep only to sit in a building for 7 hours straight it just ain't me. However I do love teaching kids so private lessons is definitely available for me.
Also the whole mental battle thing that musicians should be going through in college I'm already experiencing in high school rn and it is definitely rough. It's kind of like what you said about the yo-yo aspect of being better than others or being worse or thinking you're the greatest player one day than thinking you're the worst the other day. However, if what you said is true that there is always something to improve on no matter who you are, that would also mean that the person that I believe is better than me still has a lot to improve on like I do in result no one's better than no one it's all a decision on which person do I like better rather which person is better.
(P.S. you saying that there are actually a lot of opportunities to make money as a performance major actually pushes away a lot of stress lol that was the one thing I was scared of)
This is not a hate comment just a response. I love your content man and thank you for sharing this video!
I like this train of thought! If it is all subjective then there is no reason to compare yourself to anybody. I think the healthiest way to look at music performance is that you will have good days and bad days people who love your playing and people who don’t, but no matter what it is a constant journey that is much more satisfying if you focus on the process of practicing and improving rather than getting too hung up on one performance good or bad.
Your observations about good days-bad days, how you compare to others, how your performance is perceived, etc., equally apply to weekend warriors like myself who play in local swing bands and smaller ensembles like traditional jazz and Dixieland groups. Dealing with self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy, especially if filling a first or lead instrument chair when more is expected of you by the ensemble leader and the other musicians, can determine how long you are able to continue facing the next rehearsal/gig without throwing in the towel. Also, no truer words were ever said about musicians, IMHO, "There is always someone better than you."
That’s all true, but sometimes overcoming those challenging situations is when you make the most growth! Just remember to compare your performance to yourself not the lead player you are filling in for.
Thank you so much for this video! I have a degree in general music, so I was doing both performance, composition and essay writing too. I was about to embark onto an Ma in Musicology but cancelled straight away because of not knowing what I would do afterwards. I believe that if I had seen this video before starting uni, I would have probably not got a degree in music and would have chosen something else. You are completely right in saying that there is an emotional yo-yo-ing going on as well as the self-doubt and the subjectivity of things. I feel that it is precisely this reason that led me to stop doing my Ma. This doesn't mean that I will not have music in my life, as it is wonderful, but I have to decided to get into Computer Science instead. I don't regret doing music but it has been a rather expensive hobby and maybe I would have had a job by now with a stem degree (music education is not for me)! Thanks again for your insight and I hope other people can benefit from knowing about you experiences, as it has definitely helped me!😊
I’m glad it was helpful! There is a ton of value from studying music that can be applied to many different careers, but with the high price of college you definitely have to do some cost vs. benefits analysis to see if it is worth it.
Wonderful honest opinion of music performance. You have to be brave and confident and move forward always even though the criticism seems very personal. Do what makes you happy and keep moving. There will be good things coming to you.
Absolutely!
Oye, thankuu for making this video, cause I see now,
that, 1) A clarinet is an instrument, where there
are more likely to be ups and downs. The players
of clarinets either accept that, or leave clarinets alone,
2). Majoring in music is a little more subjective than
being a poet, or greyscale artist, cause music skills
include more than kinda more usual types of art.
I am a Freelance Mixed Media Artist, who used to play a
viola. I didn't major in music, for different reasons, but I see
a little more now, I made the right choice. Thanks, chao.
I am currently halfway through my vocal performance degree, and I still don't know 100% what I want to do with it. I know I want to pursue music and art as a career, but I'm not sure where I should be putting my energy.
There really are so many options, but it can be really difficult to get clear on what will be the most satisfying for you. If you are looking for advice, I would highly recommend that you start trying things that you may be interested in while you are still in school. The best way to figure out what you do and don’t want to do is to try it!
i’ve always known i wanted to be a musician. my mom called me a disappointment when i told her i’m going to college to study music performance. At the end of the day, i don’t care if I’m homeless. As long as I was able to gain the knowledge and learn how to control my vocals. it’s a risk, but if you really want it then you will eventually get it.
My daughter is a music performance major at a top music school. She has been getting recording jobs starting in her freshman year that making money and has been playing gigs. I think she will do just fine and will get a job in an orchestra. She has learned so much studying under a top professor.
That's excellent! There is definitely plenty of money to be made as a musician. I hope she continues to enjoy her studies and career!
The chances of this being true are like 0.0001%
I plan on majoring in a degree called “music industry” next year. But I do also want to participate in the school’s marching band and concert ensembles
That sounds interesting!
@@QuickStartClarinet yea i hope its not a waste of time 😅
Ya, a lot of times college can feel like a lot of time and money for just the piece of paper that may or may not be necessary depending on your career. But I think the most valuable part of college that is often overlooked is the networking. Your professors and sometimes even more so your colleagues/classmates can be a great source of all kinds of opportunities if you are willing to put yourself out there and help where you can.
Aside from the money and the subjectivity, college is the best chance to learn about non-music subjects, history, economics, science and the rest. It may be the last chance to be diverse and well educated, not narrowly focused. I think that's important.
Paul Chaitkin I agree! Often in every major, we become too narrowly focused. There needs to be a better integration of the sciences and humanities into each other in curriculum so we get a holistic view.
I agree that college is super important. It also teaches critical thinking, time management, and other essential life skills!
@@hannahmoody-goo8739 oh yeah philosophy, it took me five years to get my masters and nobody took me seriously
I’m planning on working about 20 hours a week at my current retail job, as well as teaching private trombone lessons and playing in The Sound of Music at my local summer theater, which pays a $1000 stipend. Do you think I should get a Bachelor’s in performance to increase my skills and to also have as a credential to more easily gain clients?
That’s hard to say for sure. If you are happy where you are at now then stick with that. If you are having trouble getting students or want to be able to charge higher prices or teach more advanced students then a degree could be helpful. Another thing that could be good for getting the experience that you want but isn’t so expensive could be going to some summer festivals.
I stumbled across your site today...quite insightful. You made this video almost three years ago. Are you performing professionally now? If so, where?
Somewhat. I am mostly teaching private lessons and selling online programs for my income. I do also play with the Doclé Reed Quintet and Nebula Ensemble, but that is a very small portion of my income.
My mindset about this recently is that I wil regret not pursuing music one way or another, and I want to be as good of a player as I can be (even though yeah, the process never ends) and have something to show for it. I guess it's more for personal fulfillment which I know makes it not be a complete waste, but it still feels like I'm "wasting time" because my degree won't guarantee me any job as soon as I finish university, and when people ask for my major it feels like I'm doing something wrong when I say it. But oh well, we'll see. At least I won't have that regret of not knowing how far I could have gotten if only I had pursued music.
That’s great! You can definitely find a way to make money once you are done, and if you feel like it is something you might regret if you didn’t do it, then you should do it!
This is a very helpful video, I'm about to start university and I feel my only true passion I have ever had and wanted to truly put effort to work towards is piano. I love to perform and feel best when people compliment my performances. For me personally, I feel the emotional aspect of being a piano performance major is worth the sacrifice. To help my family feel comfortable and for my own financial stability in the future, I want to study languages as well to become a translator. I hope my dreams can work out somehow to allow me to continue performing and to live comfortable in the future. Hopefully I can find work I like with the piano as well but if not, I can be happy with how I improved my piano in university.
Good luck! If you are interested in it at all, you should also explore teaching lessons. It is really easy to build a strong piano studio if you like working with kids and especially if you can speak multiple languages!
@@QuickStartClarinet I can't say I am the best with kids sadly , I have considered maybe becoming a professor though! I would still consider teaching in the future none the less, thank you for the luck :D
I think learning languages is a skill that will be useful as a performer, too. If you have opportunities to travel to work.
how did you like, go about finding colleges or universities for music? Did you have your teacher give you recommendations?
I'm at a music conservatory (going into 11th grade rn) but I'm confused on what steps i have to actually take to become a classical musician
Your teacher is a great place to start! Personally, I auditioned for the best schools in my state for undergrad, and then worked a lot with my undergrad teacher to choose the best schools in the country that would be a good fit for me for grad school.
@@QuickStartClarinet Ah Thank you! Do you know anything about applying for schools outside your country?
Unfortunately, I don’t have any first hand experience, but I imagine like most schools it is best to look at the individual requirements for each school you are looking at.
@@QuickStartClarinet Okay, thanks for the advice 💪💪
My teacher said the same thing to me about majoring in performance during undergrad. After spending a lot of time reflecting I decided to pick music education instead
So insightful....im @ the point of music business or music education
That means nothingness nowadays as well
My whole reasoning behind going to study music in college is so that I can work with professors and get private lessons to improve my playing. Does music education offer that option?
It depends on the school but usually yes. Education majors at most schools take weekly lessons with the professor for their instrument.
You can usually also take lessons with a professor if you are minoring in music performance or education, but you definitely should check with the specific schools you are looking at because it does vary from place to place.
@@QuickStartClarinet Yeah at my university you didn't have to be a music major in order to take private lessons on an instrument. Of course, music majors were prioritized first, but if there's still extra spots to enroll they'll take music minors next, and then after that possibly those who just want to take some extra electives in music.
Same major, same instrument 😎☠️
hi! this video is so interesting and id like to ask you something-- this might get long, so please read it, its important to me:
im going into college this fall for vocal music education, and i have taken voice lessons, choir, and piano lessons for basically my entire life. music was, is, and probably will be my entire life, and i love it, for the most part. but recently ive been watching a bunch of practice videos and music major videos trying to get a feel for what college will be like in a few months. and quite frankly, i am absolutely terrified. even with all those lessons and years of choir and piano, i BARELY practice. and i mean barely. i don't practice at all for voice, and barely even 15 minutes for piano once a week. i know that i do have enough talent in my voice to get into college (because i did), and I know that i love music more than anything, but the motivation to practice is just not there. its never been there, and i fear that even in college, with tons of talented, AND MOTIVATED, musicians, i will still fall behind and fail because i never internalized that need to practice. my mentality is either "i dont need to practice cuz im TOO good and can just rely on my talent" (which has worked for voice ), or "i dont need to practice because ill never be good enough anyway so why even try" (which was for piano). this has made me barely practice at all!!!! and my biggest fear as i go into college is that i wont be fit to be a music major. im worried that i wont be able to handle practicing because i give up so quickly when i start. i fear that i wont be able to keep up with others because of my lack of motivation, and that i wont be able to mentally handle the tough schedule, the expectations, the pressure, the juries, the recitals, and of course all the practicing they expect out of you. i can envision myself as a choir director, which has been my dream ever since i joined choir when i was little), but now the fear of not being good enough and not being able to handle it is making me doubt if i should even try at all. If i can barely handle 15 minutes of practicing without giving up, how can i handle the 2-4 hours of practice they'll expect in college? its freaking me out honestly... hearing all these people try to one up eachother on how much they practice in a day, and im sitting here doubting if im even cut out to be a music major because i simply just dont practice. in a way im similar to you, because i did practice for my piano recitals and voice auditions to get into college, but that was only by force, and i didnt enjoy it at all. and now that i have the free time to NOT practice, i dont. and i dont want to. and thats my problem!! i want to get better, but I dont want to work for it. the motivation is just not there, and i dont know how to get that motivation before i go into college in a few months. its honestly making me super anxious and ik this is a lot to read LOL but this has been my thought process for a few months and i was wondering: should i be a music major when i barely practice? how do i get motivated to practice? how are YOU motivated to practice? why do you love music? am i fit for this type of.. life?
thanks so much for reading this (if you see it of course) it really means a lot. love your channel!! you just gained a subscriber :)
--meredith
There is definitely a lot to address there! Thanks for the comment, and I will reply with more detailed thoughts in a bit. First, I want you to know that you don’t have to practice 4 hours a day to be a musician. I suspect you practice more than you think even though it may be subconscious practice, and it is completely possible to learn how to be great at practicing even if you hate it.
If you were saying that you were going to be majoring in performance then I might be concerned with your lack of motivation to practice, but music education is completely different. Yes, you will have to practice and perform at a high level, but performance is all about mastering the music and being able to perform it effectively. Where as, education is all about having a passion for music, understanding how it works, and sharing that passion and understanding with others.
The big question I have is, what does it mean that music is your entire life? Is it just that you have done it a lot so you are comfortable with it, or is it something that you are extremely passionate about and you can't imagine your life without it? (This is the do it if you must kind of thing that I was talking about in the video)
If you are truly passionate about music and love exploring music and creating music, then the follow up question to that would be why don't you like practicing?
There are probably one of two reasons (or a combination of the two) why you don't like practicing. The first is that you may not be as interested in music as you think you are. Maybe you like listening to music and doing it, but you don't have a deeper interest in actually exploring it, finding the nuances, and experimenting with your ability to create music. The other is that you are overwhelmed by the idea of practicing and don't want to be stuck in a practice room by yourself working on one thing for extended periods of time.
There are solutions to both of those problems. If you feel like you truly are passionate about music and just hate the idea of practicing, maybe change the name of it to something like making music or exploring music. Practicing is really just taking some time to experiment with creating music and learning new music.
If spending hours a day making music and exploring music isn't interesting to you, then you may need to question if you want to spend 8 hours a day teaching students how to do that for your career. However, you can also develop that as well. The more you learn about music, the history, the theory, etc., the more interesting it is to explore further. You can never really be too good or know too much because there is always more to explore and discover.
I hope that helps. The last thing to consider is to remember as an education major, your goal isn't to become a great performer, rather you need to become a great teacher. Nurture your passion and interest in music and then figure out how to nurture that same passion and interest in your students.
Let me know if you have any other questions, and best of luck in college!
Some other resources of mine that may be helpful for you:
This is the first of three blog posts on toxicity in music you should read them all, www.quickstartclarinet.com/blog/classical-music-is-toxic-af
And here are a bunch of videos about practicing and mindset,
th-cam.com/video/9CpJlzSY9co/w-d-xo.html (this one will be particularly helpful I think)
th-cam.com/video/qbZeGdMSkC0/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/CdlVxxC2PSw/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/jg33C5-bsxo/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/rFpB9JmjYTQ/w-d-xo.html
It depends I mean I need a music degree for my job :) it’s a good way to get opportunities I’m going this year I took a couple gap years. I’m looking into cruise ships international teaching as these involve travel And music my dream. Sure you can work without uni I got my grade 8 piano and practice 5 hours a day. These gap years really put me in focus. I need a degree for my jobs. Uni gets you the qualification if you need. But for the arts you also need to be 100 percent in. Sooo it really depends
If you are practicing 5 hours a day and enjoying it, then you are definitely a good candidate for a music degree!
Alsooo it’s about the experience and the people you meet. Heck I’m from Harrogate going to study in Manchester in the uk. Harrogate is a Toni town Manchester a massive city. Like a mini London hahha. So if I put my effort in perform outside on uni also in Manchester who knows. So music at uni is definitely something you need to work your ass of for hahha
@@QuickStartClarinet definitely :) I think it really depends on things
I'm taking Associate of arts and get Bachelor of arts as well
Congrats! Good luck and have fun!
The biggest thing that kept me from majoring in Music was how many of my fellow former band friends did and later grew to hate Music lol...
Yes! It is really easy to learn to hate music, or hate playing your instrument, or even yourself. 😞
The infinite skill ceiling is a constant battle. You are never done with your homework.
Exactly! But if you are never done then you might as well enjoy the journey rather than hoping to reach a finish. This is a wild analogy that I just thought of but it is like Sisyphus learning to enjoy the journey somehow as he pushes the boulder up time and time again.
Do you need a music performance degree to teach students, who are often beginners/kids?
Is teaching what you envisioned when you were doing your degree?
Why would anyone take Music performance degree and not actually play music for a living? It's like studying to be a mathematician to teach at a high school
- a music performance major
I think as long as you know how to play you can teach beginners, but of course the more you know about playing the better you can teach.
While I was in school my goal was playing in an orchestra, but since then I have realized that I like teaching more than large ensemble playing.
That being said, I do still perform quite a lot as well in chamber groups, and will probably play some gigs subbing in orchestras at some point.
@@QuickStartClarinet sorry if I came off a little strong in my post. But thanks for your reply!
If teaching is your passion then I would argue some form of music pedagogy + private clarinet lessons would be more relevant, not to say that studying music performance would’ve hampered you in any way. It’s just about selecting the right course, not to mention the relevance and it’s impact on your resume/career progression.
Regardless, I’m glad we both have music careers we are content with.
I would agree that a music degree is generally not required to make a living in music if you have the drive, skill and initiative to take the proper steps for your career.
Typically if your goal is to teach in a classroom, you wouldn't get a performance degree, but instead a music education degree. But you can teach private lessons with any degree (or even none at all) as long as you know what you're doing.
Wouldn't you want to constantly be challenged as a musician? I aim for Mastery and to sound the best I can.
Definitely! I think my point is that you shouldn’t major in music just to reach a certain level of mastery because being a musician is so much more about the process rather than the result. It is great to be challenged throughout the process, but is important to learn to enjoy the process more than the expected result.
Agree! It is the journey not the destination.
They have the degree which gives you the title bachelor of music that's obviously the male version the female version is spinster of music so many musicians don't want that let alone chase it
😂 wow, it took me a long time to get this joke lol
@QuickStart Clarinet it's good to take the piss out of those titles especially when it's taken too seriously and takes the enjoyment out of making music so many successful musicians don't have a degree and just trusted their abilities despite the frustrations most musicians have and consistently face throughout their lives
You know about"Alip ba ta"?Alip is a very talented guitarist on TH-cam----------
I haven’t heard of them. I will have to check them out!
I just want to do the degree to learn guitar and piano, maybe its just better to enroll in a class rather than college for that.
Unless you can get the degree for free, then definitely at least starting with a class or two would be good!
@@QuickStartClarinet yes :'P
I have options for free college, I believe. There's a way to figure it out at least. Youth programs have vast networks to other programs that offer services for everything
@Mico-Xiyeas if you really love playing then it could be a good option then!
I wanna pick performing arts too in high school...but I felt if I made it as a profession it could lose some of its charm....from then on , i just keep the money out of my music playing....
Yes! You don’t always have to make money from everything that you enjoy. Sometimes it’s best to keep things as hobbies!
@@QuickStartClarinet Yes, but I also don't think any self-respecing musicians such as yourself ever regret becoming one...do they?
That’s hard to say. I don’t think anybody regrets doing music as a hobby. I personally don’t regret choosing music as a profession, but I think there are quite a few people who do and I think most of them switch professions.
I think it is a bit like the toupee fallacy where we say all toupees are bad because you don’t realize the good ones are good. No professional musician seems to regret that decision because those who become professionals stick with it and don’t regret it.
And that’s the ultimate point of this video. It is very possible to have a successful career as a musician but it takes a lot of commitment and dedication. If you feel like you can’t live without making music and performing, you feel like you must do it, then it is probably the right path for you.
@@QuickStartClarinet Thanks for sharing your view. I know how hard it must have been, to commit oneself to becomig a professional, and aspiring to get in the prestigious orchestras or even a virtuoso. Respect...and all the best.
For me, I just enjoy music and playing music, I'm too devoted to this life long craft, as a hobby. Now I work as a seafarer on cargo ships around the world for the better part of the year, while I'm on shore leave, I rejoin my community orchestra and perform. I'm liking this arrangement = )
Hmmmm....🤔
1) I am one of those performers who *refuses* to compare myself to others, so none of your reasons applies to me.
2) ,I disagree that performance is 100% subjective. That's only true in terms of styles and aesthetic choices, but in general, good playing is obvious and poor playing is obvious.
3) If you truly love performing, comparing yourself to "better " performers is never gonna be enough to put you off. Maybe you don't enjoy performing 🤔
1. That's fantastic! I encourage you to maintain that as much as possible!
2. That is certainly true, but when you have 3 people in the finals for an audition, I think the difference between who wins and who doesn't becomes quite subjective at that point.
3. I agree with this. The point of this video is--if comparing yourself to other performers puts you off, then you shouldn't major in music performance.
I'm not saying nobody should major in music performance. I have two degrees in it and I don't regret that. What I am saying is, do it if you must. Music performance is for you if you are so passionate about performing that you can make it through all of the hard stuff without hating yourself, your instrument, or the music.
Im freshmen major in performance :(
I don’t think I made it clear in the video that it is 100% alright to major in music performance, and you can be happy doing it! I just wouldn’t recommend going through the difficulty of it unless you really feel passionate about performing. Good luck!
This made me sad
I did a series of blog posts about toxicity in classical music, and in the last post I tried to offer some solutions that can hopefully give you a more optimistic outlook on some of the issues that I brought up in this video.
www.quickstartclarinet.com/blog/overcoming-scarcity-competition-and-toxicity
I once was a student trying to be a music major and I hate to say it, but there is more than 2-4 hours of practice. You eat music, breathe music, love music, hate music, dream music, live in a nightmare of music and there is nothing else. No time for friends no time for anything but music. If you think there is any life besides music there I'm sorry. You don't have to believe me, but a music major can only do music for all day every day. Your lucky if you get some sleep.
It definitely can be that way. I think the people who win auditions for big performance jobs do really need to have that kind of constant almost obsession with music.
I think that's a harmful way of thinking about music. Sure, I consider myself someone who has a constant drive for making music. Sometimes there are weeks when I am completely obsessive about my craft and I barely have time to sleep because of all the music stuff that is going on. But in the long run balance is the key: you need to have a social life and take care of your body by sleeping and exercising enough. This all comes down to putting things in perspective: No matter how much you practice, there's always gonna be someone better than you, so my philosophy is to get as good as I can with the resources that I have without having to neglect my well-being. Also time management is very important: one must prioritize their daily tasks by their importance, practice with a well-crafted schedule for maximum results, and leave enough time for recovery, because proper rest is as important as practice. Doing too much is counter-productive and should only be done seasonally. Otherwise you are going to destroy your health and social life, which are, in essence, the most important things that we have as humans.
@@ToastedCigar I tried literally all of that as a music major. My school was killing me and making me not have any time for anything but music. I ended up in the hospital because I almost committed suicide. It’s toxic and just because you love music doesn’t mean you have to only do music 24/7
@@presleyvasquez5000 I’m sorry to hear that, I just thought at 3 am about switching majors or dropping music
Having a job in music performance is basically nonexistent for euphonium players, besides military bands. It’s really starting to worry me because that’s my only instrument and I don’t want to risk my enjoyment by doubling up on a different instrument that I don’t enjoy as much all for the sake of money. It’s an unnecessarily hard world we live in. I haven’t even graduated high school yet, maybe I should look into another career I guess 😞.
Euphonium performance is a very tricky career. Doubling on at least trombone would be a really good idea. I believe most of the time if you are majoring in euphonium performance you will also play some trombone.
But also if you really feel like you must do euphonium then keep practicing and go for a military band job!