re you the type of student who has been active in your high school music program? Are you interested
in participating in music in college, but you’re not certain you will have the time? Are you thinking of majoring in music, but you don’t know if you could gain admission to a music program or if music is the right field for you? Explore some of the options for collegiate music participation and answers some of the frequently asked questions by college-bound musicians.

What Are Your Options

The Music Major

The music major is a student who enjoys music and wishes to pursue it as a career. Music majors will generally be expected to practice two to three hours each day on a principal instrument and up to one hour each day on a secondary instrument, usually piano. This is in addition to a normal class load of three to four academic classes every academic term.

Music majors are also expected to take private lessons on their principal instrument and participate in at least one ensemble every academic term. Music majors tend to be among the busiest people on any college campus. The total work load, however is generally manageable, and music students commonly report the highest academic averages on their campuses.

Most music majors pursue a Bachelor of Music degree, which prepares a student for further graduate-level study in music. Graduates with a Bachelor of Music degree are not limited to pursuing graduate study, many go on to a variety of careers both in and outside of the field of music.

Some music majors pursue a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in music. These degrees provide a more general education that still emphasizes music. They generally do not adequately prepare a student for graduate-level study in music because most programs require fewer hours in music theory and music history.

The Bachelor of Musical Arts degree provides an education that is more general than the Bachelor of Music while still emphasizing music in the curriculum. This degree differs, however, in that it generally requires more music theory and history classes than the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degrees. As a result, it does adequately prepare you for graduate study in music. Many schools also offer music as a double major. While these programs vary, most prepare you for graduate study in either of your two major fields.

The Music Minor

The music minor is for the student who wishes to incorporate a substantial amount of musical study into his or her curriculum but does not want to pursue music on the graduate level or as a career. Minor programs generally do not provide an adequate base of music theory and music history to prepare you for graduate study. Music minors are expected to participate in ensembles and study a principal instrument privately. Like the music major, music minors tend to be busy people.

The Non-Music Major

Most schools of music allow and even encourage non-music major participation in lessons or ensembles. Most offer non-major sections of music classes. A few allow non-majors to participate with music majors in music classes. Most non-music majors approach their participation in a music program as they would an extracurricular activity.

This option is for the student who wants to continue to participate in music but is interested in pursuing a different field as a career. While this level of participation is less intense than that of the music major or music minor, it is important to remember that college ensembles are highly disciplined organizations that often perform difficult literature. Performers are expected to practice their parts and be prepared for every rehearsal.

Participation in a collegiate music program can be among the most memorable of your activities in college. If you have enjoyed being involved in music in high school and it has been a significant part of your life, try to find some way to continue to participate in music in college. You will be glad you did!

Time Management

A music degree requires the ability to manage time effectively. It has been estimated that musicians are second only to medical doctors in the amount of time they spend training for their careers. In addition to a full course load of academic classes, the music student must also budget time for ensembles and rehearsals, practice (several hours every day), homework and leisure.

Music students tend to be among the busiest on any college campus. Very few of them do only the minimum requirements for graduation. Most seek out opportunities to perform and to play, as well as to attend concerts, recitals, and master classes. While one might expect a busy music student's grades to suffer, this is usually not the case. Most music schools report grade point averages significantly higher than that of the general student body of their parent institution. Music students learn early in their collegiate careers that time management is a necessary tool which they need to learn.

Analytical Thought

Successful musicians possess the ability to view or listen to a piece of music, evaluate it and make explanations or suggestions for improvement. From music theory to critical listening, a musician must learn to view music as both a whole and as a series of component parts. This skill transfers well to the ability to write, read critically, analyze media and solve problems.

Imagine, for example, that you are practicing a piece of music and you come across a difficult passage. In order to master that passage, you need to identify the problem, break it down into its component parts, determine a practice strategy and work on those parts individually. After practicing those components, you must then reassemble the pieces to create the musical whole once again. Likewise, an attorney must be able to break apart a legal problem into discreet arguments, perfect each argument and then present the case again as a unified whole.

Self-Motivation

The musician must be a self-motivator, willing to push himself or herself to learn and to improve daily. Most learning in music school takes place outside of the classroom or the lesson. It occurs during practice and rehearsal. As a music student, you will learn to set goals for improvement and to push yourself toward achieving these goals. This is a skill highly valued by most employers.

Personal Interaction and Communication

Although musicians spend much of their playing time practicing alone, very little music is ever performed by one person. Most pieces require an interaction between or among two or more musicians. As a result, you will learn how to interact successfully with others in order to produce an effective performance. You will need to learn the most efficient methods of expressing your musical ideas to others so that you use rehearsal time well. There are very few jobs in which some form of interaction and communication with others is not required.

Self-confidence and Awareness

As a musician, you will be performing. Performance requires self-confidence. You will be presenting your interpretation of a work of art for others to hear and to evaluate. You will learn strategies to handle the pressures of performance, thereby becoming an expert at stress management.

Careers in Music

Most musicians who continue on in a field after graduation report a very high job satisfaction. While it is true that most do not earn as much money as their counterparts in some other fields, it is not difficult to earn enough money to support oneself or one's family, and many musicians end up with a very comfortable standard of living. Most musicians find that the happiness and satisfaction they receive from their careers more than make up for the smaller salaries.

Teaching

Most music school graduates who choose to pursue music as a career go into education of some form. A musician can teach privately in elementary, junior high, middle and high schools, in community music schools or colleges. Each requires a different minimum education. For example, a private studio teacher need not even have a degree in music, although it might add to his or her prestige and help to attract students.

School teachers generally require a bachelor's degree and certification in a particular state. College music teachers generally need a graduate-level degree or the equivalent in performing experience. Teaching can be a very rewarding field and a source of steady income and security. Musicians may find a variety of fields of interest, ranging from instrumental or vocal instruction to composition and music theory or music history, in which to teach.

Performance

Very few musicians make careers exclusively as performers. Most combine careers in teaching performance. While no degree is necessary to become a performer, most musicians find that the discipline and analytical processes acquired through systematic performance study in a degree program contribute significantly to their eventual success. Perhaps one of the best reasons for a performer to attend college is to participate in a quantity and quality of performance opportunities, which can rarely be matched in the professional world.

Composition

Most musicians combine composition with performance or teaching. Composition gives the musician a chance to explore his or her art. Composers may specialize in any of several styles - from film music to art songs, commercial jingles to symphonies and operas. Different styles have differing potentials for income. Commercial composers and arrangers tend to have the highest potential for income, but often at the expense of job security.

Arts Administration

A background in at least one of the fine arts is extremely beneficial for administrators in arts-related enterprises. Recognizing the need for professionals in this field, some schools now offer specialized degrees in arts administration. Many graduates of arts administration programs find employment with not-for-profit organizations, professional performing ensembles or college administrations.

Many people believe that it is difficult to achieve success in music. Most successful musicians, however, maintain that the hard work and effort they put into their careers is worth every moment of the enjoyment and enrichment they receive from their profession.

Music Business

Graduates of programs in music business or music industry often find a variety of career paths to follow. Some even find that administrative positions are a good way to make the necessary connections to start a performing career. While many business graduates work in the music industry, a substantial number use their business training to work for a corporation or to seek law, business or other professional degrees. The entrepreneurial and human relations skills developed in music business programs can be invaluable assets for successful career development and management.

Careers Outside of Music

A music degree does not limit one to pursuing a career in music. The study of music teaches skills that are valued by many employers. From software development companies to business consulting firms to medical and law schools, a music education is recognized as a high quality education that produces disciplined workers with thoughtful and analytical minds. The skills you learn in music school transfer easily to a wide range of employment and allow you to present your skills and talents more effectively in many work environments.

I'm not sure if I will have time to participate in music in college because of my academic responsibilities. How should I approach this problem?

Music participation does require a significant investment of time on your part. Performers are expected to learn their parts before rehearsals, and most college ensembles perform music which is more difficult than that performed by high school groups. Music participation requires the ability to manage your time.

Look at your schedule and see if you can add in several hours of practice time each week and still have time for your studies. Consider how much music means to you , how much it is a part of your life, and the fun times, friends and memories that you will gain from musical participation and weigh that against the amount of free time and study time that you will lose by participating. Remember that is is your decision to make.

I'd like to participate in music, but I don't think I'm good enough to make it into an ensemble. What should I do?

Most people tend to underestimate their ability to compete in music. The simple fact is that there is no way to know how you match up against other students unless you audition against them. If you do audition, you may make it into the ensemble. If you do not audition, you definitely will not make it into the ensemble. Let the ensemble director make that decision; don't make it for him or her!

If you don't make it into an ensemble, don't be discouraged. Most colleges offer private musical instruction, which you can use to improve your ability, and most colleges will encourage you to reaudition. Just because you don't make it into an ensemble one time does not mean that you will not if you try again. Your ability to pass an audition is dependent upon a number of factors: the needs of the ensemble, the number of persons of your instrument or voice type available or the literature programmed for the semester.

Does musical study cost extra?

Many colleges assess additional fees for musical study. The way these fees are assessed vary from institution to institution. Some will pay for most of the fees of music majors but not for non-majors. Some will pay the same amount for all students, regardless of major.

In general, you can expect to pay for private instruction, recordings, program printing or special programs away from campus. Ask each individual school of music for its policies on this matter.