What can you do today as a music major?

[FreedomAngel82]

I'm currently in college as a music major and I'm thinking of what all I can do. I don't want to teach band, strings or chorus. So what else is there for me to do? I'm right now though THINKING of changing my major but I'm not sure yet. But I want to look at any options out there. Thanks in advanced.

[Momgonepostal]

1. This won't be helpful

But I have two relatives who have degrees from Berklee and one of them is now a farmer and the other working on a teaching credential. Not their first choices, but that's how things played out.

Godd luck with whatever you decide.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. I was a music major and I ended up being both a teacher and a lawyer.

But don't let that limit you. You can do research on compositions and work in conjunction with a city orchestra or opera company.

Or would you prefer to perform?

[kanrok]

19. Interesting.

I always believed that music majors made good law students. Music majors and math majors. Something about the logic there that translates well.

[no_hypocrisy]

34. And the fact you REALLY learn how to listen along with the analytical

skills needed with this discipline. Think about this: Not everyone can break down a great piece of work into the subdivisions of a sonata allegro form or can identify a composition after hearing a bar or maybe even a few notes. Those skills makes you prepared to enter several advanced careers.

[democracyindanger]

3. movies, advertising

There's a lot of money to be made working in or starting your own music house. Nose around LA and NYC.

[FreedomAngel82]

8. I don't live

far from Atlanta and Nashville. That would be nice since I can stay around family. I like Nashville a little better personally. :)

[johnaries]

17. I live in Nashville, and it really IS who you know, here. But,

I used to have a friend who wrote music for advertising, like Charlie Sheen's character in 3 1/2 Men. Was he successful? Let's just say for his girlfriends birthday he rented a private sailboat with crew to sail the Carribean.

[Parrcrow]

30. Public sector arts administration. (oops should have been a reply to OP)

A course or two in business administration or book-keeping could help in getting an admin position with an orchestra, museum or local theatre group.

Its not the same as making a living from your art but it can be quite a rewarding career oportunity. It would probably go along way towards encouraging you to continue with your music.

Good luck with it.


:hi:

[Radical Activist]

4. Stoned slacker

That's what all the music majors I know became, except for the ones who changed their major. :shrug:

[Az]

5. My GF is a music Librarian

For a company that sells music to orchestras. Major orchestras also need music librarians as well.

[sundog]

6. i have a degree in film

and now i have a restaurant... you can't predict the winds of life ;)

[Floogeldy]

7. Good question.

I will assume that you are pursuing your music major out of love for music. Whatever the future holds for you, this was your path.

I trust it will all make sense down the road. Follow your heart.

B-)

[FreedomAngel82]

9. Right

I also do singing/songwriting and am working on that. My major is just a back up plan. I was thinking lately of changing my degree to either criminal justice or political science and have that as my backup if nothing works out in music. I love all three so I'm not sure what I want to do yet. With my music major I just have a couple more classes left and then I'll be ready to graduate. With political science or criminal justice I'm not sure how many more I'd have to take.

[Changenow]

10. Wait tables. nt

[johnaries]

11. I was a Music Major, and now I'm a

trainer for Tech Support. Go figure!

Edit to add: I never lost my love for music, however, and I don't regret what I learned as a Music Major that increased my enjoyment of the thing I loved most.

[sleipnir]

12. This child will illustrate a good skill to learn as a music major

Kazoo's, you can't beat them!!

[elperromagico]

13. You can learn to say "Would you like to supersize that order?"

more musically.

I'm a music major. That's an old joke among the music majors at college.

[ramapo]

14. Be a performer

If you're very talented and/or very lucky then you can make a go of it. Or you can teach privately but it depends on your instrument as to how many students you might get.

I was a music major for almost three years. Had a great time but like you did not want to teach. The education courses gave me such a headache. I didn't have exceptional talent. I switched to Communications and got my BA in that. Worked in publishing and migrated to computers. I play in a community orchestra but that's about it. I do miss playing more but I've made a decent living.

My son is an exceptionally talented jazz pianist. He didn;t want to major in music as he's interested in so many other things and wants to direct his own music learning.

[FreedomAngel82]

21. That's cool

Now I'm working this summer on a demo and working on getting management to start working on everything. I'm thinking still on changing my major next term but I'm not too sure. The music business is a very competive industry. Does anybody know anything about what you take with criminal justice and political science? If I do change my major it'll be one of the other.

[sundog]

15. radio

:7

[Wapsie B]

16. What you major in doesn't always have a lot to do

with what jobs you have. Unless you're in one of the more vocational areas like engineering, accounting, nursing or the like you're not limited as to what you can do.

[curse10]

18. I went to law school with my music degree

:D

Seriously.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

20. I was a music major. Total income from my music "career": $30.00.

Of course this might have been because I pretty much sucked as a musician. But eventually I went to law school, then got a pilot's license; I still love music but only a few lucky and talented people can really make a living at it. Even so -- do it anyhow if it's what you love. If it doesn't work out you can do something else; meantime you'll have fun with it.

I did get to perform at Carnegie Hall with my college choir. That was awesome.

[Pied Piper]

22. I was also a music major

I majored in performance because I knew from the beginning that I would never teach music in a classroom setting. My undergrad degree was from a liberal arts college, so I had a pretty strict academic regimen. I was always fascinated by the orchestral literature and had hoped to perform with a symphony orchestra full time.

Well, I also have other skills which I nourished while in school, and I have now found myself working on the IT staff of one of the world's major symphony orchestras (I'm talking top five here). My secure day job has given me the chance to pursue freelance opportunities, and now I have a principal position with two orchestras and an auxiliary position with a 3rd orchestra. I played two concerts today - this afternoon was an opera highlights concert which featured Wagner's Overture to Rienzi, several arias with Met finalists, and the concert suite from Strauss's Rosenkavalier. Then this evening I played Beethoven's 9th Symphony with a different orchestra. Of course I'm exhausted, but this has been a most satisfying day!

My parents weren't too crazy about me studying music in college, but I once overheard my mother telling an acquaintance that it was never her job to stifle her kids' dreams, and she supported my choice, even if it meant a hard life for me. And at times, it has been a hard life, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. The people I have met and the things I have done along my path have made me the person I am today.

Best of luck to you!

[FreedomAngel82]

23. Thanks

I have all summer to make up my mind. :)

[Robeson]

24. Know what you mean....

...I got my degree in Cultural Anthropology. Unless one is willing to make a career in academia in that field, you can't exactly pick up the want-ads and find a "Cultural Anthropologist Wanted" ad. I got turned off of academia when working on my Masters, so I really didn't want to pursue the career academia aspect of it...

[GoddessOfGuinness]

25. Freelancing has its ups and downs

What's your instrument?

If you're not interested in a performance career, you might consider arts management, sound engineering, piano technician; or if you're an instrumentalist, becoming a maker of your instrument.

[FreedomAngel82]

27. In high school

I did play the flute and my first term in college took a guitar course. That was fun and I still have the instruments.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

29. Are you a voice major, then?

Did you have to audition to enter the music program?

[AwakeAtLast]

26. Add some business training

This could get you into any music corporation type occupation. I teach music, but I could go into the textbook field, recording studios, etc. A knowledge of both will help you for sure!

Good luck! :hi:

[stopbush]

31. I couldn't agree more. Music majors should be required to

take business as a minor.

I went through music school in music ed...and never took a formal teaching job after graduation. I moved to NYC, studied voice and sang around the metro area for twenty years. On a good year, I made maybe $20k. In the early 90s, I stumbled into a low-level job at a big private-sector music corporation in NYC. That gave me a toe-hold in the biz, and after a couple of subsequent moves, I got pretty far up the ladder. On my best years, I made around $150k per year.

I'm still in the music biz, but I'm now in arts/orchestra administration - marketing & development. I make a decent wage, about half of that big figure. But every job I have gotten has been based on my business acumen, all of which I had to learn on the job. The music experience and knowledge is just a bonus. I'd like to get back in the private sector where the big $ is, and I'm certain that even a lowly minor in business would mean quite a bit when corporations are deciding who to hire between people who are equals on all other levels.

If I had it to do over, I would have taken a minor in business.

[leftofthedial]

28. I have a friend who is a successful singer-songwriter

he got his degree in music and says it hasn't held him back too much

I know another Berkelee grad who is a not quite successful singer songwriter

There are music careers out there,

What kind of music do you like? what do you play? Do you wing? Do you write.compose? Would you be interested in the business side of the music business?

[FreedomAngel82]

33. With me

I mainly do country and mix it up with pop/rock or 80's rock and I do write my own songs and sing. I used to be interested in music management but not so much anymore.

[leftofthedial]

37. Give Nashville a try.

The industry is in a major slump, but music isn't going away.

A degree isn't necessary, but it doesn't hurt.

Nashville players us "the number system," instead of conventional notation, so you might want to brush up on that.

[CanuckAmok]

32. You can order Music Captains and Lieutenants around, for one thing.

But you still answer to Music Colonels and Music Generals.

[iconoclastic cat]

35. John Ashcroft needs a studio band.

He was working with the surviving members of Survivor, but it fell apart at the Taco Bell between soundchecks.

[bridgit]

36. music major what?

instrument, theory, composition, history? our friend majored then mastered in: oboe & french horn. now he networks between students, festivals, local/regional orchestras & scoring/arranging for other ensembles. there are lean times in his fiscal year but it is a patchwork quilt of networking, career & artful expression.

do it.

[progmom]

38. I decided to focus more on the business end.

Got a degree in Arts Management. Now I'm a national music buyer for a large chain. I actually really love what I do.

An Arts Management degree also sets you up well to manage non-profits, if that interests you.