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Thought I was sure....

Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 1:20 am
by Richardrichard9
But I guess I am not.

For a while now I thought that I would want to double major in Performance and music ed, but after talking to a music chair dept head at one of my top 3 colleges, I am not so sure about the double major.

I know I want a music major. So for my undergrad I am thinking music Education (as I can get a graduate degree in performance and have my degree requirement for teaching.)

But for some reason I have the inclination to have a minor. I have always loved numbers, so I was thinking maybe a physics or mathematics minor. But I am not sure if that is just as crazy as the double degree.

Re: Thought I was sure....

Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 1:53 am
by MikeMason
Follow your bliss.Life is short.

Re: Thought I was sure....

Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 2:45 am
by bearphonium
Richard,
Do what you're interested in...you do better in classes!
Ally"who took five years to get a degree"House

Re: Thought I was sure....

Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 9:22 am
by Dean
Do it! Drop the performance degree.

It's useless anyway. Get the ed degree and whatever minor you want.

Re: Thought I was sure....

Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 11:16 am
by eupher61
ask 100 music ed majors what they're doing for a living, I'd bet at least 60 say something other than music, though maybe teaching. Get the minor, if you can get "performance level" classes do that too. Don't worry about taking 5 years, that's to your benefit if you can afford it. The more experience you get, and things you learn, as an undergrad can only help you later. But if it's practical, get a good basis in something else--secondary math and science teachers can pretty much write their own contracts, it seems. It's usually easy to add a second teaching area. Or, do a music minor and math ed major, or a double ed major. That may be your best bet overall, then you can get into accounting for musicians and really rake in the $$$$

Re: Thought I was sure....

Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 1:09 pm
by windshieldbug
Just an opinion, but...

Music is a tough discipline. You may be able to take a while to declare a different minor, if you're able to get common elective things out of the way first.

If you even THINK you might teach, do Ed first. One thing that's tough to do later are the theory/orals progressions that actually bond a music class together, since you spend so much time with so many people in the same boat.

A performance degree doesn't get you the right to perform. Advanced performance degrees may be "required" if you plan to go into college teaching, but there again, I think it will be more that you have AN advanced degree, and the "professional equivalent" (meaning, CAN you play?).