| For many teens who study music the question | | | | to do for high school music classes. |
| eventually comes up: should I major in music in | | | | The second area of study is private lessons and |
| college? The answer to this question is not easy. | | | | solo performance. Students (with some |
| Ultimately, it will require some personal | | | | exceptions) are required to major in one |
| soul-searching along with plenty of counsel from | | | | instrument (including the voice) for which they will |
| the student's teachers and parents. It requires an | | | | receive weekly private lessons and be required to |
| analysis of whether the student is well suited-in | | | | perform in front of a panel of teachers for their |
| musical skill, work ethic and determination-for | | | | semester grade. They are typically also required |
| studying music in college and, most importantly, | | | | to give a junior and/or senior year recital. For |
| what realistic life and career goals that course of | | | | more performance-oriented music majors, this |
| study will serve. If big these questions are | | | | area is usually the most fun and rewarding. |
| answered satisfactorily, majoring in music can not | | | | Students will get to work with high quality private |
| only be a very rewarding collegiate experience, | | | | teachers in honing their personal instrumental skills |
| but the opening to a world of both future | | | | and exploring repertoire. Your private teacher |
| satisfaction and financial stability. | | | | often becomes a cherished advisor and friend for |
| Can I Do It? | | | | years to come. |
| A common mistake that high school music | | | | The third area is performance ensembles. Unlike |
| students make in considering whether to major in | | | | high school, however, college performance |
| music in college is expecting that college will be like | | | | ensembles are almost always of a much higher |
| their high school music experience. This, | | | | quality and much more demanding of students. |
| unfortunately, is very much not the case. Most | | | | Students will often be required to read music well, |
| high schools that have music programs have | | | | to sing in foreign languages and to learn their part |
| almost exclusively performance classes (band, | | | | largely on their own, with less rehearsal in class. |
| choir, orchestra), and often ones that are not | | | | The selection of college performance ensembles |
| particularly competitive. You may also find a | | | | are also much broader than high school often |
| "Music Appreciation" class, but they are designed | | | | including several levels of choirs, bands and |
| for non-music students and so, not indicative of | | | | orchestras; small elite performance groups and |
| college music major classes. Of all music classes | | | | ensembles that dedicate entire semesters to a |
| typically held in high schools across the country, | | | | single project. Many of the ensembles are by |
| only "Music Theory AP" classes approach the | | | | audition only and competition can be high. Still, for |
| workload and expectations of a college music | | | | those who enjoy it, college ensembles can be |
| major class. | | | | some of the most rewarding experiences of a |
| There are three general kinds of courses that | | | | lifetime for the level of skill and artistry they can |
| music majors must take in college. The first are | | | | obtain. |
| classroom courses, somewhat similar to | | | | Are you up to the task? Being a music major |
| humanities courses in other subject areas. The | | | | (contrary to uninformed, common belief) is |
| usual areas are: music history, music theory, aural | | | | certainly not all fun and games, but if it is your |
| skills and harmony/composition. There may also | | | | passion, you will love (almost) every minute of it. |
| be more specialized classes for certain | | | | It requires an intellectual mind, great study and |
| emphasizes such as music education (K-12), jazz, | | | | practice ethics, self-motivation and often thick skin |
| opera and pedagogy (private instructor). These | | | | to succeed. It usually requires more hours in the |
| classes are usually taught at desks with | | | | day than other majors, and music majors are |
| textbooks, tests and term papers. Sometimes | | | | increasingly taking five years to complete their |
| they require demonstration of skill at the | | | | Bachelors rather than the usual four. But music |
| keyboard such as harmony. Perhaps the most | | | | programs are well designed because they not only |
| notoriously difficult course is "Aural Skills" in which | | | | teach their graduates all of the musical skills they |
| a student will be required to be able to recognize | | | | will need to succeed, but also the dedication and |
| and notate intervals, scales, chords and 4-part | | | | strength to make a career in an area that is not |
| harmony just from hearing it. The "classroom | | | | always easy or clear-cut. And for those who |
| courses" of the music major are designed to | | | | choose to not make a career out of music, music |
| make the student a well-informed and | | | | major graduates are widely noted for their |
| well-rounded musician and will require much more | | | | intelligence, work ethic and leadership skills. |
| study and practice than music students ever had | | | | |