 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Jess
Date: 2006-06-02 00:47
Im going to go to college next summer and i was just wondering what you could do with a music minor. I was thinking about going into biology......but i want to stay with music too.... and their totally different things. What are the benefits of minoring in music? and whats the difference if you have a major in music?
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Author: EEBaum
Date: 2006-06-02 01:11
You could upgrade it to a major at a later date like I did :P
A big benefit is that it lets you do just as you said... go into biology, but stay with music too. Music is so much about being around music people, and you can get plenty of that as a music minor.
A music minor will generally be a music major "lite." Instead of taking ALL the coursework in history and theory, you just take a couple courses in each. You don't have to do a recital, have less mandatory performance ensembles. You probably are not given lessons.
You also are allowed into a bunch of "for majors/minors only" courses just by signing up, rather than having to get instructor approval. I ended up taking so many of these that it only made sense to declare a second major.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
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Author: SimpsonSaxGal
Date: 2006-06-02 04:50
I come from experience, as I once was a music major and decided I couldn't keep up with everything. I go to a small private college with a strong opera music program (Dr. Larsen, a prof here, wrote/compiled the books of arias that EVERY vocal student I know of has). For a minor here, you need one year of harmony, one semester of ear training, some lessons (can't remember how much, and most lesson takers get scholarships to cover that cost), and participate in band. It's not hard at all for a minor! I strongly suggest doing that. We have several science majors in the instrumental program.
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2006-06-03 00:05
I've recently encountered a couple of music minors whose playing is just wonderful --certainly not inferior to their contemporary music majors. If you want to be able to play, get into the ensembles, understand the music, go for it.
Bob Phillips
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Author: clarinetist04
Date: 2006-06-03 03:33
I am a chemical engineering major and a music composition minor. Required are: English (everyone has to take it in the whole university), 1 cultural study, 3 courses of at least 3 credits in one subject, 2 courses of at least three credits in 2 different subjects, 3 or 4 (can't remember) non-technical electives, Chem I and II, O Chem, P Chem, Chem Lab, Thermo I and II, Physics I and II, Diff EQ, Calc I, II, and III (3D), Intro to comp. programming, Fluid Mechanics, Heat/Mass Transfer, Transport Lab, Unit Operations, Process Control, & Systems Design. I listed all of these to emphasize the crazy amount of courses needed. This doesn't even include the minor classes: 1 semester of harmony, 1 solfege, 1 eurythmics, 1 music history, 4 semesters of lessons (already paid for through tuition), and 4 semesters of a performing ensemble on your minor instrument. I have found that there just simply isn't the time to do it. My major's classes conflict with the minor's and they only offer the first semester music courses...well, first semester. If you want to do the double major, expect to work your butt off for all FIVE years you're there doing it because it'll take you that long since none of the core classes overlap. But in reality it depends on your college's curiculum. Talk to your counselor when you get there. Don't set up plans right now as far as your major/minor is concerned. It may change in the future.
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Author: bufclar
Date: 2006-06-03 03:45
I would say a big difference is:
If you graduate with a B.S. in Biology then you will have a job after school.
If you have a BM or BA in music then most likely you will not have a job after school.
I would go for the Biology major and then the minor in music. Its just more practical these days.
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Author: Gandalfe
Date: 2006-06-03 22:03
That the great struggle isn't it--do you major in what you love or take a course of study that is easier to get paid well for. Ultimately you have to decide for yourself as we don't know enough about you. Maybe there is no right or wrong here, just another fork in the road to navigate.
But I will say there sure are a lot of musicians, some with good degrees from major music mills, working at Microsoft as developers, writers, or PMs. I talked to some who said that they got tired of the late night gigs, low pay, etc and went back to school for their second degree.
I also know some very bitter people in the music industry. They play sublimely, have good work ethic, and have jobs. But somehow they wanted more out of life than a career in the field of music gave them.
My Dad told me about the fellow across the street who was a programmer. Back in the seventies most of us didn't know what that was. Dad said he hated his job, but he got paid so well that he worked as a contractor for three or four months a year and then spent the rest of the year doing what he wanted to, which I believe was in train modeling.
Dad's point was to get a good education in a field that paid well and you will have more options. Of course, Dad had listened to me playing sax for many years so maybe he was just being nice. ;o)
Geesh, I hope I'm not telling this to the next Larry Combs or Eddie Daniels.
Jim and Suzy
Pacifica Big Band
Seattle, Washington
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Author: EEBaum
Date: 2006-06-04 22:53
"That the great struggle isn't it--do you major in what you love or take a course of study that is easier to get paid well for."
Biology is easier? The hard sciences are some of the very few majors on campus that I'd say are up to par with a music degree in workload.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
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Author: ginny
Date: 2006-06-05 01:42
A music major is a well respected degree generally. I have a math degree in addition to a couple of music degrees and find that the math side of my life respects this combination. I don't know that anyone pays that much attention to your minor, or not.
You may or may not stay with what major you start with. My older boy thought he'd study English intially (loves to write) and is now double majoring in poli sci and econ. He did so well in some econ class that the dept aggressively recruited him. He will require an extra semster to get through however.
My younger son is taking majors in both music and math, and may make it through in four years (he had completed a fair number of math major requirements before entering college.)
Depending on the school the general ed sorts of requirements are the same for both majors. At some schools (which still have you take breadth courses of any sort from other departments) double majors, if in diverse fields, are not that many extra courses. Local to me the University of Santa Clara has a fair number graduate with triple majors, and many of the music majors (40%) are getting other additional degrees.
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