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Re: The Reality of a Music Major??

Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2018-09-17 21:11

QuickStart Clarinet wrote:

> Performance vs. Education
> I think it is best to be able to get a music education degree
> when possible because you can always become a great performer
> regardless of degree, though you may need to work a bit harder
> to gain the respect of colleagues and even teachers at times.

Just a couple of points:

Over the long view (I've been retired from school music teaching now for 11 years and was involved in administration for the last 10 years I worked for the district) I don't think having an ed degree is really a problem in terms of gaining other players' or teachers' respect. On a performing gig, whether free-lance or long term, no one much knows or cares what anyone else's academic credentials are. How people perform on the job is more important.

The most important reason for taking an ed degree is relative safety in case you aren't able to find a living as a performer. You'll only need a music ed degree and the state certification that usually follows if you're looking for a public school job. Charters, private schools and colleges don't *need* to require teaching certificates, which are state-issued documents. The most important reason for choosing a performance degree is that less of your time is encumbered by "ed" classes, leaving you more practice and rehearsal time. Also, performance majors typically get lessons as part of their program all the way through, while ed majors are often given lessons through junior year or sometimes cut off even sooner.

> However, if you only have a performance degree it will be much
> more difficult to get the certifications and credibility
> required to work as a teacher in a public school.
>

It will take more classwork post-graduation. Although, in Pa. you can get the teaching certifications by passing "PRAXIS" tests. When I did it in the 1970s (I did two degrees as a straight performance major), I needed another 24 credit hours of classes for my PA teaching certificate.

> Getting a Teaching Job
> There are a lot of public school/K-12 music education
> opportunities, and if that's what you would like to do it
> should be relatively easy to get a job like that.

Probably, but this is very dependent on locale. There are lots of recent mus ed graduates in my locale looking for teaching jobs and settling for either low-paying non-contracted private or charter school positions or subbing day-to-day in the local public systems hoping to be considered for one of the rarely open full-time jobs in the music departments. One reason why job openings here are rare is that retirements are often not replaced as staff size is reduced and schools consolidate and close buildings to save money. Other areas are very different, but you have to be willing to move where the jobs are.

Karl

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