Comments on: Preparing for Mediocrity: The Myth of the Fallback Major http://musicadmissions.wordpress.com/2008/10/31/preparing-for-mediocrity-the-myth-of-the-fallback-major/ an insider's view Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:51:08 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: danhassler http://musicadmissions.wordpress.com/2008/10/31/preparing-for-mediocrity-the-myth-of-the-fallback-major/#comment-54 danhassler Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:51:08 +0000 http://musicadmissions.wordpress.com/?p=50#comment-54 Excellent point Adrian and well taken. I do agree that music is not everything and would strongly encourage students to excel in their academics. I believe an average student would have the hours in a day to excel both musically and academically, but I feel that trying to complete additional majors often leads to students doing neither well. Excellent point Adrian and well taken. I do agree that music is not everything and would strongly encourage students to excel in their academics. I believe an average student would have the hours in a day to excel both musically and academically, but I feel that trying to complete additional majors often leads to students doing neither well.

]]> By: Adrian Bettridge-Wiese http://musicadmissions.wordpress.com/2008/10/31/preparing-for-mediocrity-the-myth-of-the-fallback-major/#comment-53 Adrian Bettridge-Wiese Mon, 27 Apr 2009 20:27:53 +0000 http://musicadmissions.wordpress.com/?p=50#comment-53 Dan, Just bumped into your blog today; interesting place. Your posts about backups makes me think about the things people focus on while they're in school. I know that I saw a lot of my compatriots finish their performance degrees with C averages. Let me just tell you how glad I am to have graduated Bronze Tablet; one of my very last acts as a music major was to do enough damage to my back that I might not ever be able to play cello again. Whoops! Thanks to some good connections and great academics, though, I've been accepted to UI's School of Labor and Employment Relations as the R. Wayne Anderson Family Fellow. No way could I have pulled that off if I hadn't been hitting the books in addition to the practice room. Dan,

Just bumped into your blog today; interesting place.

Your posts about backups makes me think about the things people focus on while they’re in school. I know that I saw a lot of my compatriots finish their performance degrees with C averages. Let me just tell you how glad I am to have graduated Bronze Tablet; one of my very last acts as a music major was to do enough damage to my back that I might not ever be able to play cello again. Whoops!

Thanks to some good connections and great academics, though, I’ve been accepted to UI’s School of Labor and Employment Relations as the R. Wayne Anderson Family Fellow. No way could I have pulled that off if I hadn’t been hitting the books in addition to the practice room.

]]> By: Kelly Fister http://musicadmissions.wordpress.com/2008/10/31/preparing-for-mediocrity-the-myth-of-the-fallback-major/#comment-30 Kelly Fister Wed, 03 Dec 2008 04:49:59 +0000 http://musicadmissions.wordpress.com/?p=50#comment-30 This is quite an interesting discussion. While I can’t speak for the double major, I have quite a bit to say for Music Education as a fallback major. I wouldn't be able to count the number of students I've seen enter college with this plan before making an almost immediate switch to Performance. They know they want to study music because they love to play, but as Performance isn’t necessarily considered a “practical” degree, they instead declare Education for security purposes. I did the same thing, spending my early college years denying my desire to study Performance. I wasn’t good enough, I wanted an income, etc. As I began freshman year with this in mind and little desire to teach, my initial pursuit was a BA degree with emphasis in music, taking fundamental courses and lessons until I’d decided. After transferring in my sophomore year to a school where they encouraged more specific direction, I chose Music Ed, forcing myself to believe I wanted to teach while secretly planning to become an amazing flutist alongside. I would earn my BM in Education, and teach while I earned my MM in Performance. If performing never worked out, I had the Ed degree. Sounds like a great plan, right? Not for me. I spent mornings in observations, afternoons in music classes and ensemble; evenings in education classes, then studied before practicing methods instruments. A good day of flute practice amidst all this was maybe a couple of hours. Not exactly preparation for my true hope to be a flutist. I was miserable, my work was half-hearted, and my grades suffered. Something had to change, so toward the end of spring term I met with my teacher for a VERY long discussion, and we decided I’d be happier in Performance. I made the switch, got the practice time I needed, moved to my school’s top ensembles, took courses I enjoyed, and stopped working toward a career I didn’t want. I don’t regret the switch. I never have. I don’t feel at all limited career-wise because, in retrospect, I think I knew I’d never teach in public schools. In what’s turned out to be a six-year process of earning my BM in Performance, I’ve come across countless music-related jobs that I’d love to do around performing and studio teaching if these don’t adequately pay the bills. As the OP says, there’s actually a great deal of work out there provided one is willing to search and be creative. I hope it’s clear that this is in no way an attempt to talk teacher-hopefuls out of the Music Education degree. For those out there who genuinely want to teach, do it! I salute you. The majority of music teachers I remember from my youth have been some of the happiest, most passionate human beings I’ve ever met. No exaggeration. The ones that love it, really love it. Make sure, however, that you REALLY love it before you attempt it. If you’re looking for a “safety” degree as validation for your choice to study music, pick a different one. Music Ed is an insane amount of work (for some odd reason, few seem to believe this, or they at least underestimate it until they live the experience themselves). It’s too hardcore for the ones who just kinda-sorta want to teach. As far as Performance, Composition, or whatever "impractical" career is of interest, the important thing to do is keep an open mind. I don't think anyone should set their sights on one singular goal. There's nothing wrong with having that one ultimate ambition, but to base existence around it to the extent that a person will deem life unsuccessful if it never happens is unhealthy. Be sure to create some alternatives that would provide happiness whether temporary or permanent. My fear of disliking my job is so much stronger than my fear of financial instability. It saddens me when others don't feel the same. This is quite an interesting discussion. While I can’t speak for the double major, I have quite a bit to say for Music Education as a fallback major. I wouldn’t be able to count the number of students I’ve seen enter college with this plan before making an almost immediate switch to Performance. They know they want to study music because they love to play, but as Performance isn’t necessarily considered a “practical” degree, they instead declare Education for security purposes.
I did the same thing, spending my early college years denying my desire to study Performance. I wasn’t good enough, I wanted an income, etc. As I began freshman year with this in mind and little desire to teach, my initial pursuit was a BA degree with emphasis in music, taking fundamental courses and lessons until I’d decided. After transferring in my sophomore year to a school where they encouraged more specific direction, I chose Music Ed, forcing myself to believe I wanted to teach while secretly planning to become an amazing flutist alongside. I would earn my BM in Education, and teach while I earned my MM in Performance. If performing never worked out, I had the Ed degree. Sounds like a great plan, right? Not for me. I spent mornings in observations, afternoons in music classes and ensemble; evenings in education classes, then studied before practicing methods instruments. A good day of flute practice amidst all this was maybe a couple of hours. Not exactly preparation for my true hope to be a flutist. I was miserable, my work was half-hearted, and my grades suffered. Something had to change, so toward the end of spring term I met with my teacher for a VERY long discussion, and we decided I’d be happier in Performance. I made the switch, got the practice time I needed, moved to my school’s top ensembles, took courses I enjoyed, and stopped working toward a career I didn’t want.
I don’t regret the switch. I never have. I don’t feel at all limited career-wise because, in retrospect, I think I knew I’d never teach in public schools. In what’s turned out to be a six-year process of earning my BM in Performance, I’ve come across countless music-related jobs that I’d love to do around performing and studio teaching if these don’t adequately pay the bills. As the OP says, there’s actually a great deal of work out there provided one is willing to search and be creative.
I hope it’s clear that this is in no way an attempt to talk teacher-hopefuls out of the Music Education degree. For those out there who genuinely want to teach, do it! I salute you. The majority of music teachers I remember from my youth have been some of the happiest, most passionate human beings I’ve ever met. No exaggeration. The ones that love it, really love it. Make sure, however, that you REALLY love it before you attempt it. If you’re looking for a “safety” degree as validation for your choice to study music, pick a different one. Music Ed is an insane amount of work (for some odd reason, few seem to believe this, or they at least underestimate it until they live the experience themselves). It’s too hardcore for the ones who just kinda-sorta want to teach.
As far as Performance, Composition, or whatever “impractical” career is of interest, the important thing to do is keep an open mind. I don’t think anyone should set their sights on one singular goal. There’s nothing wrong with having that one ultimate ambition, but to base existence around it to the extent that a person will deem life unsuccessful if it never happens is unhealthy. Be sure to create some alternatives that would provide happiness whether temporary or permanent.

My fear of disliking my job is so much stronger than my fear of financial instability. It saddens me when others don’t feel the same.

]]> By: Eugene Cantera http://musicadmissions.wordpress.com/2008/10/31/preparing-for-mediocrity-the-myth-of-the-fallback-major/#comment-24 Eugene Cantera Sat, 01 Nov 2008 15:03:24 +0000 http://musicadmissions.wordpress.com/?p=50#comment-24 Well said! As a long time teacher and entrepreneur in the field of music education (teacherpreneur!)I wholeheartedly agree that we do not need dispassionate teachers or a field full of folks just 'going through the motions'. I truly believe that future music educators need to be savvy business people as well as tech literate. They must also be 'people' people and able to reach students of all ages and level of ability. We need to begin training current college aged kids for this kind of environment immediately or risk losing the profession altogether. The days of teachers identifying (or worse, pigeonholing) themselves by their instrument of choice or musical genre are long gone and they are not coming back. Well said! As a long time teacher and entrepreneur in the field of music education (teacherpreneur!)I wholeheartedly agree that we do not need dispassionate teachers or a field full of folks just ‘going through the motions’.

I truly believe that future music educators need to be savvy business people as well as tech literate. They must also be ‘people’ people and able to reach students of all ages and level of ability. We need to begin training current college aged kids for this kind of environment immediately or risk losing the profession altogether.

The days of teachers identifying (or worse, pigeonholing) themselves by their instrument of choice or musical genre are long gone and they are not coming back.

]]> By: Jessica http://musicadmissions.wordpress.com/2008/10/31/preparing-for-mediocrity-the-myth-of-the-fallback-major/#comment-23 Jessica Sat, 01 Nov 2008 02:10:59 +0000 http://musicadmissions.wordpress.com/?p=50#comment-23 I like your article, very nicely written. I like your article, very nicely written.

]]>