As you approach the end of your high school career, you have a decision to make—one
that can change your life! The question is this: Do you want to become a professional
musician? Many of your peers don’t have the same pressure that you do now. Because
you already consider yourself a musician and have devoted a substantial part of your life
to music thus far, you are at a crossroads. Other students have the luxury of waiting until
they get to college to declare a major. But for musicians, the study of music at the college
level requires 100 percent commitment right away. Only you can decide if music is a part
of you that is so vital to a fulfi lling life that you want to earn your living using your talent.
Answering this question is the fi rst step in deciding what type of college experience is
right for you.
Types of College Music Programs
No matter what kind of musician you are, you have several choices available to further
your study beyond high school. You may decide to prepare for a future career as a professional
musician or a music teacher. Maybe you want to continue studying music for
your own personal interest and enjoyment. Either way, there are two settings in which to
pursue music studies after high school. The fi rst is the professional music conservatory.
Professional music conservatories offer intense music training with the sole purpose of
preparing students for professional careers in music. For the most part, the goal of these
programs is to produce performers. At a professional music conservatory, you’ll be surrounded
by professional musicians. You’ll live and breathe music every day, all the time.
If you have decided that your ultimate goal is to be a performer, a conservatory might
suit your needs. When considering conservatories, remember that some universities have
a conservatory-like atmosphere. Examples include Indiana University or the Eastman
School of Music at the University of Rochester. These offer the combination of the musicfocused
intensity of a conservatory within a university setting.
The second setting for studying music at the postsecondary level is the traditional college
campus. It could be at a small liberal arts college or a medium-to-large state university.
Both of these environments can be good options for studying music if you are not sure
whether you want to pursue a professional career or are interested in music education or
another subset of music besides performance. Such schools offer students the opportunity
to explore other options in education or possibly double major.
Of course, the setting you choose for advanced music training also affects the type of
degree you will earn. Your goals in music will play a large part in determining what type
of degree is best for you.
Types of Music Degrees
The bachelor of music (BM) is a performance-oriented degree for those who seek to
become professional musicians after college. Most of the coursework for this degree is
within the music department. Approximately 80 percent of your studies will be in music
while the rest of your coursework will fulfi ll the institution’s general education requirements.
The bachelor of music education (BME) is geared toward training talented musicians
who want to become certifi ed elementary and secondary school teachers. In most cases,
the music courses required for a music performance majors are part of the degree plan,
as well as courses in education. Students will also want to learn other instruments besides
their primary instrument.
The bachelor of fi ne arts (BFA) is similar to the BM degree. It is usually performance-oriented
and requires about the same number of credits within the music department as the
bachelor of music. Most college music programs and conservatories offer the BM degree,
but some institutions offer the BFA instead, which is comparable.
The bachelor of art degree (BA) or bachelor of science (BS) in music is offered by many
colleges and universities. Both of these are typically less intensive than a BM or BFA
program and allow room for exploration of other interests outside of music. These may
be best for students who are interested in a particular focus in music rather than on performance.
Music Specialties
Many large music departments are divided into different departments to focus on specifi c
instruments and subjects within music. A typical breakdown within a competitive college
music program might look like this:
■ Accompanying
■ Chamber music
■ Composition
■ Conducting and ensembles
■ Jazz studies
■ Music education
■ Musicology
■ Organ
■ Piano and keyboarding
■ Voice
■ Winds, brass, percussion
Music Auditions
The audition is a major component in the admission process for prospective college
music majors. This is even more important for students considering studying at a conservatory
or applying to a professional degree program at a college or university. Often the
audition counts more—or is even the deciding factor—in determining whether students are
admitted to a program for institutions granting the BM degree. At these schools, auditions
are competitive. A high grade point average, SAT scores or great teacher recommendations
usually won’t help improve your odds in being accepted if you don’t audition well.
Because the goal is to prepare you to become a professional musician, your performance
is what matters the most to many music departments.
Auditions are less intense for students hoping to major in music in a BA or BS program.
Sometimes they aren’t even required for admission. While college and university music
departments offer quality music education, the sole purpose of the student’s education
in these programs is not necessarily preparation for a professional music career. Other
factors in the application matter equally. If there is an audition requirement, you want to
do well, but you will also need to have the other standard application components like
good grades and SAT/ACT scores for acceptance into the program. At many of the colleges
and universities that grant the BA or BS degree, auditions are optional or they are
required for music scholarship consideration. Even if you don’t have to audition at one
of these schools, it still may be advisable to do so because you can get an up-close-andpersonal
feel for the music department and the faculty members.
Audition requirements vary widely by school. Typically, the audition will be fi ve or 10
minutes. You may be asked to prepare two or three musical pieces. The number of adjudicators
present varies among programs—some schools have a panel of several faculty
members sit in on each audition, and other schools may only have two faculty members
present.
One thing that is fairly standard for any audition is the need for at least two contrasting
pieces of music prepared for audition. Faculty members want to see the level of your
technical ability, and they also want to determine if you have a wide range of repertoire
that you can perform well. Being able to play or sing a breadth of musical pieces is essential
for professional auditions. Competition for full-time performance jobs is fi erce, so
the better you are at performing different styles, the better prepared you’ll be at auditions
for college programs. And that will be good practice for all professional opportunities that
are going to be waiting for you!
Source: Creative Colleges: A Guide for Student Actors, Artists, Dancers, Musicians and Writers
