[itsJast]

So, I'm going to be a senior in high school in a few months, and I've started contemplating what major I should go into.

Here's the thing:

I am planning on going to dental school. In other words, it'll be like I'm double-majoring, technically, with Pre-Dentistry. (Which, to get into dental school, you need to attain good grades in a certain amount of sciences courses, get a good score on the DAT, and have a bachelors + some experience around some dentistry). Not only that, but I also want to minor in Business/Management, Biology and Education (there are a couple unis I'm looking at that do) or Psychology. The most appealing major to me right now is a Bachelor of Arts in Music, which gives me more elective space and less music-based courses, freeing up my time inside and outside of school to focus on the other things I have in mind. This is compared to a Bachelor in Music and Bachelor in Fine Arts.

Now, I want to be able to do private lessons as a side job. :mrgreen: Which is why I want to get a BA in Music and a minor in education, to immerse myself into improving my saxophone skills and learning from esteemed musicians. But, I don't want to go through the Bachelor in Music Education course--basically because I don't plan on teaching classes in public schools (so therefore don't need a teacher certificate), nor will my future day job allow me to do so. So there really wouldn't be a reason for me to.

Also, by the end of high school, I should have about 35 college credit hours, depending on what I get on my AP Exams and what the college I will be going to will accept. By the looks of it, any music major is going to be a 4-year commitment, but that also gives me space to do a majority of the minors during the fall/spring as well instead of classes for the core curriculum. I'm definitely going through summer courses as well.

The point I'm trying to get to is, will committing myself to a music degree allow me enough time to commit to the other subjects I want to pursue? I really would love to finish up undergrad in 4 years. And I know this is just more work on my part to fit everything in and still make the grade where I need to. I know music majors entail a lot of practicing, but I practice about 2 hours a day, which I think is a decent amount of time to begin with. Not only that, but I'm also probably going to go through shadowing and maybe internships for dentistry as well. Ah, and probably juggling some part-time work and all that happens in college life as well.

So stacking all of this up, how do I fare if I pursue a Bachelor's of Arts in Music?

 

[gary]

You've confused me. Above, you write: "I am planning on going to dental school. In other words, it'll be like I'm double-majoring, technically, with Pre-Dentistry. (Which, to get into dental school, you need to attain good grades in a certain amount of sciences courses, get a good score on the DAT, and have a bachelors + some experience around some dentistry). Not only that, but I also want to minor in Business/Management, Biology and Education (there are a couple unis I'm looking at that do) or Psychology."

How are you going to major in music, if you're majoring in Pre-Dentistry (which I assume is not in dental school, or it'd be "Dentistry", no?) and minoring in Business/Management, Biology and Education or Psychology? This doesn't add up for me.

 

[andre251]

It sounds like you want to do a pre-med degree, a minor and a music arts degree.

Why on earth would you be looking for money from teaching music lessons while you are a dentist??

Double majoring in music as well as any type of science degree is extremely difficult. I mean, you can do it, but the musical ability will take a hit. I think I have known one or two people to do this and still be a top player on their horn.

You know, if you take lessons and play in ensembles in college and come out playing well, you can still teach lessons when you finish.

My suggestion would be to choose your pre-med degree program, and contact the school of music about lessons and ensemble auditions.

 

[itsJast]

Pre-dentistry isn't a major. It's like any of the other pre-professional programs. It's pretty much a title/program declaring that you're preparing for the actual dental school. It is during undergrad, but it is not a major nor minor.

Let me clarify. Dental school is a graduate school. To get into dental school, you need to complete the prerequisites in undergrad plus obtain a baccalaureate. I believe there's a minimal of 50 credits total in prerequisite, making it more than a minor but less than a major. However, the baccalaureate can be whatever the student wanted to major in, be it art or science. Unlike traditional graduate degrees, there's no set dental baccalaureate to follow up with (ex. If I wanted to get a Master of Education, I would need to get a Bachelor of Education first; that is not the case with getting a Doctoral of Dental Surgery). This is because a Bachelor of Dental Surgery does not exist in America, only a Doctoral in Dental Surgery (but a BDS is an equivalent to a DDS, just the school system differences across the globe). I believe this is the same for most medical degrees in America, plus law.

I guess saying I would be doubling was confusing. I meant, in a sense, that because a pre-dental program will require attention comparably (probably less, but nonetheless) like an actual major, that it would seem like I would be double majoring, but in actuality would not be. (Err... if that makes any more sense) I meant it figuratively.

In any case, I would be going to University of X, get my Bachelor and minors and then move on to dental school to get a Doctoral in Dental Surgery. Pre-Dentistry is just a program gearing me towards that DDS.

By the way, the minors are all meant to help me in my profession. Business for starting up a private practice, education for private lessoning+being less socially awkward around others, etc. Of course, I could always just take a couple of classes with those in mind.

And why I want to do private lessons? Maybe more for fun rather than seriously making a profit out of it. I think it would be a great chance for me to pass on my love for music :mrgreen: I don't have to have 30 students up my sleeve for private lessons, even just 1 would make me happy.

Thanks for the suggestions andre.

 

[gary]

If it were me, I would major at the under-graduate level in whatever physiological or scientific areas best prepare me for dental school. And then, I would also minor in one of those areas that give the administrative and business skills one needs to manage a practice. And I would join whatever musical ensembles I can in order to keep enjoying my music.

Once you get into such a program and want to pick up a few other music courses (theory, history, arranging) you can do that. But I would wait until I had gotten a solid foot-hold in my other studies, first.

Keep actively involved in the music making. It's a great way to meet people and make friends, especially those outside of your specialty. And it's a great stress reliever. Why minor in it where you have the pressure to succeed and where you might have to take (and make good grades in) music courses you have no real passion for? Relieve your stress, don't add to it.

And most importantly, I would talk to a Dental School counselor (not one at the undergraduate counselor's office, but at the Big Boy's school) if the course of action you are thinking about is the right way to go, before you enroll in the university and its undergrad programs..

 

[itsJast]

Thanks for the suggestions Gary I'll definitely take what you said in mind.

 

[smash]

Definitely stay away from Music Education, It requires more work and credits than other degrees (in my experience). Education courses are typically history/elementary development/ classroom management so that won't really help you as a private instructor. Since you are doing pre-dentist and want to complete in 4 years, I would do the science program at a school with a good music department and try and take lessons or get into the ensembles. You should be able to take lessons, play in some of the ensembles, or even study with a local pro depending on where you are. I sometimes work with a great alto player who didn't study music in college but he auditioned for his university's top jazz ensemble and got in.

 

[whaler]

Why would a dentist need to teach sax lessons on the side? Next question, why would anyone want to study sax with a dentist?
Get your dentistry degree and enjoy playing music as a hobby. Less painful.

 

[Hot and Heavy]

Majoring in music AND a science would not be a wise thing to do IMO. It's one thing to double major in say, chemistry and biology, but chemistry and music would not be doable, at least not very well. Both majors would suffer greatly, unless you have six years or more to complete your undergraduate studies. There just is absolutely NO OVERLAP between these two subjects. I made that realization when I was an undergrad, and chose chemistry as my major, which took my full-time effort (at UC San Diego; NOT San Diego State!). If you do go to a good college you will find out very quickly that college is much, MUCH more demanding than any high school. I did however, take as many music classes as I could but I did not put in anywhere near the same kind of time and effort in them as in my chemistry classes. Both of these majors require a 100% TOTAL COMMITMENT to do them well. That's a 200% commitment to do both; can't be done (well).

One of my roommates in college decided that he wanted to major in Chinese Studies but he also wanted to go to medical school. His solution was to take all of the science courses needed to get into medical school, but no more. This still required a pretty serious effort but he then had much more time to pursue his Chinese studies, especially during his Jr. and Sr. years. Not to knock Chinese studies, but it really doesn't take the same kind of time and effort that a music degree would. He was eventually accepted to Johns Hopkins medical school and is practicing medicine today. So he was able to have his cake and eat it, too. He was also a very smart (and modest) guy, too.

So if you really want to get into dental school and want to major in music, you might want to think about taking my old roommate's approach. But you'd better do well in all of the required science courses you'll need to get into dental school. But as for majoring in a science and music, I would advise against it. Just my opinion.

PS I think you'll find out that if you're a music major, two hours of practice a day won't cut it. That's basically what a hobbyist like me puts in. It's not enough for a music major.

 

[Dr G]

If you want to get into a competitive grad school, you should focus on your major requirements. Get a couple years into college to access your ability to perform, before you start spreading yourself too thin.

Disclaimer: I doubled engineering and music until I dropped out and sorted out my goals. When I went back, I started over in my math and physics courses to gain the momentum to get through a B.S. in applied physics, and my M.S. and Ph.D. in engineering.

 

[gary]

Not to knock Chinese studies, but it really doesn't take the same kind of time and effort that a music degree would.

A little confused as to why you would say this, Hot and Heavy. Are you aware of how many characters it takes just to read most of a newspaper, how characters combined mean something completely different than the characters separately, or just how acute hearing and intonation is in proper pronunciation? And that's not even taking into account cultural and historical studies.

PS. I think you'll find out that if you're a music major, two hours of practice a day won't cut it. That's basically what a hobbyist like me puts in. It's not enough for a music major.

I don't agree. If you want to be a performance major, you need a lot of concentrated practice, but not necessarily the same degree is required for non-performance students. Keep in mind that there is a lot of playing that takes place at the university (big band, marching band, ensembles) that can bring one's daily playing time up, including that two hours of practice, to a considerable amount.

 

[itsJast]

Thanks for all the input guys. So I'm taking that for my situation, a music degree isn't going to be a good idea. :lol: I'll take all yall's advice in mind. If anyone wants to know, a major in Biology would be the best choice. I've gone around a bit and many dental students have majored in Biology, so I suppose it's the "unofficial" major for pre-dents. :toothy8: I've just been thinking lately amount incorporating music in my adult life outside of just practicing every once in a while. I realize that to get to a point like that can take many different roads, not simply through a college music program. So, thanks for all the different suggestions everyone. If anyone wants to know, there is one person who has, and I think he's what made me start contemplating majoring in music --> here's an article http://www.washingtontimes.com/news...ist-is-also-a-musician-guitar-maker/?page=all .

P.S. Just to add to the language discussion, learning Chinese is demanding, much more than Spanish or German. I have to agree with Gary that Chinese is challenging. It's like taming a whole new different type of animal! Not only in speech, but in writings as well (unlike Romantic characters, Chinese characters have to be written in the exact amount of strokes, in the exact order, in exactly the same amount of space as the one before and after it--imagine doing and remembering that for a character that has 48 strokes! [?] Let's not forget that multiple characters can have the same Romanticized lettering save for how they are pronounced http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic1263655.jpg ). If anyone takes the time to look around, there's a handful of people who are learning or have learnt multiple Romantic languages but have never (or just lightly) touched another language with a different base alphabet, which is also why there's a lot of competition between these types of interpreters/translators (knowing Chinese/Japanese/Vietnamese/etc. can give them an edge in that business). I know this because my friend who loves cultures and languages is learning Chinese on his own and he will admit how fun but how challenging it can get! :shock: It's harder than learning a completely different instrument, IMHO.

 

[Dr G]

OK, you've had the epiphany about the music major/minor - now it's time for a similar reality check regarding Chinese. Your first years of college are not the time to overfill the proverbial plate. When there are options of easy/hard versions of science and math courses, take them. You'll ultimately get more out of them and compete more favorably when it comes time for grad school. Keep your eye on the prize!

 

[itsJast]

When there are options of easy/hard versions of science and math courses, take them.

As in "them", you mean the easy classes, or hard? I'm assuming hard, but just making sure. Unless you did mean both?
I do have an itch to enroll in the Honors College at whichever university I will go to, though I don't quite have a grasp on what that entails me to. I know the courses are harder than the normal college courses that are an equivalent credit hours-value to them. Though, I do like the whole "close-knit community, more one-on-one, etc." idea. Of course, this is something that communicating with the Honors Colleges is for. :mrgreen: