How to convince your parents to be a Music Major
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By spending the next several years practicing 2-4 hours/day and pursuing it with all the passion that you can muster. If that doesn't make your case, then nothing will.
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Pay for college yourself...
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Don't worry about convincing your parents about anything just yet.
You're only a sophmore. You'll change your mind at least 4 more times before you're a senior.
If you don't, then go with Grumps suggestion and pay for school yourself.
That way if you flunk out, decide to change your major 5 times, or take 10 years to complete a 5 year degree you won't be wasting your parents money.
You're only a sophmore. You'll change your mind at least 4 more times before you're a senior.
If you don't, then go with Grumps suggestion and pay for school yourself.
That way if you flunk out, decide to change your major 5 times, or take 10 years to complete a 5 year degree you won't be wasting your parents money.
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You're a sophomore. Don't try to convince your dad now. Nothing will do that. You have 2 years before you decide on what college to go to. So here's what you do between now and March 2013: continue to take lessons, learn to improvise over chord changes or learn to play some difficult classical pieces very well, perform in public in a recital or jazz band or other live music, learn music theory, learn to play some other instruments, especially keyboard. Either compose a few pieces or record some solos on rock, pop, or jazz tunes. If you do that, in 2 years you'll know whether you're going to be a music major in college and your dad will know too.
Dont major in music in college. Complete waste of $$. Become a musician... maybe ...study and practice ... okay ...a degree in performance means nothing. A musid-education degree might mean you make a living ... maybe not though in this economic climate ... but most importantly . . .
. . . LISTEN TO YOUR DAD.
. . . LISTEN TO YOUR DAD.
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Why do you want your parents to be a (singular) music major? not only is that way to controlling but biologically impossible?
I agree with this. If anything it will give you an idea of the lifestyle you will have as a music major (and it's not a nice one). Practice at least 3 hrs a day and you will find out if music is what you really want to major in. If you still do, then great. I suggest going for a Music Ed degree because this way you would be able to actually teach. Performance pretty much just says you can play, my approach is to major in Music Ed but treat it as a Performance degree. This means I practice 3-5 hrs each day and that's just the way that works for me.
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Finding out what you really want to do can be tough at your age. If you are REALLY convinced music is your way of life, then just go for it, work as hard as you can, live, eat, breathe, sleep ,dream music, go to concerts and study your xxx of on your instrument, ear training ,theory.
If you can do that for the next two years without getting fed up with it you'll be quite convincing when you say you want to major in music.
If not , choose another path, you can still be a part time musician besides majoring in something else. I would seriously consider that option too,
people who do this are independant in their choices in music, it's not their daily bread so to speak.
If you can do that for the next two years without getting fed up with it you'll be quite convincing when you say you want to major in music.
If not , choose another path, you can still be a part time musician besides majoring in something else. I would seriously consider that option too,
people who do this are independant in their choices in music, it's not their daily bread so to speak.
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I agree with this post. Don't waste time majoring in music (unless you specifically go for music engineering at a school like berkeley school of music). Otherwise keep it as a hobby. When I was in college I played in my universities' jazz combo as well as one ska band and one punk band. I majored in International Business; glad I did. Maybe compromise with your old man and minor in music.
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1st question: What do you want to DO with music? Is your goal to become a professional performing musician, a music educator, or do you not know yet?
My daughter, a 9th grader, has decided she wants to become a professional performing musician. I support her on this, but I've told her she's needs to be at a professional level by time she is 18, not only because it is such a competitive field but because she needs to experience what professional musicians do in order to be able to make an informed decision. So first of all, she practices about 4 hours a day, and this is in addition to all her ensembles, which are rather numerous at this point. Secondly, I told her she should try out all the areas of music specialization that's she's interested in now, such as working as an orchestral musician, chamber music, doubling, soloing, etc. One of her instruments is oboe, so she plays in a youth orchestra and gets her orchestral experience there. She plays in several chamber groups, on several of her instruments, and between these groups plays classical, jazz and contemporary music including some she has composed or arranged herself. She has performed in about five musicals in the pit orchestra as she is seriously considering becoming a doubler. Finally she has recently been auditioning in concerto competitions. These are really tough, especially on saxophone. One piece she has been working up recently is Song and Dance by Carvalho for the US Navy Band competition. I can't believe they ask high-school age students to work up a piece like this with so much altissimo, but it's been good for my daughter because she has really had to push herself. She did make the finals on oboe already with one of the military bands and gets to perform with them in concert. Also, because she has made the finals at two other local competitions, she will have the opportunity to perform in recitals on a regular basis in our region. Plus, she maintains a 4.0 GPA , but she studies very late into the morning. Next year her school will allow her to take two online courses.
If you can work at this level and be one of the top high school musicians in your state/region by the time you're a senior, you can always study in-state and pay your own way.
My daughter, a 9th grader, has decided she wants to become a professional performing musician. I support her on this, but I've told her she's needs to be at a professional level by time she is 18, not only because it is such a competitive field but because she needs to experience what professional musicians do in order to be able to make an informed decision. So first of all, she practices about 4 hours a day, and this is in addition to all her ensembles, which are rather numerous at this point. Secondly, I told her she should try out all the areas of music specialization that's she's interested in now, such as working as an orchestral musician, chamber music, doubling, soloing, etc. One of her instruments is oboe, so she plays in a youth orchestra and gets her orchestral experience there. She plays in several chamber groups, on several of her instruments, and between these groups plays classical, jazz and contemporary music including some she has composed or arranged herself. She has performed in about five musicals in the pit orchestra as she is seriously considering becoming a doubler. Finally she has recently been auditioning in concerto competitions. These are really tough, especially on saxophone. One piece she has been working up recently is Song and Dance by Carvalho for the US Navy Band competition. I can't believe they ask high-school age students to work up a piece like this with so much altissimo, but it's been good for my daughter because she has really had to push herself. She did make the finals on oboe already with one of the military bands and gets to perform with them in concert. Also, because she has made the finals at two other local competitions, she will have the opportunity to perform in recitals on a regular basis in our region. Plus, she maintains a 4.0 GPA , but she studies very late into the morning. Next year her school will allow her to take two online courses.
If you can work at this level and be one of the top high school musicians in your state/region by the time you're a senior, you can always study in-state and pay your own way.
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If the guy wants to major in music he should be able to. If he wants to study theory & technique in a classroom setting, he should be encouraged. I loved being a music major and if I had to do it all over again I would in a heartbeat.
It's not easy but well worth it if you are looking to continue a career as a saxophonist. I recommend going for jazz, not classical - I got a Bachelor of Music in classical and now I am @ Berklee for jazz, b/c that is where more work lies.
Economic climates come and go, but there will always be music, musicians, and patrons of this art.
Said like a true Berklee kid with no idea how he is going to make a living afterwards. Everything, and I mean everything you learn at Berklee can be learned quicker and cheaper by studying privately. Take 2 private lessons a week (with different teachers) and take 2 private composition and theory lessons a week, go see music everynight of the week, practice, listen, transcribe, and have a part time job. Do this for 4-5 years and save yourself $200,000.
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Well, it depends on what you call "making a living".
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Sir, I have been making a living playing music for over 13 years. You have no idea of my background. I came to Berklee as an adult.
You are wrong on quite a few levels.
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I wanted to go for music and my Dad said no also. I was practicing all the time. Winning awards and competitions but he would not budge. Finally as a senior in HS it got to a point where I said if I didn't go for music then I didn't want to go for anything. I would just take my sax and move to NYC and do what I could to learn and play. After that he relented and said I could for music education but not performance. No way. I went for 2 years as an education major but then transferred to Berklee and changed to a performance major. My Dad was not happy about that at all.
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You went to Berklee. Mr. Galt infers this is a bad thing. :tsk: :bluewink:
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+1 - seriously. I really didn't understand parents until I became one. When you hit the big 1-8, you're considered an adult, and able to make adult decisions. I made one of those kind of decisions - not college mind you, but I went ahead with my desire against my parents advice. They did cut off financial support. I did encounter significant monetary expenditures that I wouldn't have had to otherwise, one of which was paying for my last year and-a-half of college, I was on my own. It wasn't easy, I didn't have a savings account to speak of at the time and I was forced to grow up a lot due to my decision. It was mine and mine alone. I owned up to it and never blamed my parents for not supporting me 100%. Still, it was the best thing I ever did. I wouldn't change a thing.
You want something bad enough, you'll find a way to get it. You will get around, go under, or through the obstacles in your way.
But, you're just a high school sophomore, I was a college sophomore, there are still two more years for you to change someone's mind. You've been given good advice on how to do that already.
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