[myeverything]

In college what is the difference between majoring in music-general and music-performance general? Also any pros and/or cons on each would be lovely. I am just not sure which one I would like to do and it is hard to limit down colleges when I really don't know the difference. any sort of advice would be gratefully apperciated. thanks.

 

[Carl H.]

I don't know of anybody who got a job because of a performance degree.

 

[saxman_aja]

I agree. The best bet is to do your undergrad in some sort of program that'll give you a license to teach music, and then do advanced degrees in performance if that's what you want to do.

 

[Jonathan C.]

I asked my private lesson teacher about performance. And he said that if your giong to major in music stay away from performance. Their are just not enough paying jobs. And your extreamly lucky to make money a decent amount of money doing it.

I heard its a lot of hard work for the performance. For saxophone I was told that the first day it was the first X many pages of the Ferling book for Sax and Oboe. To performance by the next class.

Thats just what my teacher told me.

 

[hakukani]

I don't know of anybody who got a job because of a performance degree.

...unless they're a tutti-picker.
or a college prof.

 

[Dr G]

I heard its a lot of hard work for the performance. For saxophone I was told that the first day it was the first X many pages of the Ferling book for Sax and Oboe.

<gasp> Oh no! Hard work???!!! You certainly don't want to have your college experience spoiled by hard work. That would be a waste of time and money.

 

[hakukani]

For saxophone I was told that the first day it was the first X many pages of the Ferling book for Sax and Oboe. To performance by the next class.

Aren't you working from the Ferling?

 

[saxman_aja]

It's not a matter of hard work. If you really want to do this music thing, you've got to work your tookus off, whether you're doing performance or music ed. If you want to play, you've got to work. Hard...It's just that if you have a liscense to teach, you can do something music-related and enjoyable (and have health insurance) while you're waiting for that military band or college gig (or whatever else) of your dreams.

 

[hakukani]

I was just thinking (and boy does my head hurt).

What's a general music degree? Some liberal arts degree?

 

[andrewb]

I'm going to be a performance major in the fall.

From my understanding, a lot of schools don't really have just a "music" major. There's degrees in performance, music ed, jazz studies, composition, etc., but I don't think many places offer degrees in just "music".

I think a lot of people just say they're a "music major", when their degree is actually more specific...I'll probably just tell non-music people that I'm a music major, because I think it would sound kind of annoying to say, 'oh, im a SAXOPHONE PERFORMANCE major'.

This is probably the case at most places with developed music programs...the degrees are more individualized, not just "music".

Also, I'm saying this as a classical player...I will be studying classical saxophone. If you're looking to play jazz, you might look at "jazz studies", not necessarily performance.

This is just kind of what I've gathered from my college search. I may be wrong, and this surely doesn't apply to every school or every student.

 

[hakukani]

My diploma in saxophone performance says 'Bachelor of Music' (I just tell everybody I have a B.M.)
My other diploma say 'Bachelor of Music Education'

I'm just wondering if some schools have a B.A. (Bachelor of Arts) program.

 

[rim shot]

In college what is the difference between majoring in music-general and music-performance general?

Are you talking about a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Music? Please specify.

You should take a look at the actual curriculum requirements for the different types of degrees and compare them.
A lot of this can be done online- go to the website of a University of your choice, and look at exactly what classes the students take each year- for each of the different degree programs.

Posting over you, Hakukani... yes there are BA programs with a music major or minor.

 

[littlemanbighorn]

My diploma in saxophone performance says 'Bachelor of Music' (I just tell everybody I have a B.M.)
My other diploma say 'Bachelor of Music Education'

I'm just wondering if some schools have a B.A. (Bachelor of Arts) program.

I know Simon Fraser University here has a BA in music. It's a pretty interdisciplinary program with lots of the musicians working with dancers and with the theatre department. It's focussed far more heavily on composition than performance (there's actually very little.) The majority of the classes are non-music.

 

[awholley]

I have a performance degree (two, actually). Please believe me when I tell you you want an Ed. degree...

 

[Jonathan C.]

Awholley, quick question is their anything to really gain from getting a performance degree? To me no offense just from what I have heard. Their is alot of pratice, and hard work that goes into it, and really no gain? Is that about right?

I have heard it summed up like this. A Performance degree is a whole bunch of school. I also heard a college student at UNT say that he got a performance degree, and had to go back to get a ED. degree. Why?

Dr. G I am not scared of hard work. Infact I like hard work, when I can see a gain to it. If I can see a clear gain, then I will work my tail off. So please do not question my work ethic when you do not know me or my work ethic.

~Carbs

 

[hakukani]

The programs for education degrees have changed a bit since I was in school. I almost finished my performance degree, and then spent an extra two years picking up the ed degree, with the student teaching and so forth...

Now I'm finding that many schools encourage people to get a regular four year degree (in English, Music, Math, etc.), and then sign up for a 'teacher education' program that lasts a year or two, after which you are a 'highly qualified teacher' under the No Child's Behind Left act.

 

[Enviroguy]

In Arkansas, you can get a job teaching with a straight B.S. degree as long as you take Ed classes during the summer for two or three summers. Then they give you a teaching certificate whether or not you actually got the Ed degree by going in the summer. Of course, they still give that stupid test started by Clinton in the 1980's. But it's easier than it used to be and a fifth grader could pass it now.

And I know this is completely off the subject, but I think the rest of the world should know. The teacher testing in Arkansas by Clinton was not to get better teachers. It was really to weed out the poor black schoolteachers from segregation days that had barely gone to school themselves. Then they buried that fact when Clinton ran for President. He may be my cousin, but he sure makes me mad sometimes.

Rant over - Now let's get back to getting an education in music. Like I said before, they kicked me out of liberal arts college for keeping girls in my dorm room. So I have to live vicariously through you guys.

 

[myeverything]

Original Poster with more info

Thanks for all your help. But I still have a few questions and some more info and details that might help with your replies. I plan to definetely get my degree in elementary education (no music, just education) and I was debating whether or not to double major in music, but I am not sure which kind. I really don't want to teach music, but I will probably end up getting and ed. degree in music at some point. My personal plans to further in music is in performance at any level and maybe private lessons. I enjoy playing and don't want to stop after high school, ya know? Also a couple of you mentioned a Bachelor of Arts/Music, my private teacher also mentioned this and I am not exactly sure what it is. Can someone explain this to me? Also the college he teaches at has a program that you can major in something like elementary ed. and do a music major along with it and just take some extra class 'cause some of the classes overlap. Is this the Bachelor of Music? I am so confused and it is hard to look for colleges when I don't exactly know what I am looking for. Thanks so much for your help and I am sorry if I seem stupid for not knowing this information.

 

[awholley]

Awholley, quick question is their anything to really gain from getting a performance degree? To me no offense just from what I have heard. Their is alot of pratice, and hard work that goes into it, and really no gain? Is that about right?
~Carbs

The short answer is I don't see any reason whatsoever why an Ed degree would compromise your performance capabilities, but it does enhance your ability to feed your family later in life.

A performance degree gets you nothing. In performing, no one cares whether you have a performance degree -they only care if you can play.
As long as you have the same teacher as a performance major, I don't really see an advantage to a performance degree unless someone is academically challenged and that's the only way they will end up with any degree at all.

 

[Martinman]

A performance degree gets you nothing. In performing, no one cares whether you have a performance degree -they only care if you can play.
As long as you have the same teacher as a performance major, I don't really see an advantage to a performance degree unless someone is academically challenged and that's the only way they will end up with any degree at all.

Depending on the college the teachers focus on different things for the different majors, or so I am told.