4 answers
Josiah
Student
Sabetha, Kansas
3
Questions
Updated
529 views
Should I major in music therapy with a piano performance minor, or major in music therapy and then get a masters in piano performance from a more prestigious school?
My future career goal is to primarily be a music therapist and private music instructor, but I would also like to be a professional concert pianist, perhaps touring every summer or every other summer with a few gigs throughout the year. Technically, the only degree I need is a music therapy degree, but would a minor be necessary? Or possibly I could just major in music therapy and then maybe get a piano performance masters if I decide afterwards that I need one? Also then what college should I go to? I have met with a professional opera singer from the Met, and he emphasized connections in college and how important it is to have a recognized teacher, but I am having trouble deciding.
Login to comment
4 answers
Michelle M.
Entertainment Industry
1879
Answers
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Josiah !
You certainly have planned a most exciting career for your future. You have stated that you want a career in Music Therapy which means you would be hired by a company. You also want a performance career as well. The two may be a little hard to do simultaneously because if you get hired at a company to do music therapy, you will have to make a stable and strong commitment to that employment. With music performance, you never know when you'd get a project, how long the run will be, how far away from home base it will be, so the two careers can be done, certainly, but not at the same time. It's not something you can plan, actually. You will have to pick one career to start with and then at some point transition to the other. It's fine to know how you would like to have things be in the future, but I would say commit to one thing and do it well. You can transition between these two particular careers, but one at a time.
To be a Music Therapist is a rigorous course of study. First you would obtain your Bachelors Degree in Music Therapy. Then you will need a Masters Degree in Music Therapy. After your Masters, you would have to train as a music therapist. After that you will need a three year musical training. For that you can get a diploma, or you can obtain another Masters Degree from a music school and then see to being accepted for a qualification to be a Music Therapist. So it doesn't sound like you really would have to minor in anything.
If you do not know of the colleges yet, now is a good time to do some first hand exploring and reading about what choices you may have. Explore the University of Kansas and Kansas State University as they both offer degrees in Music Therapy. After your post Master training you can go to a Music School for your three year performance study. It sounds like you want a very impressive named school that may carry a lot of weight. If so, and money is no object, my first recommendation would be Julliard in New York City. There are others such as Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland, Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, PA, Yale School of Music in New Haven, CT, Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, England, Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, Royal Academy of Music in London, England, Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, and
Colburn School of Music. Keep in mind that these music schools are very selective. Explore their websites and see which one would be to your liking. These schools would have renowned teachers but would also carry a lot of weight on your resume.
So it looks like you have some deciding to do - which career to prepare for now and which one you can do after spending some years at the first career. If you choose to study and start a career first in music therapy, by all means do not put your performances on the back burner, continue doing short term performances in your free time. Keep up with the music industry for your genre. Subscribe to industry magazines and websites. I have left a couple of links for them below.
This is really, truthfully not a decision you can actually make now. I suggest that you go through the entire course of study and training for Music Therapy. I can tell you that after that, you may feel very eager to obtain the performance career and that is perfectly okay. Go for it. I was an acting student and in my senior year, all I could think about was being eager to get my acting career going. I know the feeling, so do not hesitate if that's what happens in your last segment of requirements for Music Therapy. Also, the decision as to which career to do first will be based on what other things that are in your life at the time you finish all your study and training for music therapy. No decision will be the wrong decision when you have two strong interests. Focus on your training and studies for now and let it all evolve naturally.
I hope that this is helpful advice and I wish you all the best !
THE WORLD OF CLASSICAL PIANO MUSIC https://www.pianostreet.com/
CLASSICAL MUSIC MAGAZINES https://magazines.feedspot.com/classical_music_magazines/
PIANIST MAGAZINE https://www.pianistmagazine.com/news/find-out-about-pianists-special-issue-great-piano-composers-of-the/
You certainly have planned a most exciting career for your future. You have stated that you want a career in Music Therapy which means you would be hired by a company. You also want a performance career as well. The two may be a little hard to do simultaneously because if you get hired at a company to do music therapy, you will have to make a stable and strong commitment to that employment. With music performance, you never know when you'd get a project, how long the run will be, how far away from home base it will be, so the two careers can be done, certainly, but not at the same time. It's not something you can plan, actually. You will have to pick one career to start with and then at some point transition to the other. It's fine to know how you would like to have things be in the future, but I would say commit to one thing and do it well. You can transition between these two particular careers, but one at a time.
To be a Music Therapist is a rigorous course of study. First you would obtain your Bachelors Degree in Music Therapy. Then you will need a Masters Degree in Music Therapy. After your Masters, you would have to train as a music therapist. After that you will need a three year musical training. For that you can get a diploma, or you can obtain another Masters Degree from a music school and then see to being accepted for a qualification to be a Music Therapist. So it doesn't sound like you really would have to minor in anything.
If you do not know of the colleges yet, now is a good time to do some first hand exploring and reading about what choices you may have. Explore the University of Kansas and Kansas State University as they both offer degrees in Music Therapy. After your post Master training you can go to a Music School for your three year performance study. It sounds like you want a very impressive named school that may carry a lot of weight. If so, and money is no object, my first recommendation would be Julliard in New York City. There are others such as Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland, Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, PA, Yale School of Music in New Haven, CT, Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, England, Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, Royal Academy of Music in London, England, Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, and
Colburn School of Music. Keep in mind that these music schools are very selective. Explore their websites and see which one would be to your liking. These schools would have renowned teachers but would also carry a lot of weight on your resume.
So it looks like you have some deciding to do - which career to prepare for now and which one you can do after spending some years at the first career. If you choose to study and start a career first in music therapy, by all means do not put your performances on the back burner, continue doing short term performances in your free time. Keep up with the music industry for your genre. Subscribe to industry magazines and websites. I have left a couple of links for them below.
This is really, truthfully not a decision you can actually make now. I suggest that you go through the entire course of study and training for Music Therapy. I can tell you that after that, you may feel very eager to obtain the performance career and that is perfectly okay. Go for it. I was an acting student and in my senior year, all I could think about was being eager to get my acting career going. I know the feeling, so do not hesitate if that's what happens in your last segment of requirements for Music Therapy. Also, the decision as to which career to do first will be based on what other things that are in your life at the time you finish all your study and training for music therapy. No decision will be the wrong decision when you have two strong interests. Focus on your training and studies for now and let it all evolve naturally.
I hope that this is helpful advice and I wish you all the best !
Michelle recommends the following next steps:
Thank you for giving me advice.
Josiah
You are very welcome, Josiah !
Michelle M.
Austin Bradley
Live and studio musician
26
Answers
Millington, Tennessee
Updated
Austin’s Answer
Hello
Let me make it plain for you,,,All of the above!!!! Whatever you can do that would make it better for you and make it easier for you and yes you going to need a bachelor's and a masters to pursue what you need I mean think about it you can go for all the goal or you can shoot for whatever and get second best let me ask a question which one will you choose.
Let me make it plain for you,,,All of the above!!!! Whatever you can do that would make it better for you and make it easier for you and yes you going to need a bachelor's and a masters to pursue what you need I mean think about it you can go for all the goal or you can shoot for whatever and get second best let me ask a question which one will you choose.
You rock! This advice is very helpful.
Josiah
Kelly Desso
Protective Services
226
Answers
Somers, Connecticut
Updated
Kelly’s Answer
The piano player is a hot commodity, sought after by every retiring music director and for every church position. This is great news, especially for those of us who play other instruments, as piano proficiency is a common requirement in many music undergraduate degrees.
You've got a couple of paths to consider here.
You mentioned the idea of following in the footsteps of your admired teacher. That's one way to go - apply to the programs where your top three idols are teaching!
Take a close look at the curriculum. Make sure it's structured in a way that suits your needs and goals for the long haul. I once attended a school where every music course was worth 1-2 credits, which meant juggling 10+ courses and a full week schedule from Monday to Saturday. They even added a mandatory 0 credit "forum" which required attendance at concerts, even if you weren't performing, just to boost audience numbers. Be wary of this! It can be exhausting, and by the end of the second year, less than half of us were still there. If you see a curriculum with multiple 3-credit courses, I'd recommend that over the type of structure I just described.
Another option is to check out the audition requirements of various schools. See if you're capable of meeting their entrance criteria. Most of the schools I auditioned for had similar requirements for pieces, sight reading, sight singing, and theory tests. Some were stricter, requiring proof of 4+ years of weekly private instruction on the major instrument, evidence of a certain number of 9-12 credits in various music areas and foreign language, among other specifics.
You've got a couple of paths to consider here.
You mentioned the idea of following in the footsteps of your admired teacher. That's one way to go - apply to the programs where your top three idols are teaching!
Take a close look at the curriculum. Make sure it's structured in a way that suits your needs and goals for the long haul. I once attended a school where every music course was worth 1-2 credits, which meant juggling 10+ courses and a full week schedule from Monday to Saturday. They even added a mandatory 0 credit "forum" which required attendance at concerts, even if you weren't performing, just to boost audience numbers. Be wary of this! It can be exhausting, and by the end of the second year, less than half of us were still there. If you see a curriculum with multiple 3-credit courses, I'd recommend that over the type of structure I just described.
Another option is to check out the audition requirements of various schools. See if you're capable of meeting their entrance criteria. Most of the schools I auditioned for had similar requirements for pieces, sight reading, sight singing, and theory tests. Some were stricter, requiring proof of 4+ years of weekly private instruction on the major instrument, evidence of a certain number of 9-12 credits in various music areas and foreign language, among other specifics.
Katherine Avery
Run a music studio and teach private music lessons; teach college-level religion classes
350
Answers
Spanish Fork, Utah
Updated
Katherine’s Answer
Honestly, in this day and age, my recommendation, having done it myself for more than ten years and had quite enough of a reputation and connections for me, is to just go ahead and do whatever you would do to be a music therapist if that's your interest, and then start teaching (including creating profiles on platforms like Lessons.com and Thumbtack.com, which will send you leads to your phone and you can get some possible business easier that way), and then just go join a community or church choir and when they need a pianist for something someday, you can volunteer, and things will go from there--you'll be seen and heard and asked to play again, and one gig will lead to another.
You can also put your own music videos on one or more of your own YouTube channels (rumor is YouTube is about to blow up again), and get seen and known that way. And it may not be well-paying at first, but if you just are getting connections and things to do like this, you will go along and get more opportunities over time. Join any Facebook groups for music and pianists in your local area so you can see if people ever ask for a pianist to do something.
If you are a good player, you might not, over the next 30 years, need a degree in piano performance in order to have a fine career or reputation. Chopin and those guys didn't all just have the latest performance degree from some university or whatever.
You can also put your own music videos on one or more of your own YouTube channels (rumor is YouTube is about to blow up again), and get seen and known that way. And it may not be well-paying at first, but if you just are getting connections and things to do like this, you will go along and get more opportunities over time. Join any Facebook groups for music and pianists in your local area so you can see if people ever ask for a pianist to do something.
If you are a good player, you might not, over the next 30 years, need a degree in piano performance in order to have a fine career or reputation. Chopin and those guys didn't all just have the latest performance degree from some university or whatever.