This topic is open to you teachers who have sent their students into further study - being piano majors at a college or higher level instutution or to another specialised teacher to could show diffterent ropes. Being in a situation where I leave school soon, I have been comtemplating music as a career but the usual set back talk of people warning me (even though I am well aware) the industry is pretty full and competitive.

I would like to know it from a teachers perspective, how is it like to train up a pre-proffessional?Any stories/experiences of the proccess?

There aren't that many who are really cut out for it. I generally don't encourage students to go into it unless they show a certain interest in that direction. If they do, then I tell them that any musical professional, no matter what they do, will have to wear many hats. Church musician, private teacher, accompanist, school music teacher, and even be willing to have jobs in other areas to help make ends meet. If they are talented enough to do this, then there are good chances it will work out for them. As long as they are realistic enough to understand that "making it big" as a performer is most likely not going to happen, although one should certainly keep trying at it if that's the goal.

Most musicians I've talked to choose to be professional musicians because they love it. I started out in the insurance industry and then the finance industry and could have gone quite far in that. However, I chose to go into music after a time. Even though I had majored in voice in undergrad, I didn't think I could make a living doing that and so I didn't even try for many years. Now, I can't imagine myself doing anything else.

I can relate to your feelings of anxiousness about going out in the real world. It's OK if you have a regular 9-5 job. Your degree will get your foot in the door with most places, no matter what it's in. At least that is how it is in the States. You can always audition and teach around that for a while as you make connections and gain some real-world experience.

What exactly would you love to do above anything else?

Morodiene, you probably know that I am a pianist and vocalist. I dont want to be an intenational performer, I dont want to be the best of the best or at the very top. I really just want to perform as a classical singer and pianist (solo piano doesn't appeal to me much) I really want to collaborate and accompany. In saying all of this, the academia side to it all appeals to me, I love doing research projects and I love to write. I am interested in musicology and history and general humanities. I wouldn't mind teaching either but I can't see myself purely teaching. The DREAM is to be a Lieder Recitalist, holding my own concerts something like once a week or fortnight, hosting my own show or accompanying someone else, maybe too much to dream for and I do realise that one day I will have to stop dreaming. Its coming to a point where I know I have to assess the practicalities of something and I just really want to keep studying for now. I was actually planning to take a year off when I graduate from highschool and take up serious study of the voice, literature and piano from top private teachers (I have one teacher who is a concert pianist and I am planning to switch to a specialist vocal teacher next year)

On the other hand volunteer services really appeal to me, I've wanted to be a music therapist before. I have also wanted to get into community work.

Music is something I have wanted to do for a long while, I am fine with changing hats infact I am actually quite happy to but I still wonder if I should even bother trying to go down this path, its exciting but it feels like ... well maybe I should get a 'real' job.

Rebekah, you sound to me like an ideal candidate for majoring in music!

I tell my advanced (piano and voice) students that successful music majors need to be either world-class soloists OR very versatile performers (in the case of pianists, they should be able to play jazz, accompany, play organ and/or harpsichord, sight read, as well as display excellent technical skills). And I strongly encourage all potential music majors to get their bachelor's degree in music education if there's even a small chance they think they may want to teach in a classroom setting.

It sounds to me like you are already a versatile musician, and have put considerable thought into exactly how your degree in music will enable you to make a living in these uncertain economic times. I wish you success and happiness as an adult musician!

double post

Thanks Lalakeys, I am looking at getting a bachelors in performance and education, after that I was hoping to get a masters in music therapy. I was also planning to get Associate and hopefully Licentiate diplomas in piano and singing. I am really not interested in the classroom component of teaching, private teaching is what I am looking at but even so, part of me, I admit is a tad bit cynical to teaching. The multitude of students that don't practice or work is understandably frustrating and I've seen teachers vent.

I want to perform a great deal ... but I don't know, sometimes I think of taking months off music lessons and practising ... I wonder if I would feel like I am missing it. I remember when I was highly emotional and fanatical when it came to music, I don't think it was healthy. A lot of my school work suffered, later I realised that I was truly interested in other areas (literature, humanities and history). I was also interested in community work a great deal.

This feels like a big step for me in choosing what to major in, any teachers what to share how it feels like to 'raise' a student?

I don't really know what the scene is like in Oz, but in the US you are better off getting a degree in another instrument than voice. The best voice teachers are not a part of a college or university for the most part. I know of only two good teachers at a university, they are married and teach in the same place. So find yourself a good voice teacher, but chances are that will have to be outside your school of choice.

Keep in mind that if you choose a piano performance major, the requirements and competition will be quite a bit more stiff. The bigger the reputation of the school, the harder it will be. Since you have interests in things other than performance, why not go with piano pedagogy? While we gripe about the bad student or parent, we are simply venting. We often don't post about how wonderful the good students are. I really cannot see myself ever not teaching. Every job you choose, not matter how much you love it, will have its down side, so pick something you love more than anything to make it worth the hardships.

In Oz, the best teachers are in the conservatoriums. The best univerisities here are populated with truly exceptional teachers. I was planning to either go to univeristy next year as a voice major or take a year off and study with a top teacher.

One of my teachers is helping me find a top teacher, he's spoken to a few and some of them are teachers who are performers or who have performed in the past as a career.

How is it like to raise a professional as a teacher?

I don't have a music degree. And my parents didn't want me to have a musical career either, though I knew and my friends and teachers knew I had what it took to make it. And while I started out having another job to help pay the bills, I am far from that position now; in fact, I am teaching at least three career minded musicians and showing them some of the things they won't necessarily get in a music program at a conservatory or university. I teach my students that a musical career will be multi-faceted, usually a combination of performing and teaching (the former which requires less effort and I find is more profitable). For me and my husband, what started off as occasional performing jobs and a few students has blossomed into performing,composing,arranging,accompanying,working as a church musician, writing about,instrument sales,workshops,camps, which most of them I get paid pretty well, especially the chamber music concerts I do with my husband, which usually we make about $500/concert (at about $15 admission)

Meri

musiclady, may I ask: why did you choose not to have a music degree? I am aware that it is not neccassary and in some cases it's useless for musicians but I know many choose to get a degree because of the security it holds. Thanks for the replies, they have been very insightful.

Well, I had problems with a previous student loan and other credit problems (and I want to avoid loans as much as possible), plus my income was very low, I actually was going to prepare to audition this year, but then my husband lost his school teaching job a couple of months ago.

Meri

It sounds tricky there, here as far as finances go, student loans are granted by the government and they have no interest or 'due date ' to pay. I hope you get around to studying what you wish for.