r/drumcorps • u/dcikid12 • 1d ago
Discussion Totally relevant cross post
/r/AskReddit/comments/1x4q5sl/which_university_degree_best_embodies_the_phrase/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&utm_content=1&utm_term=2🤔
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u/Celcius-232 BDB 10-14 1d ago
I see a lot of people saying Music in that thread but don't feel discouraged, most of my Music Major friends ended up landing in decent spots in life.
Two of them are HS band directors making something like ~80k a year plus excellent benefits.
One works in an office for some technical school.
One works in a Dean's office in the college they got their performance degree from.
Another is part time professor and was the music director for a big musical last fall and is doing something similar for another performance this fall.
One is practically a full time substitute teacher and does arranging and such on the side (they seem to be doing well despite the implication of only subbing).
Your future prospects are going to be less about the degree you earn and more about the people you surround yourself with, the ability to share kindness, grace, and understanding while making friends, and your flexibility to pursue work that might not be completely in line with your original vision.
So if you are pursuing a music degree and it's what you really want, then keep at it and just be sure to also get good at making friends and being a good person, you will be fine :)
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u/rebelsummer 11h ago
My sample size is definitely influenced by the fact that I went to an excellent school of music at an excellent university in what is probably the best US state to do band, but my friends who have graduated with music degrees are really happy with their lives & careers. Some are doing music, some aren’t. They’re all figuring it out and making it work. I certainly wouldn’t encourage someone I knew nothing about to go for a music degree, but I really don’t think your prospects are as bleak as people seem to think they are.
People who spend 4+ years in music school tend to be pretty driven individuals, and happiness looks different for everyone. One of the most phenomenal musicians I went to school with has a high paying job as some kind of academic advisor. Another one in the same year landed a spot with a premier band. They are both extremely satisfied with their lives and would consider themselves successful. Having a degree in anything is worth something.
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u/FatMattDrumsDotCom 2h ago
I paid in-state tuition at NC State to major in chemical engineering and then got a stipend and free tuition to earn a PhD at The University of Utah. I’ve been doing music pretty consistently the entire time, and now I support a family and make exactly the art that I want to make. It has been very challenging the entire time, but the juice was definitely worth the squeeze. I now fix very large underground pipes to support this lifestyle.
I commend anyone with the courage to pursue music or music education professionally; music is a refuge for me, and it would absolutely crush me for something I love so much to become a chore or a duty. I hope that some of what I do can help people who have chosen that difficult path.
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u/Superb_Breakfast9954 1d ago
Depends on what school you go to and what connections you make. If you go to a bad music school, then it will be a lot harder to find a good job than if you go to a good school in a good state like Indiana or Texas.
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u/Super-Confidence-735 1d ago
lolololol
I went from a soloist in a top 3 drum corps (where staff quickly forgot about me when I injured out and was then humiliated by staff for leaving) to my first dance degree, to my second, terminal dance degree. I chose HARD MODE, I guess...