12 Steps on Becoming a Music Major

12 Steps to becoming a music major2 RepliesMaking the choice to be a music major is pretty exciting.  There are, however, a lot of things that apply to students intending on majoring music that might not apply to someone pursuing a degree in other liberal arts or sciences.  The most common interest shown from High School students that I’ve found is in a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education.  Of course there are other degree paths, but for the purposes of this post, I’ll stick with Music Ed.  Here’s a list of things to think about and things you might want to do to prepare

1. Be the best
   ​Be the best you can be on your major instrument.  It’s nice to say you have experience trying out other things, but what really matters is the instrument you will be auditioning with.  My senior year of high school I switched from Tenor Saxophone to Tuba in order to try something new.  I didn’t pay enough attention to my main sax audition, and ultimately had poor auditions only gaining acceptance to my second and third choice school.  Luckily I auditioned on voice as well, and was able to redirect and become a voice major at my first choice school.  Besides, you’ll have your tech classes in college to get acquainted with all of the instruments that you’ll have to teach.
2. Start Early
   Talk to your music teachers about your newly found aspirations.  We can help give you perspective and help you understand all of the things involved in this job.  We can also give you some things that you may need to do throughout high school to make sure that you have a good audition and ultimately a job!
3. Take Private Lessons
   Yes, you might be the “best” singer or instrumentalist in your school.  So will every other person who is applying for music school.  Taking lessons from a reputable teacher will help you to think about your instrument or voice in a more academic way, and really start to improve in significant ways.  Yes, lessons can be expensive, but they can pay off in big dividends.  Taking a few years of lessons and succeeding with them may give you some credibility to teach lessons of your own to younger kids.  What a great way to make a little extra money AND gain experience working with kids.  Additionally, you’ll learn not just what to practice, but how to practice.
4. Learn The Piano.
   You have to learn it.  You will be playing it in college, and it makes EVERYTHING musical easier.  It’s non-negotiable.  Playing by ear is really valuable – develop that skill, but do not skimp on learning to read and play both clefs.  Voice Majors – take this advice and double it.  I mean it.
5. Learn Music Theory and learn to Sight Sing really well
   Be the most intelligent musician you can be.  Of course you might not be “good” at it.  Nobody is born “good” at theory or sight singing.  Here’s evidence to prove that, while “talent” exists, hard work will always be more helpful.
6. Change your mindset.
   You will be changing the role music plays in your life.  Most often, music is something “extra” that we do.  By becoming a music major you are acknowledging that music is an academic field unto itself.  It’s time to start using your talent for good.  Start paying attention more to how hard you work, rather than the results – i.e. process is more important than the product.  Your talent brought you to this point, but it’s the hard work that is going to really help you succeed in college and be a good teacher.
7. Take advice, criticism and failure with grace.
   Practice this now.  Each failure you experience gives you an opportunity to follow-up with improvement or sit and feel sorry about failing.  As a future teacher, you get the added benefit of having a great story to tell your future students about how you [didn't get the part, didn't make all-state, struggled with piano or whatever else] but worked through it and became better because of it.  People are going to tell you that you’re great.  Say “thank you” and smile, even if you don’t believe it.  People are going to tell you that you need to get better.  Say “thank you” and smile, even if you don’t believe it. Then, take each of those experiences and reflect upon them, and keep it all in the mindset of trying to do what you do well better, and improve as much as you can.
8. Work on you
   You are important.  And soon you will be important to the hundreds of kids looking up to you.  It’s not by accident.  You have something positive to offer these kids.  Most of the things I’ve talked about before are centered around continuous improvement.
9. Be prepared for life changes
   Always, every day.  Every day is an audition.  More specifically, however, make sure you know what you need to do to have a successful audition.  Ask your music teacher for some recommendations for colleges that will give you the best experience possible.  Your best choice of college will probably not be local.  Sure, you could go to the local college that has a music ed. degree, but will you get everything you need from that school in order to be the best teacher and job candidate?  Maybe, maybe not.  Go visit your schools, find some alumni and ask questions, find some current students and shadow them for a day – most school will let you do this.  College is a place where you should go to learn how to live, have fun, work hard, become a professional.  It’s an investment that should ultimately prepare you to get a job and be good at that job.
10. Be prepared for the audition
    Singers:  You will likely have to have three pieces memorized, at least two in a foreign language.  Also likely: pop and musical theater are not permitted.  You’ll need to have copies of music for your accompanist (the college has one there, usually).  You should hole punch it, put it in a (clean, black) binder, NOT in plastic sheet protectors, double-sided in a way that facilitates page turns, and clear markings if any.  You should be able to answer the accompanist when they ask you for the tempo or if there are any cuts.  Say “Thank You” to the accompanist and then again to the auditioners.
    Instrumentalists:  You will likely have to play two contrasting selections, one lyrical and one technical.  Pick pieces from varying time periods and ensure you know what makes them a representative work of that time period.  For example: If you play saxophone and are doing a piece by Handel, you should know that it’s a transcription; the saxophone didn’t exist during Handel’s time.  Know the composer, 20th century composers could still be alive.  They could even teach at the college to which you are applying.  You should know that (I didn’t know this and was pretty embarrassed at my college audition)
    Everyone:  A music education audition is about demonstrating your potential.  You may make a mistake.  It might not be perfect.  If you do, what are you going to do about that mistake?  Hopefully you’ll let it go, no funny looks, no excuses, no stops (unless it’s entirely unsalvageable).  Hopefully you won’t tell them about the cold you might have, or the fever, or the stomach ache, or anything else.  Maybe they won’t notice that you have a cold or that something’s not right.  Be healthy for the weeks leading up to the audition.  Don’t share drinks, and wash your hands a lot.  But, walking into an audition saying “Hi, I have a cold, so please forgive me” is like saying “Hey, I’m not going to be very good, so don’t bother to consider me.”  Go in with your A-game.
11. Do mock auditions for friends, and family.
    Do NOT let the first time you perform your audition piece for an audience be for the auditioners.  Get the kinks out.  You’re probably thinking “but it’s awkward to play for my mom.”  Get over it.  Better to feel awkward for a minute than the alternative.
12. In High School find jobs that matter
    Teach private lessons to little kids for $15 an hour, that’s better than most jobs you can get, and helps on the resume.  Work with summer school kids, maybe even for free!  With the money you make from lessons, you can afford it, and if I had the choice of picking between a person who has been working with kids since they were 15 years old, and a person who’s never worked with kids… it’s an easy choice.  Work at a music store.  If you have to get a job, try to get one that will lead toward something you care about.

This job is so rewarding.  The better you are at your craft, the better experience your students will have.  Take it seriously.  Being a music education major is really a double major unto itself:  Being the best musician you can be and being the best teacher you can be.
What do you think?  Did I miss anything?
Here are some links to get you started:
http://www.potsdam.edu/academics/Crane/admissions/general_info.cfm
http://www.fredonia.edu/music/aud_reqs.asp
http://www.hofstra.edu/Academics/Colleges/SOEAHS/TLL/MUSED/MUSED_bsed.html
http://www.liu.edu/CWPost/Academics/Schools/SVPA/Dept/Music/AdmisAudReq
http://www.ithaca.edu/music/admission/undergraduate/
http://harttweb.hartford.edu/admissions/audition/undergraduate.aspx
http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/music/education/auditions