hello everyone,
I enjoy music more than anything else. It's my favourite subject at school (by far) and my main hobbies revolve around music.

I'd really love to do something with music later, but don't think (and my parents reinforce this) that I'm good enough, really. I play the flute to grade 6 standard (maybe a little better) and sing. however, I don't play the piano, which is obviously a minus.

My parents say that I can only become a music teacher (they're "trying to be realistic") with this background, but I'd love to play in an orchestra or do something with my voice. Are there any alternatives to becoming a music teacher? Not that I'd mind being one, but I think I might find it frustrating to teach (I'm not very patient).

I have to apply for university (in england, of course!) this autumn and don't really dare to mention music as an option to anyone apart from my parents. I'm not outstanding or anything. I just love music!!!
thanks for any comments, suggestions etc.,
Charlotte

Charlotte,

It's one thing to be realistic, but another to deny all your dreams on the basis of what might or might not be. There are a whole range of careers using music out there. If you go further with music now, say do a music-related degree, and at the end you decide music isn't for you - you'll still have a degree (which opens up many employment avenues regardless of its subject) and will have developed your hobby and satisfied your curiosity. If you drop music now, you may always wonder how far you could have gone with it.

Some unis only ask Grade 7 if you are planning to specialise in performance; if you are doing music at A Level this is enough for them. What about taking a music history degree, or combining music with another subject (to cover your bets)? Alternatively, study something else, but choose a uni with plenty of musical outlets for its students - orchestras, bands, choirs, etc. Alternatively, could you take a year out, working part-time, and see if you can get another grade under your belt or learn some keyboards skills? If you plan on choosing music as one of your uni subjects, it's worth joining an orchestra or band now (if you haven't already) so you'll have something to enthuse about at interview. Oh, also local festivals - have you ever taken part in any? Would one of your teachers put you in for one?

I hope this helps, or at least gives you something to think about. As someone who quit music to do a business degree out of respect for realism, I urge you not to put all your dreams aside just yet!

Cheers,

Fred

Hi Charlotte

I'm probably going to get shot down in flames for saying this, but.....

First, why does not good enough now mean you can't get to be good enough later? Have a read through the threads about people's Uni applications and the grades needed, and talk with your flute teacher about whether you can get to, or near, those grades. It may not be as distant a goal as you think.

Second, this is assuming that i) you'll do music at Uni, and ii) having done a music degree you'll do some sort of related job. Neither of these two is an absolute certainty.

You can enjoy music to an ENORMOUS extent as a hobby, and study something else entirely - that's what I did. Still do, too. I belonged to as many choirs as I could fit in around my studying, and had friends who played in university and other local amateur orchestras.

Or it could be that you do a music degree, but move into some other field entirely - I know people with music degrees who've become an accountant, a clergyman, a sales executive and an IT specialist. They continue with their music for their own satisfaction, not as their career.

Or it could be that you do a music degree and want to continue with a career in music. That doesn't have to be teaching or performing. For example, the ISM website has a careers section which includes music therapy. How about something like that?

The decision you make now on your choice of university and subject is potentially important to the rest of your life. But only potentially. One person I know did English at university, decided to take singing lessons while she was there, ended up going to Guildhall and is now a professional singer. Another left school at sixteen determined not to step inside an educational establishment again - only to take her "A" levels in her mid twenties and to go to university after that. In her mid thirties she's a college lecturer and finishing a PhD!

There are so many avenues open to you at this stage. Don't feel pressured into taking one just because it's what your parents want. And don't worry that you'll choose the "wrong" course - your life and career are what you choose to make of them.

Good luck


Cheers

Katyjay

Due to the fact that i only have grade 6 on my first instrument (i have just applied to uni) i have decided to take a gap yr, and maybe do grade 8 on my violin, do grade 7 piano (i already learn it) I was acctually quite surprised that universities gave me offers when i only had grade 6. Some say you only need grade 8 if you want to study performance, and some only want grade 8 standard. so if you can prove you are that good with out doing the exam, you might be ok! How about looking at musicology? I dont really know anything about it, but someone will do!

Also not to forget that you can probably take some music courses even if you do a non-music degree. If you later decide to make music your career, those courses will still help you.

Thank you very much for your replies, fred and katyjay! I shall print this and show it to my parents! I'd never thought of being able to study music and then do something entirely different afterwards (if music doesn't work out). I don't think that's possible in germany. but then I definitely want to go to uni in england.
you've given me some food for thought!
cheers
charlotte


p.s. and thanks everyone else! this post had to be "viewed by a moderator" before it was added. otherwise I would have included you in my thank yous as well! katet, that sounds really good, but then you do play piano...that seems to be the main problem for me, but my parents won't pay for lessons (flute lessons are quite expensive and luckily singing at school is free)!

Hi

You should always pick a subject at uni that interests you - you'll be doing it for 3 years!!!

Also - you can always take a year out and improve your grades before going

A friend of mine went to uni to do music - she teaches pino and flute is her main instrument but she also sings and gets a lot of work as a solo artist - The main thing is to get involved and get yourself heard -

If you are intersted in taking a year out - Look at Trinity college of Music website - They do foundation years to get you up to standard for entry to uni or music college- You could study with excellent tutors and learn whilst seeing if music will be the right choice for you - Other unis and music colleges also offer these programmes-

The Opera houses and companies do year out projects and the National Youth OPera would be worth looking into.

Your parents are right - It is difficult to make money from performing alone and most people have another job or teach to fill in the gaps as I do but the more you perform - the more circles you move in - the more people will get to know you and you can get some good work.

The money isnt great - but hey - Thats not why we do it - But just go out and do it - People only dont achieve their dreams because they give up - Believe in yourself and go for it

Good luck

QUOTE (LINNETBIRD @ Feb 5 2005, 02:22 PM)

If you are intersted in taking a year out - Look at Trinity college of Music website - They do foundation years to get you up to standard for entry to uni or music college- You could study with excellent tutors and learn whilst seeing if music will be the right choice for you - Other unis and music colleges also offer these programmes- The Opera houses and companies do year out projects and the National Youth OPera would be worth looking into.

That all sounds really good - I'll definitely look at it!!! Sounds like a good solution/compromise!
Thanks!

Why not think about going into the production side of music??you could always do something like music technology and you get to spend a lot of time listening, recording and arranging music.

Hmmm, I don't know. What interests me most is music history, theory and performance. I know you get to listen and arrange a lot in the production side, but performing and learning about the background/theory behind pieces fascinates me most!

my aunt is a music teacher and she got into a really good music collage for teacher and became a teacher and she still became a teacher if you really want to play the piano if you got a keyboard with toach sense which means when you if you toach it soft its quiet if you toach it hard it has a loud note. then go to the local music shop get a few book on keyboard or piano for starters there the same then go trough them your gradually get better thats what i did and im now a grade 7 piano

QUOTE (thelittleviolinist @ Feb 10 2005, 05:59 PM)

then go to the local music shop get a few book on keyboard or piano for starters there the same then go trough them your gradually get better thats what i did and im now a grade 7 piano

Wow! You mean you got to grade 7 piano without a teacher??
Thanks for the tip, I've bought a book that I'm currently working through but the pieces aren't even grade 1 standard .

Just to add my opinion.....Do what you want to do, dont worry about how old you are or that you arent at the standard you want to be at now. If you want a career in music you can have one!!! I started a music degree at the age of 23, you dont have to be 18 or 19 to start, you could always take a year or so out of studies to improve your playing or take an improvement course. Dont forget that being a musician is a lifetime career! Just because you cant play to a professional standard at 17/18 doesnt mean that you wont be able to play at this standard at 25 or 30!!! Its never too late! If its really what you want to do, go for it!
I had a music teacher that told me i wasnt good enough to go to music college when i was 15 and it put me off for years......turns out he was just insecure about his own kids abilities and didnt want anyone to be better than them. I let this stop me from going to college for 8 years!! If its what you really want to do you absolutely have to do it!!!!


xxFlame7

if you prefer the thoery/performance/history side of music then i think you're right in not taking a music tech route

thats exactly what i study at college and hopefully will do at uni, and it is mainly geared towards people with an interest and aptitude for technology, coupled with a big chunk of listening/aural skills (esp. for the producing side of things) it doesn't matter how well you perform yourself but you need to be able to pick up on another persons bad performance..... and have a decent understanding of theory and how, acousticaly, other instruments work. other than that its very techy, and, much as it pains me to say this, you would come out of the degree be very profficient with alot of technical stuff and a fairly usesless musician ( this pains me 'cause those people that don't bother to do the music side of things or are uncapable of doing it will more often than not find themselves incapable of doing that studio engineer/producer job that they so aspire to)

BUT, there are a huge number of different types of music degrees that you can do, and they all have different entry points. just because you aren't grade whatever now, doesn't mean that some uni's wont be happy with the fact that they will have helped you to grade whatever by the time you have left.

more than anything, make sure the degree interests you. if you can't get into a music one that you would enjoy, spend your loan a totaly different degree that looks interesting- or dont spend it at all there are lots of ways to get into music as a career and a degree is only one of them.

phew that was a long post for me,

best of luck,
the exhausted oddy

Just another point on that piano business we (parents) couldnt afford to pay for flute and piano lessons either (we had other children) My daughter only got to Grade 2 piano and had to glue herself to the piano for 6 months before her audition for a music college (it was not her first instrument as you have gathered).

At music college she was able to negotiate to have three lessons a term included in her programme (nine lessons a year from the Head of Keyboards ) and when she graduated she carried on with tuition. She is finally at about G7/8 level now but still terrified of any sightreading! (And she teaches flute and vocal studies) However she calls in her younger sister to act as an accompaniest when she has a student - at a modest fee of course

If you have some music ability and training it really is not that difficult to pick it up later, and these modern keyboards are amazing. Further have you got acess to a piano,then try teaching yourself, at least it would get you off the ground floor.

I would also endorse the Foundation course at Trinity College of Music, it would be a perfect bridging course.

Good luck.

Thanks for all your replies! I really don't think that the technical side/producing of music would be the right thing for me, and oddy has removed my last doubts!
I will definitely have a look at the Trinity College thing! Even my mother has been on the internet and printed out various music courses. There's one that even only requires grade 6 on your main instrument and keyboard skills are only "prefered"! So things are looking better!

Flame7: Thank you for your post! It would be my worst nightmare to leave music and do something else and then regret it later, so I think I'll go for it!

*feeling much better*