I plan to go into music as a career, and I really can't think of much I can do with it.?

Question

I know I do NOT want to be a teacher, but I will if I have to be. I definitely don't want to teach anything lower than college. Again, if I must. I've always been pretty good at composing my own music and I saw that some colleges provide a major in composing. I thought about this a while ago, as I also thought about going into performance, but I just don't know what kind of jobs I can get with composing. I'd like a steady job that I know I wouldn't have to worry about money. I'm only a senior in high school so I have at least a year (if that) to think about it.
So in short: How sensible would it be to go into composing?

Answer 1

If you're talented at composing then that's a viable career option. Most composers aren't salaried though - they are contracted or they simply compose because they love it and maybe someone else will too.

A Bachelor's degree in music qualifies you for no professions (even teaching) directly. Your ability as a musician (arranger, conductor, composer, performer) qualifies you for a job, the degree simply enhances that ability. The bottom line; when you go to audition for the St Louis Symphony, it's about how you play and that's all it's about. The bachelor's degree helps but promises nothing.

Teaching: The degree you need to teach in high school and the one you need to teach in college are very different. A Bachelor of Music (BM) or a BA in music won't qualify you for either. To teach in highs school and below you will need a Bachelor of Music Education or a Bachelor of Education in Music, or a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education and a state teaching certificate. Many music teachers have a master's degree and that makes having one almost essential to finding a job.

To teach in a college you will need at least a Master of Arts or Master of Music and most jobs require a PhD or DMA (Doctor of Musical Arts) but not in education (which would qualify you to teach in HS as well) but instead in the specific subject you are going to teach such as theory or composition.

As a profession, we musicians rarely have a steady job that we don't have to worry about. For the most part, we study music and perform for the love of our art. It's just not about the money, we realize that the odds of being "the star" who gets rich are about the same as winning the lottery. Those that are arrangers and composers are about the same - the chance that we're the next John Williams isn't very high at all. It's about the art, not the money.

Now, all of that said, if you love the music and it is calling to you - go for it. Remember though, music majors have a course load of 8-10 classes while their friends in the English department take 4-5 classes per semester. Music majors spend upwards of four hours a day in practice sessions on top of classes and ensembles. Music majors study Telemann, even if they hate baroque music... It's one that requires an absolute commitment or you will not make it out.

And, remember, a Bachelor of Arts in music is still a Bachelor of Arts; you qualify for all of the jobs that people get that require a bachelor's degree but the major isn't important. I have a friend who is well paid as an insurance adjuster with his Bachelor of Arts in Music (voice). Another went on to get a Master's in instructional technology with her BA in music. I'm in an MBA with mine. More than a few of my former classmates (MuEds) are teaching marching band camp somewhere as we speak (it's 115F heat index out there). :-)

If the music is calling you then go for it -- if it's not your passion, look at other options.

Answer 2

If you love music and can play and compose, I think there are many opportunities for someone with your talents. There are thousands off songs out there, somebody had to write them, duh. Or if something else interests you, make that your major, and music and composing your minor. Also, if you do chose to major in music and composing, I'm sure you'll get exposure through your professors and other students. Most people in the arts get exposure to possibilities than engineers, etc. But first of all, you'll have to really love what you do. I'd start asking around (local music events, musical affairs advertised, etc. Try and make it to these affairs and pick these people's brains. After all, they had to get started somewhere. Good luck.! There is also tons of info about composing (even for software) on the web.

Answer 3

A career in music is not a straight path offering many steady, 9-to-five jobs. I went to a school for the arts and, while there, my Music Theory teacher assured me that there's always a way to do what you love. He was a session musician for many years and I'm sure he taught or gave music lessons to make ends meet if he had to. Unless you're a genius composer who is lucky enough to be recognized as genius during your lifetime, you're probably going to have to teach. As far as performance goes, you could make a steady, decent living as a musician in a very well-funded orchestra, preferable sitting in an endowed chair, like principle clarinetist of The New York Philharmonic.

Answer 4

It's not.
I'm not trying to be blunt and mean, I'm just trying to give you a realistic picture so that you're not really, really disappointed with life later.
If you don't want to teach music, there are just very, very few jobs available in music compared to the number of graduates out there wanting to do them. The competition for the few jobs is fierce, so that means the employers have a lot of people wanting to apply for a few jobs so they can pay very little for your skills. Professional musicians, for example, usually make very little money for the work and expertise they bring to the job.
Don't get me wrong, there are a few people in the music business that make it big and make a lot. But for every success story there are a thousand broken hearts and a million flipped burgers.
If you want to be paid well, you need to get into a business where there is a high demand for what you do, there are few people qualified to do the job, and where what you provide is a very necessary service. Engineering, for example fits this bill. Engineering is a very difficult major, and relatively few students choose that path. What they do is very necessary, though, and firms have trouble finding employees. They give a lot of money and perks to potential employees to try to attract them, and salaries are very, very good. If you major in engineering, you can probably intern while in college and make enough money to pay your way through and graduate with no debt.
Moral: major in something where the demand for employees is already unmet, and where salaries are good to try to attract employees. That is most definitely not the case in music, I am sad to say.

Answer 5

Not composing...you'll starve to death.