Posted by Daryl on August 26, 1999 at 00:05:13:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Performance vs. Education posted by John Surface on August 25, 1999 at 22:32:14:
Hi John,
I hope I wasn't misunderstood My post was (indirectly) suggesting that a good approach one could take if they were interested in a performance career but were concerned about their "hireability" having a performance degree is to get a music education degree, but still treat their playing and training as if they were a performance major - not short-shrift it as I've seen many music ed colleagues in my educational experience do.
I have a bachelor's in music education myself, and it was great training - but I never lost sight of my true professional aspirations along the way. That's why I made it a point to practice as if I were a performer, study as if I were a performer, and order my priorities as if I were a performer; as opposed to accepting a lower standard of artistic quality from myself because I was an "ed major". Fortunately for me, I had the drive and patience to successfully fulfill my obligations as an education major, and still develop and mature artistically. I would agree completely with you that good players are going to get gigs, degree or no degree. I would also agree that an undergrad music major should really think long and hard about the benefits of a music degree - it can pad your pockets and provide you with a fulfilling musical exploit while you're waiting for the atmosphere to be right to acheive your goals. I spent some time teaching while waiting for the chance to go to a high-quality graduate school, and it kept things interesting and kept me alert and motivated while I was preparing my auditions. My point was this - do the ed degree, but don't lose sight of your aspirations. Expect the same level of playing and achievement that you would expect from yourself if you were a performance major.
Thanks for your concern and your great comments!
Daryl