Posted by Not a pro on February 08, 2004 at 16:29:14:
In Reply to: serious career question posted by Tracy Bedgood on February 08, 2004 at 15:58:10:
I am not a professional musician, but have a sister and a brother who are. My sister is a performer and has a master's in music. My brother is a college professor and has a DMA. I make the following observations based on what I have seen them go through in the 20+ years since they completed their degrees.
The only reason to continue on for a DMA is if you want to become a tenured professor. A doctorate is almost a requirement these days to get a professorship at most universities. If you want to be a professional performer you really don't need even a bachelor's in music. What you do need is the ability to play better than everyone else who is auditioning for a particular position, and that includes your sound, technique, and musicality. Either that or you need to be entrepreneurial & talented enough to create a musical group and market it in a way that enough people will want to hear you, either live or recorded, that you can earn a living.
My MBA helped me compete for marketing jobs for which I wouldn't have been considered without the equivalent education, but I don't think that music degrees have the same impact when seeking performing positions. Have you been to a lot of auditions? how successful have you been? This would be the best indicator of whether you will be able to make it as a professional. Additional college will have little impact on whether you can compete for performing jobs.