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Personal Finance
Working Your Degree
November 3, 2000: 10:27 a.m. ET

Music majors should keep all of their career options open
Shelly K. Schwartz
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - John-Albert Moseley is a big believer in broad-based education.

The assistant director of undergraduate studies at Yale University's music school said too many budding young performers, with dreams of playing for national orchestras, limit themselves to a bachelor's degree of music (BM), handed out by some of the top conservatory schools in the nation. Job opportunities are far greater, he insists, for those who earn a full liberal arts, or bachelor's of arts, degree.

Moseley should know.

The 33-year-old graduated with a BM from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston as a vocals major in 1990. Like many in his graduating class, he dreamed of going abroad; joining a traveling opera. Instead, he went back to school.

"Basically, I wanted to have the full liberal arts education that I didn't get the first time around," Moseley said. "I always tell prospective students and graphicparents that a bachelor's of arts degree prepares you better for what's ahead. I had to go get a second degree."

Moseley still performs on a freelance basis, singing at weddings, concerts and recitals. But his steady job, with regular hours, is a nice change of pace. It also keeps the paychecks coming in.

"A lot of people think the only thing you can do with a music degree is perform," Moseley said. "A lot of students come in starry-eyed with the idea of becoming a performer, but our advice is that a full BA degree is better preparation because students can do a lot of different things in the field that aren't necessarily performance-based. A broader scope creates a larger job market."

Hitting the high note

Music students at most colleges and universities elect an area of specialty early on --  vocal, strings, wind instruments or music education, which certifies students to teach on the elementary or secondary school level. A higher degree is required to teach on the collegiate level.

Those who specialize in vocalist programs typically train as either opera or theater performers. They are classified by their voice range (soprano, contralto, tenor, baritone or bass) and by their style (opera, rock, reggae, folk, rap, or country and western.) Opera singing is among the most difficult fields in which to achieve success. 

Students who aspire to play with an orchestra either head for the strings department, where they fine-tune their skills on the violin, cello, harp and bass, to name a few, or the "winds" department, where instruments including the flute, oboe, clarinet, trumpet and French horn are studied. Percussion, including the drums, is an option as well.

As Moseley points out, music schools differ substantially.

Some, like Yale University, offer only the bachelor's of arts degree for undergraduate students. These programs focus less on performance and more on the diverse range of career options available to music majors.

Other schools, like prestigious Julliard and the Peabody Conservatory, offer only the bachelor's of music (BM) degree. And some, like New York University, the University of Michigan, and Indiana University, offer both degree options. 

Rachel Kramer, assistant executive director of the Music Teachers National Association, notes most who receive a bachelor of music degree go into music education – teaching in elementary and secondary schools.  Pay levels, she notes, vary by geographic region but starting salaries range from $20,000 to $40,000.

"The other majority of people go on to another degree because, unfortunately, if a person isn't going to teach in the public schools (and they don't make the cuts at orchestra try-outs) there isn't much else to do with a degree in music performance," she added.

The job front

The job market for music majors is projected to grow 10 percent-to-20 percent through 2008, the same growth rate predicted for all occupations.  

Career opportunities in the field are diverse -- especially for those who go on for a higher degree and have a broad range of talent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics notes.

About 30 percent of music grads work in education, mostly in elementary and secondary schools, the College Majors Handbook, published by JIST Works Inc., reveals. Another 12 percent work as artists, broadcasters, writers, editors, entertainers and public relations specialists. And some find employment with the Armed Forces, which offer careers in their bands and smaller musical groups, the BLS reports. 

As many as 40 percent are self-employed in one way or another. That number includes music professionals who work in unrelated full-time jobs and do freelance gigs on the side. It also includes the large number of grads who give private lessons.

Jody Gatwood, an associate professor of violin at Catholic University of America's Benjamin T. Rome School of Music, said many musicians, who are unable to find orchestra work, end up freelancing – or working on a fill-in basis for orchestras in and around their region. To make ends meet, others work for several community orchestras, which tend to pay around $60 a "gig," and many others work a full-time day job.

Others open studios and take on students of their own. Weddings and party receptions are also ways to make extra cash. 

"Those who are gifted at it will do quite well," Gatwood said.

In its most recent Occupational Outlook report, the BLS adds that because many musicians "find only part-time work and experience unemployment between engagements, they often supplement their income with other types of jobs,"

The stress of constantly "looking for work leads many musicians to accept permanent, full-time jobs in other occupations, while working only part-time as musicians," it adds.

The report highlights a handful of other jobs available to the musically inclined.

- Choral directors, who lead choirs and glee clubs, or work with a band or orchestra conductor. Directors, it notes, audition and select singers and "lead them at rehearsals and performances to achieve harmony, rhythm, graphictempo, shading, and other desired musical effects."

- Composers, who create original music such as symphonies, operas, sonatas, or popular songs.

-  Arrangers, who adapt musical composition to a specific style for orchestras, bands, choral groups and individuals to help the composer express his or her message.

The chances of finding work are best in the leading music cities, including New York, Los Angeles, and Nashville.

Lastly, there's private industry. Music majors can find numerous jobs in music publishing and music management, helping software companies develop and product music online. 

"It's a really big area," he said. "There are a lot of companies producing a lot of music software."

Paycheck check-up

As one might imagine, salaries in the field vary dramatically, depending upon the talent, training and job description of the individual.

The Handbook reports the average annual salary of music graduates who have only a bachelor's degree and are employed full-time is $36,800, which is 34 percent below the average annual salary of all college graduates.

Moreover, the average annual salary of music grads employed by educational institutions is $34,000. Self-employed music majors operating their own business earn roughly $39,000, the Handbook reveals.

In its Fall 2000 salary survey, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) found average starting salaries for visual and performing arts majors with a bachelor's degree were $29,222.

For those who stick to instrumental performance, however, signing on with an orchestra is far more lucrative.

The American Federation of Musicians, the industry labor union which negotiates contract fees, notes salaries in major orchestras ranged from about $21,000 to $95,000 per year during the 1998 - 1999 performing season. Salaries for members of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington this year are $82,810.

Insiders say a better average for orchestras is around $60,000 to $80,000 a year for the lucky few accepted into the fold.

"You have to be talented and highly qualified but you also have to be lucky," Gatwood said.

Most industry insiders agree a career in music is not for the faint of heart.

So what does it take? The Bureau of Labor Statistics sums it up like this:

"Young persons who are considering careers in music should have musical talent, versatility, creativity, poise, and a good stage presence," it writes. "Because quality performance requires constant study and practice, self-discipline is vital. Moreover, musicians who play concert and nightclub engagements must have physical stamina to endure frequent travel and night performances."

They also should be prepared to face rejections when auditioning for work and the anxiety of rarely knowing where their next paycheck is coming from.

"It used to be that music was always easier to get employed than if you majored in English, but nowadays I don't think there's anything automatic," Gatwood said. "It's bewildering but not insurmountable." graphic

  RELATED SITES

National Symphony Orchestra

Music Teachers National Association

National Association of Colleges and Employers

American Federation of Musicians


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Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.