# What to do during a gap year?



## Dany98 (Jun 24, 2015)

I graduated from my university with a BA in music. I plan on going to grad school to major in theory and then get a PhD. After that, I plan on teaching music theory courses at at university. I'm taking a gap year off, and I'm confused as to what I should be doing. Should I get a job? If so, should I get a music-related job? I have been keeping up with my studies and musicianship skills, but what else can I do during a gap year. I feel stunted. I play in a community win ensemble, but I want to know how I can start building my resume with jobs that actually pertain to teaching theory.


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## wzg (Jun 17, 2013)

Nice to meet a professional here. Your favourite composer(s), please?


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Always mind the gap.

An Alberto Zelman fanatic?


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## Nate Miller (Oct 24, 2016)

if you are going on to study music theory, you should learn to read German, if you haven't already. You can learn basic German grammar, some basic vocabulary, and then concentrate on the particular vocabulary of musical terms and concepts. You don't have to be conversational, but if you know enough to read your English translation and then refer to the original German, that is enough to be a real help studying theory at a high level.

One of the best theory professors I ever had did his undergrad degree in German from Penn and then studied with Alan Forte at Yale for his PhD in theory.


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## ST4 (Oct 27, 2016)

Get a job, I'm not being facetious. 
Keep a weekly income and study in you part time. Exactly as I am :tiphat:


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## Francis Poulenc (Nov 6, 2016)

Just chill. Might aswell now that you can.


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## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

Maybe you could offer tutoring in music theory? That could be a good way to build up your resume and get some teaching experience. 

If you live near a university, you could put up flyers in the music building advertising your tutoring services. You could also contact some music theory professors and ask them to put you in touch with undergraduate students who might need extra help.


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

Bettina said:


> Maybe you could offer tutoring in music theory? That could be a good way to build up your resume and get some teaching experience.
> 
> If you live near a university, you could put up flyers in the music building advertising your tutoring services. You could also contact some music theory professors and ask them to put you in touch with undergraduate students who might need extra help.


Yup! I second this suggestion. Definitely do something relevant to your career. Don't just pick up any minimum wage job.

Do something creative! In my gap year, I wrote a long story, 50K words. I did other things as a musician which aren't quite as relevant to you I see, such as auditions and competitions, but I got some nice performance opportunities and a little bit of cash doing so. Also a bit of teaching.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Francis Poulenc said:


> Just chill. Might as well now that you can.


If you have no money problems, this is the best advice.


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

Learn how to play an instrument in a specialized way, such as early music practice.


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## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

To know what you should do I need more information: 

- How are your keyboard skills and sight reading at the piano? If less than good to excellent, get down to daily work on them. Same thing for sight-singing and aural skills. Getting a teaching assistantship depends on these things, and you should be trying for one as soon as it is possible in your graduate studies

- How are your analytical skills? Study scores and get fluent at harmonic and formal analysis, working on standard repertoire that everyone should know.

- Join and get involved in the local chapter of SMT. Attend local meetings, if geography makes this possible. Many graduate students read papers at the local meetings (or they used to  ) and this will let you see what is expected of young scholars. 

- Try to get an understanding of current trends in theory by sampling and reading theory journals. Eventually, if you continue in this direction, you will need to be thinking about original, strongly self-motivated research. The idea is to find out what interests you and what path you might ultimately want to take in research and analysis.

More generally: Get to know as much music as you can as intimately as you can.

The suggestion above to hone your foreign language skills is a good idea too. Generally speaking, theory graduates students will have to pass proficiency requirements in at least two foreign languages.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. I have been through this process.


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

Do something completely different for a year
Travel, do voluntary work anything but music, broaden your horizons and then see how you feel after that


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## helenora (Sep 13, 2015)

Haydn man said:


> Do something completely different for a year
> Travel, do voluntary work anything but music, broaden your horizons and then see how you feel after that


this advice is very good one.


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## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

Haydn man said:


> Do something completely different for a year
> Travel, do voluntary work anything but music, broaden your horizons and then see how you feel after that


This is a good idea, if you're undecided about whether to pursue grad studies in music theory. New experiences could help you make up your mind and explore other options.

But if you are certain that grad school is what you want, then you should focus on that goal during this gap year. Try to make yourself as strong a candidate as possible. That would involve doing things that are relevant to the field of music theory.

These things could include tutoring (as I mentioned above), foreign language studies (as EdwardBast suggested) and conference presentations (again suggested by EdwardBast). Good luck with whatever you choose to do!


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Haydn man said:


> Do something completely different for a year
> Travel, do voluntary work anything but music, broaden your horizons and then see how you feel after that


Always wise words from Haydn man.


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## Pat Fairlea (Dec 9, 2015)

Haydn man said:


> Do something completely different for a year
> Travel, do voluntary work anything but music, broaden your horizons and then see how you feel after that


Totally agree with this advice. Travel, meet lots of people from different places, get out of your comfort zone, challenge your preconceptions. But don't forget to have fun.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Nate Miller said:


> if you are going on to study music theory, you should learn to read German, if you haven't already. You can learn basic German grammar, some basic vocabulary, and then concentrate on the particular vocabulary of musical terms and concepts. You don't have to be conversational, but if you know enough to read your English translation and then refer to the original German, that is enough to be a real help studying theory at a high level.
> 
> One of the best theory professors I ever had did his undergrad degree in German from Penn and then studied with Alan Forte at Yale for his PhD in theory.


O.P did you decide something already?


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## ST4 (Oct 27, 2016)

OP did you decide?


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

Just don't join the national Phili of North Korea the NPoNK


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

EddieRUKiddingVarese said:


> Just don't join the national Phili of North Korea the NPoNK


You'd become an ill NPoNker in a rapid score


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