# Music as a major?



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Think long and hard.


----------



## philoctetes (Jun 15, 2017)

mmm what's the point?


----------



## david johnson (Jun 25, 2007)

It will depend on what branch of music. I went Music Ed and taught for years. I never had trouble besting that 'least valuable' list. I do not know what Music Therapy pays, but I see openings advertised as well as for church music needs. Potential Music Majors just need to realize the variations open to them. A straight Music degree will not get you a job in Music Ed, or as a therapist, or even as a performer. Explore which roads to take as with any job.


----------



## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

The unemployment rate for theatre is only 5.20%? Give me a break. Unless doing a reading of a work in progress for $25 counts as employment.


----------



## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

I think most that go into music know it's not going to lead them to the big money, in most cases anyways.  I respect that performers get paid an honorable wage compared to their rock/pop musical peers!


----------



## Oldhoosierdude (May 29, 2016)

Political Science wss the popular useless degree in the early 1980's.


----------



## Krummhorn (Feb 18, 2007)

Captainnumber36 said:


> I think most that go into music know it's not going to lead them to the big money, in most cases anyways. I respect that performers get paid an honorable wage compared to their rock/pop musical peers!


Precisely! In school they taught us everything about music except how to make a living from it.

During all my working life (40 hour work week in a non-music related industry) music became my avocation. The real money was in the full time work - and the music salaries were a nice supplement. Because of the non music related work/income I was able to take early retirement at age 58!! I never expected to make my sole living on just music.

Now, in semi-retirement, music has become my main vocation. I have Social Security and my church salary - I am indeed paid quite well by my church for the three services I play for each weekend.

Music is my gyroscope - It's in my heart and in my soul!!

Kh


----------



## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Krummhorn said:


> Precisely! In school they taught us everything about music except how to make a living from it.
> 
> During all my working life (40 hour work week in a non-music related industry) music became my avocation. The real money was in the full time work - and the music salaries were a nice supplement. Because of the non music related work/income I was able to take early retirement at age 58!! I never expected to make my sole living on just music.
> 
> ...


What was your main job, if I may ask?


----------



## Krummhorn (Feb 18, 2007)

Captainnumber36 said:


> What was your main job, if I may ask?


I worked for Hughes Aircraft's and Raytheon's Missile manufacturing division as a product test specialist. I was paid to break things, get them repaired and re-test. Did that for 25 years.


----------



## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

philoctetes said:


> mmm what's the point?


Give up your dreams to make a comfortable salary and live a boring life in the suburbs.


----------



## Room2201974 (Jan 23, 2018)

KenOC said:


> Think long and hard.


"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy. "


----------



## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Krummhorn said:


> I worked for Hughes Aircraft's and Raytheon's Missile manufacturing division as a product test specialist. I was paid to break things, get them repaired and re-test. Did that for 25 years.


That sounds kind of fun, though!


----------



## DaveM (Jun 29, 2015)

Krummhorn said:


> I worked for Hughes Aircraft's and Raytheon's Missile manufacturing division as a product test specialist. I was paid to break things, get them repaired and re-test. Did that for 25 years.


Given the recent problems with the redesigned kill vehicle, it seems they need you back.


----------



## Admiral (Dec 27, 2014)

Some people go to college to explore and learn, not solely as an exercise in ROI 

Also, the musician is unlikely to wake up one day and become an aerospace engineer 

I was a music major and my friend was an aerospace engineer and I’ll take my life over his any day


----------



## ECraigR (Jun 25, 2019)

Right. College isn’t solely about getting a job. If that’s your mindset then you should go to a technical school. Also, I’m pretty suspicious of this graph and data. It doesn’t cohere with anything else I’ve ever read about profitability of degrees. And there’s over 160 possible degrees? When they lump in linguistics with literature? The two fields couldn’t be more opposed. Not buying it.


----------

