If you love music but don't want to limit yourself to just professional performing or public school teaching, this degree is for you. It prepares you for a "portfolio career," which means combining a few different, exciting musical roles instead of doing just one thing.
Great career paths include:
- Private Studio Teacher: Running your own business teaching instruments or voice.
- Arts Administrator: Managing concert halls, music schools, or community arts programs.
- Music Marketer or PR Specialist: Helping music brands and artists share their work.
- Music Entrepreneur: Starting your own music business or digital media platform.
- Graduate Student: Preparing for graduate school in music history, theory, or conducting.
Will I be able to find a job in music without a performance or education emphasis?
Yes! While performance degrees focus only on the stage and education degrees focus only on public schools, the General Music degree is built for the thousands of essential roles around the music industry. It helps you build a flexible, stable career.
Will I be able to teach with this degree?
Yes! It does not give you a K-12 public school certificate, but it is the perfect track for running an independent private teaching studio. It also gives you the academic foundation needed to go to graduate school so you can eventually teach at the university level.