"I Want to Major in Music"
A Guide for Young Horn Students and Their Teachers
by Cynthia L. Carr

So you want to major in music! Here is a guide, based on my 25 years of teaching horn to high school and college students, to help you reach your goal.

In the United States, there is a bewildering array of options for where to study and what type of music major to pursue. The horn teachers in colleges, universities, and conservatories throughout the country are very competent and dedicated to helping all students realize their musical goals. This guide provides a systematic way of looking at the options available, and finding the best match for you.

Step One
Ask yourself these questions:

Can I see myself as an elementary, middle school, or high school music teacher or band director? Do I have a desire to share my knowledge and love of music with young people?

If yes – go to 1A
If no – go to 1B

1A
Consider majoring in music education. The Bachelor of Music degree with a major in Music Education includes private lessons on your instrument, courses in music theory, history, and general educational philosophies. As an instrumental music education major, you will most likely be required to play in the marching band for three or four years. In rare instances, you can major in music education at a school with no marching band. You will study conducting and also take "methods" classes to learn how to play (at an elementary level) and to teach all band and orchestra instruments. In some schools, you might also take choral or vocal methods. You will have opportunities to observe music teachers in public school settings, and will have one semester of student teaching. In most schools, you will play a half recital near the end of your course of study. During your senior year, you will take a certification exam for prospective teachers. Once you pass this exam and complete your degree requirements, you will receive certification to teach music in the schools, grades K-12.
The music education curriculum is very full; it often has one of the highest total credit counts for graduation of any degree in any field. This means you will have little time for electives, to explore things outside of music that might interest you. Be sure to ask whether it is truly possible to finish the music education degree in four years of standard attendance, and find out how many music education majors take summer school courses or spend an extra semester in order to graduate. The admissions representatives should be forthcoming with that information.

1B
A music education degree does not make sense if you truly do not think you would be happy in a primary or secondary school teaching position. You have several other choices of music degrees. Ask yourself the following questions to find out what would best suit you:
Can I see myself performing full or part time in an orchestra or chamber music group for my career? Do I want to spend many hours every day during college, and throughout my life, practicing on my own and rehearsing with ensembles? Are there indications that I have a high level of talent and potential?

If yes, go to 1C
If no, go to 1D

1C
A good option for you would be a Bachelor of Music degree with a major in Performance (called Applied Music at some schools). In this degree program you will have extensive training on your instrument, and most of your classes will be in music, although you will have some opportunities for electives. You will likely play at least two recitals during your time in college, and participate in one or two large ensembles every semester. Participating in chamber music (woodwind and/or brass quintets) may be a degree requirement.
It is important to keep in mind that a performance degree is no guarantee of employment. Professional playing opportunities in the United States are finite and each full-time playing position requires that you wait for someone to leave or retire, and then win an audition over as many as 100 other candidates. If you chose a performance degree, you should have a strong commitment to being a professional performer and a feeling that playing your instrument is one of the most important things in the world to you. Most successful performance majors enter college having had many years of private study on their instrument. Look honestly for indications (such as making your state’s regional or Allstate ensembles, or placing well in a district contest) that you have talent and potential and have reached a high level of skill for your age. You should have frank discussions with your private teacher and other professional musicians you know, to ask their opinion of your chances for success.
Most students who earn a Bachelor of Music degree in Performance go on to graduate school in order to be prepared to win an orchestra audition, or to gain additional training and skills to teach music at the college level. Generally, it takes six years of horn study beyond high school for the average performance major to be prepared enough to reach the finals of a professional audition.

1D
You still have options for a college major and a career in music. Many students in your situation pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major (or emphasis or concentration) in music. This degree is less intensive than a Bachelor of Music degree and allows for quite a few electives. You can pursue other academic areas that interest you, or a secondary musical interest such vocal music, jazz, or composition. Many schools have recently begun offering concentrations and/or degree programs in music management (also termed "music business" or "arts administration"). With this type of training, you could pursue a job as an artist manager, the director of a performing arts center, or an administrator with an orchestra. Another possibility is the field of music technology, which has more and more job opportunities every year. Some schools offer majors or minors in music technology (also termed "recording technology").

Step Two
Now that you have decided which degree most interests you, you can consider the type of school you would like to attend. Note: the lists of schools given in this section are meant as examples and are not intended to be inclusive. Each list is alphabetical.

Ask yourself the following questions:
Would I be happy in a really intense musical environment where I interact almost exclusively with other music students?

If yes, go to 2A
If no, go to next question

Would I like to be in an intense musical environment but be part of a larger academic community and interact with students outside of music?

If yes, go to 2B
If no, go to next question

Would I like to be in a large musical environment with lots of other really good horn players, including many older than myself? Am I okay with not being "a big fish in a little pond?"

If yes, go to 2C
If no, go to next question

Would I enjoy being in a good, medium-sized musical environment where I’ll get personal attention and won’t ever feel "lost in the crowd?"

If yes, go to 2D
If no, go to next question

Would I like to be in a small, nurturing environment where I might always be one of the best players?

If yes, go to 2E

2A
You are suited to a conservatory environment such as the Cleveland Institute, Curtis Institute, Eastman School of Music, The Julliard School, Manhattan School of Music, Peabody Conservatory, or San Francisco Conservatory. These schools, while they might be associated with a university, are physically separate entities, and you will live and breathe music all day long. These schools attract the most serious high school students to their auditions, and are therefore very competitive. Your audition is the most important part of the application process at these schools. These major conservatories tend to have little talent-based scholarship money to offer undergraduate students, because they have all the talent they need knocking at their doors without it! [Curtis is an exception, with free tuition for all those accepted.] Conservatories do offer financial aid to accepted students with need. At some of these institutions, the horn teacher is contracted to teach a certain number of students and does so on one or two days a week. Conservatory faculty members often have full-time performing careers in addition to teaching, and may even teach at more than one institution. Therefore your teacher may not be able to attend your performances or recitals.

2B
A conservatory with close ties to a strong university or liberal arts college would be a good bet for you. Some choices are Cincinnati Conservatory, Lawrence University, Oberlin College-Conservatory of Music, the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music, The Shepherd School of Music (Rice University), and The Meadows School of Music (Southern Methodist University). These schools require excellent musical skills plus good grades and SAT scores for acceptance. Your audition is an integral part of the application process at these conservatories. They often offer music scholarships as well as academic scholarships, especially to students who are gifted in both areas.

2C
You might be comfortable at a large school of music within a large university, such as Florida State University, Indiana University-Bloomington, University of Michigan, University of Ohio, University of North Texas, University of Texas, University of Illinois, Northwestern University, or University of Wisconsin-Madison. These universities have schools/colleges of music with as many as 1500 students! There might be as many as 40 horn majors (undergraduates, masters students, and doctoral students) at these schools. A large school of music offers a very vibrant musical community with lots of ensembles, many opportunities for chamber music, hundreds of outstanding performances on campus each year, and strong peers to learn from. Your audition is an important part of the application process at these schools, which usually offer music scholarships and academic scholarships. You might study with a doctoral student or adjunct faculty member for at least part of your time at a school of this type.

2D
A school/department of music at a medium-sized university might be right for you. The majority of state universities fall into this category. These schools offer a full range of musical opportunities, with horn studios generally in the range of 8-20 students. You will need to audition as part of the application process. These are the types of schools where you are most likely to be eligible for talent-based scholarships, as they seek to balance their ensembles with good players on every instrument. They will likely offer academic scholarships as well.

2E
You might be most comfortable in a small liberal arts school with a good music program, such as Elon College (North Carolina), St. Olaf (Minnesota), Pacific Lutheran University (Washington), or Susquehanna University (Pennsylvania). These schools may or may not require an entrance audition. They offer a nurturing environment with a variety of music opportunities. Rather than a full-time horn teacher, a small liberal arts school might have an adjunct professor who teaches one or two days a week at the school. These colleges tend to offer scholarships to students with good grades plus additional talents and service accomplishments.

Step Three
Now that you have identified the degree program and major you are interested in, and the type of school you are most attracted to, you can begin researching specific schools.

Research in printed guides
Several standard college guides can be found in public libraries, your school’s guidance office, and large bookstores. These have thousands of facts and figures about every university and college. One of the most popular is Peterson’s Four-Year Colleges, published in a new edition each year by Thomson Peterson. This guide and others like it are aimed at the general college student rather than the music major, and are most useful in providing basic comparative information such as student/faculty ratio, ethnic diversity on campus, and graduate rates.
Search on the Internet
Nearly every college and university has a web site where you can find lots of information, and sometimes even take a "virtual tour" of campus. Here you can often find out details about the music program, and the name and e-mail address of the horn teacher. There are also many college comparison guides online, such as www.peterson.com, which can be accessed through any major search engine. These online guides are also geared towards the general college student, but are a good source for basic information.

Visit the school
You should visit every college you are seriously considering. There is no substitute for actually seeing the place you might spend the next four years of your life! Pay attention to your gut reaction – do you feel comfortable right away, or does something seem not quite right? What is best for one person is not necessarily best for another person.

Contact the horn teacher
E-mail the horn teacher at each school you are considering. Give a sentence or two about yourself and your accomplishments, and say which degree program you are interested in. Ask some specific questions about the program to show you have already done some research. The promptness and nature of the response from the horn teacher will tell you something about that person and his/her commitment to individual students. See below for a sample e-mail.

Have a lesson
If possible, arrange to have a lesson with the horn teacher. No matter what your intended major, this is a person with whom you may be working very closely for four years. It is vital that you feel comfortable in a one-on-one setting with this teacher. Even the most well respected horn teacher is not necessarily the best teacher for every type of student.
Most teachers welcome the chance to meet students who are seriously considering their school. It gives teachers the chance to see if they would enjoy working with you, and to examine the strengths and potential in your playing in a way that might not come through as clearly in a 15-minute audition. If teachers get the chance to know you and work with you, and would really like to have you in their studio, they can advocate more effectively for you regarding admission and scholarships after your audition.
The "trial lesson" is best done at an initial campus visit, at least a month and as much as a year before you plan to audition. This gives you the time to work on the things the teacher mentions in the lesson, to improve before you come back to audition. Some teachers will give a sample lesson for no charge; others will charge their regular private lesson fee, which could be as much as $150. You should ask about this up front when you make arrangements for the lesson, so that you know what to expect.

Template for an introductory e-mail

Dear Professor [last name of horn teacher]

I am a [junior, senior] at [name of high school] in [name of town, state] interested in majoring in music in college, and I am very interested in [name of college/university/conservatory]. I am currently studying horn with [name of your teacher], and I’ve been a member of [list select ensembles you’ve participated in, such as Allstate or youth orchestras]. [Give any other information you’d like the teacher to know about you, that might set you apart from other applicants.]

Could you please tell me how many horn students are currently in your studio and how many you accept each year? [Ask any other specific questions you might have – but not ones that you could find out yourself from the school’s materials or website.]

I would like to have a chance to meet you and play for you when I visit your campus in [month of planned visit]. Would it be possible for me to schedule a lesson with you at that time?

Thank you very much, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
[your name]

Note: Because you are going to be contacting college teachers and officials by e-mail, consider what your e-mail address says about you. Some students have had their e-mail addresses for many years, and they may have chosen an address initially that now sounds less than positive or professional. Consider changing your email address if it is going to give prospective teachers the wrong impression about you. For example, Jsmith0683@aol.com is fine; Ilovehorn@yahoo.com is okay; contagionomg@hotmail.com does not give a positive impression.

I hope this information will prove helpful to you in your college search and decision-making process. Best of luck!