Can I Major in Music Without Experience? What to Know Before Music School
I recently received a great question on one of my Youtube videos – Can I major in music without experience? Let’s walk through what requirements are generally needed to get accepted as a music major, and what you’ll probably want to know before starting your first semester.
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
My Musical Journey
I think it might be helpful to share a bit about my own musical journey before majoring in music performance.
My mom is a piano teacher, so I started learning the piano just before my 6th birthday. I’d always wanted to learn the violin, and I started taking lessons when I was 8. Then I heard the beautiful sound of the viola, and started learning that when I was 11.
When I started violin, I joined a small community string orchestra for beginner-intermediate players. Then, in middle school, I joined my county’s junior orchestra on viola, and I played in youth orchestra through all four of my years in high school.
In school, I was involved in band (playing mallet percussion) and choir, because my school didn’t have an orchestra program. I took both of the music theory courses offered, music history, music technology, piano class (I basically just got to use this period to practice piano music for my lessons), and guitar class.
Being involved in all of these activities really helped give me a leg up for my time as a music major, and I felt that I went into college with a good general knowledge of music.
Different Types of Music Majors
There are so many different branches of music that you can major in, and if playing/teaching an instrument isn’t your forte (haha), there are so many careers that can intersect with music!
Let’s talk through a few majors and the types of career options they might lead to.
Music Performance
I majored in music performance for both my Bachelors and Masters degrees. Much of your time is spent practicing, in lessons, rehearsals, and coaching sessions to get as good at your instrument as you can.
Required courses include music theory, music history, ear training, and other music electives.
The main focus is really just getting to know your instrument and its repertoire intimately. This degree is great if you want to perform or teach privately as a career.
Music Education
A music education major is for those who want to teach music in a K-12 setting. Some schools still place an emphasis on performing on your primary instrument, while other schools don’t.
Music education majors learn about all types of instruments (the curriculum can vary widely based on state requirements), education philosophy, and generally includes a semester of student teaching.
Music Therapy
Music therapy is a growing field. Using music as a form of therapy is becoming more and more popular to help people of all ages recover from mental and physical trauma. There are so many intriguing uses of music therapy, and I wish I knew more about it.
Music therapy majors learn a lot of instruments that can “easily” be taught to others in therapy sessions, like voice, guitar, and rhythm instruments. They also usually need to take psychology courses.
Again, different schools require different levels of prior knowledge about music theory and your primary instrument.
Music Tech/Recording
Audio engineering and recording is a music major that can vary widely between schools. Some schools place this major very solidly in the music program and have performance requirements. Other schools separate this major into more of an acoustic study, with no musical performance requirements.
Music History
Music history, or the fancier term musicology, is a major in and of itself. Again, this program is sometimes heavily in the music school with performance and theory requirements, while other schools treat it as more of a “traditional” history major.
Many schools don’t offer music history as an undergraduate degree. This niche usually requires going to grad school.
Non-Music Majors and the Music Careers they can Provide
If you’re not a performer or don’t know much about reading/playing music but want to have a career involved with music, try a major/career that intersects with music.
Journalism
If you love writing and would be interested in writing musical reviews, interviewing artists, and writing about the music world in general, a journalism or writing degree could be a good option.
Business
Business is a very versatile degree, and some schools offer business degrees that specialize in the performing arts. With a business degree, you could aim to work at any business associated with music.
Performing Arts Medicine/Physical Therapy
As performers become more and more transparent about our overuse injuries, the specific study of medicine and physical therapy for performers has really expanded. If you’re good at science and are interested in the health field but love music, this could be a great mix of interests for you.
Academic Requirements
Depending on the schools you look at, you might find either an emphasis or a lack of emphasis on academic requirements for music majors. Of course, if you’re interested in a non-music degree, then academic requirements will be pretty important.
Music-only schools like Juilliard and Curtis tend to care much more about your musical experience than your academic achievements, whereas liberal arts schools will want your SAT scores and GPA to match the overall university requirements.
Audition Requirements
One of the main takeaways from today’s post is that every school has different requirements for different music majors. Take a look at many different schools and majors to get an idea of different expectation levels and the kind of difficulty you’re looking for.
Feeling stressed over the audition requirements? Let’s talk about a few ways to catch up to speed before you audition for a music major.
How to Prepare for A Music Major
Here are a few things that were most helpful to me and my Instagram followers before we started music school.
Private Lessons
Most students who major in music take private lessons to prepare. Some people might take private lessons for years and years, while others might just take lessons to prepare for college entrance auditions.
In my opinion, if you’re thinking of majoring in music, you’ll want to take private lessons for as long as you can.
Learning any instrument takes time, focus, and dedication. A one-on-one teacher will help you understand concepts deeply, and will be there to mentor you through every step of the learning process.
Traits to look for in a teacher
If you’re “shopping around” for a teacher to help you prepare for college auditions, here are a few qualities/accomplishments you might want to keep an eye out for:
A music degree
Ideally, the teacher you choose should hold a degree in music. Of course, degrees don’t always indicate a high level, and there are many classical musicians out there who didn’t attend a formal college.
The bottom line is that you want a teacher with experience, but having a music degree will likely mean that the teacher will be able to answer many questions you have about actually majoring in music, since they’ve gone through it themselves.
Looking for viola, violin, or piano lessons? I offer both in-person and online lessons to students of any age or level, and I’d be happy to help you on your musical journey. Find more information about my music studio on my website.
Performing Experience
It’s usually very nice to study with someone who performs regularly. Be wary of constant performers though, as sometimes their travel schedule will get in the way of consistent lessons. Having weekly/consistent lessons is one of the most important things you can do to reach higher levels on your instrument.
Teachers who perform (especially with others!) are always learning more about their instrument, how to play it, and how to deal with performance anxiety. Knowledge on all of these topics will be super important as they prepare you for your college audition and experience.
Play in Lots of Ensembles
Playing with other people is a very helpful and fun way to boost your musicianship. It feels so rewarding to make music in a group bigger than just yourself, and you can learn so much about music from others, even if they play an entirely different instrument from yours.
I played in my local youth orchestra through my high school years, and I found that it was one of the most helpful activities to prepare me for my major in music performance. We regularly learned and performed high level orchestral music; we even learned a few pieces that I later worked on again in college! Weekly rehearsals and three concerts a year helped me build up to the college music performance schedule. My rehearsal and performance schedules were much more rigorous in college, but my youth orchestra was a great stepping stone to help me get ready.
If you can get involved in music ensembles at your high school, that’s super helpful as well! I was in both band and choir in school (they didn’t offer orchestra, otherwise I would’ve been in that). Through these ensembles, I experienced daily rehearsals in the middle of the day. It was great prep for my college schedule, and working on music daily was a great habit to build in school, and then later, I could build the habit in my own independent practice on my instruments.
Music Classes
If your school offers music classes (especially theory, history, or basic piano), sign up for them! Having a prior knowledge of musical concepts and events will give you a leg up in your required courses, and it also just makes you a more well-rounded and knowledgeable musician.
A Few Other General Tips to Prepare for Music School
- Practice sight-reading. It’s a skill you’ll need as a musician, and it’s sometimes required on auditions and juries at school.
- Listen to as much music as you can, no matter the genre! You can learn so much just by exposing yourself to different musicians and different styles.
- Watch as many concerts as you can, whether they’re traditional (live, in-person concerts), or recordings on Youtube. Just immersing yourself in music is so helpful to really become part of the community.
- Summer programs/camps are extremely helpful, especially if you started learning music “late”. Without the time commitment of school, you can really focus on advancing and expanding your knowledge of music.
- Learn a bit of piano if you can. Many music schools have a piano proficiency requirement for music majors–you’ll have to take basic piano classes until you pass the proficiency exam. Having a bit of background knowledge of the piano can make it all a little less stressful.
So… Can I Major in Music without Experience?
This question is super nuanced, and it’s hard to generalize. You usually need at least a bit of prior musical knowledge to major in music, but how much depends on the schools you’re looking at.
To get into music school, you usually need to pass an audition on a musical instrument. There are smaller schools out there that don’t have audition requirements, like some local/community colleges.
Only you know what your background and area of expertise is like. Take a look at many different schools and programs to get an idea of what’s actually attainable for you.
Want Some Personal Help?
I offer College Audition Check-ins, where we meet over Zoom to talk through any of the college application/audition process that you’d like some help with.
I’m happy to research schools with you, do a mock audition, or just give you some personal advice for your unique situation. Sign up for a check-in here. I’d love to help you succeed!
Please let me know if you have any questions in the comments, or through a DM on Instagram. I’m always happy to help!
