leskayc@a... wrote:
If Kate (my 17 year old soon to be senior ) majors in
> voice performance in college, what will she eat after graduation? She really
> loves music and is very talented soprano. She acts, dances, and has the
> looks. She would love to have a crack at REEALLY performing-but we all know
> you gotta have a day job........................Plus, she definitely wants a
> husband and kids in her future.
>
> SO, what is a good road to take? A double major?
In answer to your first question....I majored in piano performance in college
and got my
degree. For various reasons, I ended up not making music my occupation. I
went into the
Federal civil service, starting from the bottom (clerk-typist) and working my
way up to a
very responsible and rewarding position (a Human Resources professional). I've
never for
a minute regretted that I majored in college in what I most enjoyed, and having
the
professional training in music has added to my life immeasurably. Music
performance on a
mostly amateur (though accomplished) basis (though I do get paid from time to
time), has
been a major part of my life, and I am very happy with that level of
music-making.
So, in my view, your daughter should major in what she loves, should give it
everything
she has, and should discover for herself what role music and performance should
play in
her life after she gets her education. There are no guarantees - no matter
what you end
up studying. So by my values, ya might as well put the effort into what you
love. I met
a young man once, very bright, who ended up in a prestigious college, studying
engineering. He was a senior at the time, had done engineering for the good
career and
income it would give him, and at the time I talked to him, he regretted not
having done a
liberal arts degree as an undergraduate. He felt like he'd lost a great life
opportunity.
Husband and kids.....there are many careers to be made in music or any other
field with
which husband and kids can happily co-exist. There's plenty of time for you
daughter to
work all of that out for herself in the years to come.
If it were my daughter, I'd tell her to go for it, and support her as I'd
support any
child in advanced education in any academic discpline - to the extent of my
financial
ability.
Peggy
--
Margaret Harrison, Alexandria, Virginia, USA
"Music for a While Shall All Your Cares Beguile"
mailto:peggyh@i...
|
|  |
