| Yes, one of my best friends insists that she wants to be an opera singer. She sings beautifully, really, and I absolutely do believe in her. If anyone could do it, I know she can, but that's the problem - can anyone really do it? She's going go on into a graduate program. I would assume that teaching becomes a possibility then, if performance does not work out.
As someone else pointed out, people go into these careers with the belief that nothing else could bring them happiness, and it is a very singular goal, and a very difficult one at that. I think that music education is a great choice for people in these fields to make - because then you can teach at the grade school or university level (with the MFA) and pursue your performance dreams on the side. I have a childhood friend who was then and is still now a virtuoso violinist. She will be taking the path of music education and I always thought she made a wise choice! So I say that in this field, getting a teaching credential is a very practical move. |