<p>I played violin for 10 years, alone and in orchestra, and sang in church choir practically since I was born. In all that time I could never see myself majoring in music. </p>
<p>But now I’ve played pipe organ at my church for just over a year, and I cannot see myself ever being content doing anything else. </p>
<p>But I’m scared that it’s just because I sometimes struggle with depression and music and church stave it off, that’s all my passion is.
I’m scared that I could someday lose the passion completely. Like I did for violin (I basically stopped playing once I found pipe organ).
I’m scared that I will waste my other talents (writing) and hard work (math) and my chance to make a difference in the world. </p>
<p>Most of all, I’m upset because my parents would pretty much disown me if I went into music, which they consider a weak field for weak people. i.e. they would not pay for my college if I majored in music (I am a sheltered homeschooled girl and have no job myself).</p>
<p>So I plan to major in cognitive science, a lesser interest of mine but still something acceptable, and keep up with organ the best I can without anyone knowing, and maybe, one day if I can’t fight off my lust for music I can switch to a music school or drop out of school. But I’m writing my essay for college and I feel dishonest trying to figure out how to sound passionate about fields I don’t feel fulfilled in, but I can’t write about music and say I want to major in science. </p>
<p>You can do both, many people are engaged in both science & the arts.
You also dont sound ready to apply to colleges.
Have you thought about taking a gap year?</p>
<p>I feel like I’d never be good enough at either that way. </p>
<p>I don’t think I could take a gap year. I’m tired of preparing for the future and I just want to start on what will carry me through the rest of my life instead of all this college/future preparation I’ve been doing. I just want to get started on the rest of my life…</p>
<p>Double-majoring in music and math (or sciences) is not that uncommon. It will require extra work and some flexibility and extra careful planning, but it is doable. </p>
<p>I think there is a number of threads here in CC cafe and parents’ forum on the topic. You can find them by searching for “double-majoring in music and…”</p>
<p>^ Second the suggestion of doubling the majors. Two of DS’s high school friends went for the music major and another major. Both of them (they have been graduated from college) seem to be doing some business management front in some music industry, not as a performer. One went to a well-known music conservatory and the other went to a state school with a good music department.</p>
<p>These days, many jobs require several kinds of talent. In DS’s circle of friends in college, many somehow end up playing several instruments as hobbies. (DS played 4.) You could say they are not that serious music performers – at least DS’s old violin teacher would say so.</p>
<p>I do not know much about music. But DS once said he would like to learn to play pipe organ someday. At least you are ahead of him on this front as you have been playing it alteady and he has not had a chance to do so. (He also played violin for many (10+) years and mostly gave it up and picked up another instrument that is more “in demand” at his college.)</p>
<p>Just a wild guess here: Some parents may be more lenient about what major their D would like to choose. (and maybe more strict about how far in distance their D can go to the college.) So do not give it up completely. They may not be too “upset” if you do choose the music major. I got this idea because one of DS’s male friends asked his parent that, if he were an “Erica” rather than an “Eric”, will they allow him to major in music? The answer he got was yes :)</p>
<p>My S also loves music (voice/piano/trumpet). He didn’t want to leave it behind, yet didn’t want to pursue it as a career. He also considered Cognitive Sciences, or perhaps a Psych major, doubled with music. But, we stumbled upon a program that was more “hard sciences” focused…he is in his third year of this program now:</p>
<p>You can get a job with a music degree. An undergraduate science degree? Not so much. And math majors? Starbucks, if they are lucky. ;)</p>
<p>(For the record: I have two homeschooled d’s. One was a double major in Music Composition/Italian and is completed a dual Ph.d. in musicology/Italian while living in a palace in Venice. The other has a masters degree in accounting, and is seeking a career as a music performer. I think she did it right: with a CPA, she should be able to make a good living working four hours a day - especially the way she makes connections, while doing her music stuff. Occasionally she mutters about “neuroscience”.)</p>
<p>I work in law in London and did my degree in Biology. However, I’ve always been a pretty serious musician (brass instruments, mainly horn but all positions considered ). </p>
<p>I never really wanted a career in music because firstly I don’t think I’d love it so much if my hobby became my job, and secondlyyou have to be quite thick skinned to have a career in the performing arts. I don’t think I could take lots of auditions and rejections. Mostly I do ‘depping’ which is deputising for an absent musician in any kind of ensemble. I’ve done a load of competitions as well. </p>
<p>The reason I’m telling you this is I have no formal qualifications in music and my job is totally unrelated (in fact I doubt anyone I work with knows about my “second life” in music world) but this doesn’t mean I have had to give music up. Far from it. So even if your major is not music, this doesn’t barr you from continuing with it in your spare time, or even having a career in this field.</p>
<p>(If you are very talented at playing the organ, have high test scores and like exams/high pressure study, then apply to Oxbridge, where organ scholars are treated like gods. Generous scholarships and organ scholars are the only students allowed to apply to both Oxford and Cambridge undergrad in the same year).</p>
<p>Mini, I’m interested in your statement that math majors end up working at Starbucks. That isn’t at all what I see, but I wonder if the many jobs open to math majors in my part of the country is an anomaly?</p>
<p>Living just outside DC, I have several neighbors and friends who were math majors, and I know quite a few recent college graduates who were math majors and who had jobs waiting for them when they graduated. Local employers of math majors include NSA, NASA, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab, NIH, and various federal agencies.</p>
<p>Am I living in a math meca, or are there other math jobs out there in the rest of the country?</p>
<p>We have no NSA, NASA, Applied Physics Lab, NIH, or spy agencies. We do have state government that hires computer science majors with M.S. degrees. And office administrative assistants for which math majors may apply. </p>
<p>And we have more coffee shops per square inch than…</p>
<p>And yes, Cupcake is absolutely right about Oxbridge organ scholars. (I roomed with one.)</p>
<p>The right college will appreciate your multiple interests and allow you to double major. Choose a place with a good organ, and multiple opportunities. </p>
<p>Music is not for the weak, in the slightest. Hours of practice, hours of rehearsal, and then there is all the academic stuff that every college student has to do. And the music world is not always well compensated and is very competitive. If you have another job skill, there are plenty of opportunities to play in churches, in ensembles. </p>
<p>But who knows what college will bring. Choose a place where you can explore many interests, and who knows how events will unfold. </p>
<p>D is a violinist, though has a different day job. There is always an orchestra or quartet to join, no matter her location.</p>
<p>It is easy to double major at Vassar. They have several organs there and a strong music department. Only a few distribution requirements are required.</p>
<p>The University of Hartford is another great suggestion if you want the hard sciences and a conservatory Hartt.</p>
<p>Anecdotal of course, but I know two math majors – son and nephew – both got jobs immediately upon graduating. Not at Starbucks. My son double majored, music and math. My nephew is very musical also.</p>
<p>For what it’s worth, my two nephews double majored in music and something else. My older nephew was a 1st Oboe and doubled majored in music and economics. He then went to Law School to have a career in music Law and patents and trademarks.</p>
<p>The younger one was a trombone player and double majored in music and computer science. He’s a senior so who knows what he’ll do next!</p>
<p>A few schools to look at:</p>
<p>University of Rochester
University of Miami (Florida)
Vanderbilt University</p>
). </p>