Why do pre-college music teachers assume that kids going to top colleges (Ivies, LAC’s etc.) are not going to pursue music? My kid did NEC prep (quite awhile ago) and yes many, even most, went to Ivies or top LAC’s. I know many kids who did not do conservatory as an undergrad and are still in music 15 years later (including my own). Some didn’t even major in music. I had a long conversation with the cellist Dave Eggar who felt going to Harvard broadened his career. Yo Yo Ma also went to Harvard, famously. It is possible to continue high-level study with lessons and EC performance while doing classes in other areas. And along with double degree programs, there is always grad school to focus in on music.
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The answer with JPC is that some kids have no intention of heading into music as a career and don’t pursue a music degree (thought might still play music while in college, maybe pursue playing after college as an amateur musician), some are heading into music directly (BM degrees, etc), and some don’t do a BM degree, but pursue an academic degree while staying in music in college, taking lessons, playing orchestra/chamber, then go on to an MM program. Any given year the mix probably changes, but I would give an educated guess that 50% go on to study music in college, probably 40% don’t study music in college and go on to non musical careers (while perhaps playing as an amateur), and the last 10% don’t study music in college as a BM /BA performance student while continuing to play/take lessons, then will go on to an MM (generally this is to satisfy parents who worry about how difficult music is by having a ‘real’ degree).
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It is why the joint programs exist in various forms, where the kid goes undergrad and pursues a ‘normal’ degree, then gets a masters from the associated music school. Lot of kids do music undergrad as an EC, take lessons, then go and get an MM. My take fwiw is about 40% have no intention of doing music professionally, they may do music as an EC in college and become an amateur musician, but go on to a traditional career. That is a rought guesstimate that can change year to year.
As far as why pre college teachers assume what they do, part of it is experience, that a relatively large percent will never pursue music, and part of it is a mentality you see on here as well, that there is a prescribed formula for ‘making it in music’. If you think about it, most music is done as ensemble playing yet the teachers often stress solo playing (at least with solo instruments like violin, cello and so forth) and seem to look down on ensemble playing. Or at least that is my theory fwiw.