I thought I'd update everyone on my academic life.

Congratulations · Post by **Congratulations** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 3:43 pm

Yes, I felt I should share my news. It's because I care.

Those of you who have read my posts have probably seen me mention that I am majoring in English. Those of you who have not read my posts are probably better people for it.

Well, I declared a second major today: anthropology. This seems an odd move, but it allows me to pursue ethnomusicology in graduate school. This is an idea I've been courting for a while, and now I have finally made a decision. I'm not dropping English because I love it, but I doubt I'll take it past the undergrad level. And I may yet drop it even before then.

What's more, my anthropology advisor specializes in Ireland, which works out better than I'd thought it would. I'm in her linguistics class this semester, and I'm taking her Irish folklore class next semester. She's a really wonderful person.

I'm done. In an attempt to make this thread a little more than "Congrats, Congrats," I invite you to speculate if I'll ever get a job in my field.

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 4:00 pm

I understand that if you want a faculty postition in ethnomusicology,
either pick a country wisely, or be prepared to move around (probably
both). Our nearby college has a session, and a music professor
attends. She is from Brittain, and plays a lovely Irish flute, but her area
of expertise is in Indian music (as in the Subcontinent, not Native
American). I know she's mentioned before trying to get jobs at other
schools, but they already have a professor who covers Indian music.
So, apparantly, it can be tough depending on your area of
specialization. I have no idea whether you even want to be a
professor, though (It's a sweet gig if you can get it!)

djm · Post by **djm** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 4:11 pm

Congrats wrote:I invite you to speculate if I'll ever get a job in my field.

Can you sing? I have heard that if you want to be a prof you have to be a tenure .... (ba-dump-dump)

djm

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 4:35 pm

I don't like English majors. They is always making me look stupider than I really are.

Post by **Nanohedron** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 5:11 pm

Cranberry wrote:I don't like English majors. They is always making me look stupider than I really are.

Somewhere, in another forum far, far away, Congratulations wrote:...before teh intarweb came along?

I wouldn't worry about it.

OnTheMoor · Post by **OnTheMoor** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 5:12 pm

djm wrote:
Congrats wrote:I invite you to speculate if I'll ever get a job in my field.
Can you sing? I have heard that if you want to be a prof you have to be a tenure .... (ba-dump-dump)

djm

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 5:26 pm

A very, very silly joke.

rh · Post by rh » Thu Apr 13, 2006 5:32 pm

Very cool.

I got my bachelor's with a music theory/composition major, which made me highly unemployable.

When i decided around age 30 to go back to school, i seriously considered a master's in ethnomusicology. I was living in Chicago at the time, and the only program was at U of C, which is a very prestigious (ie expensive) school. But after thinking about it i decided i'd probably only be able to make a living as a college professor.

So as things worked out, i studied Chinese medicine, which i like because it is sort of applied ethno-medical anthropology. And after ten years, i make most of my current income in the field as... you guessed it...
a college professor.

Congratulations · Post by **Congratulations** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 5:46 pm

Yeah, I'd say a teaching gig at a university would be my ideal job. I mean, when I declared my English major, I pretty much resigned myself to teaching, so this is no stretch. The moving around thing is something I hadn't considered. I'll have a chat with my advisor and see what she says about future employment.

Nanohedron wrote:
Cranberry wrote:I don't like English majors. They is always making me look stupider than I really are.

Somewhere, in another forum far, far away, Congratulations wrote:...before teh intarweb came along?
I wouldn't worry about it.

carrie · Post by **carrie** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 5:55 pm

Well Congrats, I guess I went the other way. My undergraduate degree is in music theory, and as I was finishing my master's degree, also in music theory, I decided I wasn't at home enough in an academic musical environment to make that my career, which really seemed the only choice with a music theory degree. Although I did end up getting my master's in music, I also got a master's in the ever-in-demand field of English, thinking I'd have a much better chance for a career I'd enjoy. I have to say that I was right, actually. For me, anyway, music--which has continued to be a big part of my life all along--is best as an amateur pursuit. I am certainly not trying to dissuade you from ethnomusicology, just telling my own path.

I appreciate your telling this community about your decision. Just yesterday I was thinking how wonderful it is to have college (and high school) students among us--all of you add so much.

Carol

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 5:57 pm

cskinner wrote:Well Congrats, I guess I went the other way. My undergraduate degree is in music theory, and as I was finishing my master's degree, also in music theory, I decided I wasn't at home enough in an academic musical environment to make that my career, which really seemed the only choice with a music theory degree. Although I did end up getting my master's in music, I also got a master's in the ever-in-demand field of English, thinking I'd have a much better chance for a career I'd enjoy. I have to say that I was right, actually. For me, anyway, music--which has continued to be a big part of my life all along--is best as an amateur pursuit. I am certainly not trying to dissuade you from ethnomusicology, just telling my own path.

I appreciate your telling this community about your decision. Just yesterday I was thinking how wonderful it is to have college (and high school) students among us--all of you add so much.

Carol

I am a college student. Do you want to hear my decision?

carrie · Post by **carrie** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 5:59 pm

I am always interested in how things go for you, Cranberry!

Carol

Congratulations · Post by **Congratulations** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 6:01 pm

cskinner wrote:I am always interested in how things go for you, Cranberry!

Carol

Ditto!

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 6:05 pm

Congratulations wrote:
cskinner wrote:I am always interested in how things go for you, Cranberry!

Carol
Ditto!

My major is Religion with a concentration in either Religious Thought and Ethics or Biblical Studies (I haven't decided yet, I might do both). After college I plan to go to grad school and become a prison counselor or a church librarian or I might work in juvenile corrections. It depends on how I feel led.

Regardless, I am going to live below the poverty line my entire life. I feel called to do that. It's very freeing to know so early that I will always be poor, no matter how high my education goes.

JS · Post by JS » Thu Apr 13, 2006 6:05 pm

Congrats--As a prof in an English lit dept. myself, I'd say that English and anthropology make a great double major. Both deal with culture, customs, expression of states of mind that are more or less reluctant to be expressed directly or simply; you get to work in folklore, myth, and general cross-cultural confusion and do interesting writing. I like it.

It would be worth it, even now, to start checking out the job ads for PhDs in your field so you can get some sense of what's in demand, what sorts of subfields might be desired, how many tenure-line vs visiting positions are out there.

I teach at a small college, and there's a lot to recommend that sort of gig as well as a university job.