Music Major rollcall

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

So i'm just wondering who here got their bachelor's (or higher) in music... and specifically in theory... i did, i think Weekenders did, now i see from another thread CSkinner did as well.

Any others spent time cramming for exams by analyzing motets and Bach fugues and Chopin pieces and all that?

Jennie · Post by **Jennie** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 6:24 pm

I was a music education major for my first two years. Does that count? I liked the theory part. Now I wish I'd put more into that piano class, so that I could really hear all the chord progressions in my head better.

My undergrad degree was in elementary education, though, and my masters' in teaching French and English as a Second Language.

All in all, I'm glad now that music is my avocation and not my meal ticket.

Jennie

rh · Post by rh » Thu Apr 13, 2006 7:14 pm

Jennie wrote:I was a music education major for my first two years. Does that count?

Sure, i originally was going to just do a music major thread, anybody who made it through first year theory is welcome.

I changed the thread title to be more inclusive.

Jennie wrote:All in all, I'm glad now that music is my avocation and not my meal ticket.

I feel that way too, i decided to change career courses when paying gigs got to be a chore. I'd much rather play music i love and not get paid than play music i can't stand to pay the rent.

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 7:43 pm

I was a music major for two years, many many moons ago.

I made it through two years of music theory.

I remember far less of it then I wish I did.

--James

Doug_Tipple · Post by **Doug_Tipple** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 8:15 pm

I doubt that this counts for much, but I took beginning piano as an elective during my senior year as a physical science major. My faculty advisor was not happy with me, to say the least. If I had it to do over again, I would have majored in music, and would have taken an elective in geology. However, it is hard to know who you are when you are starting college. If I was going to be poor anyway, I would rather have been poor as a musician rather than a misplaced geologist.

Henke · Post by **Henke** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 4:08 am

As I've told this board before, the swedish and american education systems are very different, so this is not exactly comparable, but I'm in my senior year right now, and I'm a music major. We have courses in music theory (the first two, called music theory A and B are mandatory), and we have lots of different practical courses, like 4 ensemble courses, different kinds of projects, sound technique (don't know exactly how to translate this), studio, individual instruments and singing, and other kinds of stuff.
The level I'm at is slightly lower than your Collage, but higher than your High School. It's called the Gymnasium. You're usually between 19 and 20 when you graduate, some are up to 25 and I've heard of a few who were 18.
The level that comes after this is called High School, and it's the same level as University (we have those too), slightly confusing probably.
You can study music at a High School level as well, but I don't think I will. I'll probably go on to Police Academy in a few years.

Tyler · Post by **Tyler** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 6:18 am

Henke wrote:As I've told this board before, the swedish and american education systems are very different, .......... It's called the Gymnasium...

Damn, dood, we usually play basketball and hold wrestling meets in our Gymnasiums!

I gave the whole music major thing a try for a semester until I realised there wasn't really any good work locally...
now I'm going for a second degree, majoring in "Make Up Your Damn Mind."

missy · Post by **missy** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 7:14 am

me, being the anal, practical sort:

AS (that's an associate, or 2 year degree) in Science Technology (chemistry and biology, with emphasis on lab work).
Started working full time
Went back to evening college and finished up a BS in Natural Science (chemistry, biology and horticulture).

Doing a degree that way, I took very little in the way of electives, and most of those I managed to get filled by additional science courses or psychology courses.
I don't think I even had a choice of any music classes.........

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 7:48 am

I declared a Music Composition Minor, but never could get enough
classes in to finish it. It turns out that Engineering is a giant black
hole, which traps all of the time you could be using for other persuits.

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 8:42 am

Tyler Morris wrote: Damn, dood, we usually play basketball and hold wrestling meets in our Gymnasiums!

... I used to (and still do sometimes) refer to it as the Gymnausium.

fyffer · Post by **fyffer** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 9:31 am

I spent 4+ years as a music major (emphasis in sound recording technology), but never got my degree. My GPA started out at 3.6, and gradually declined as my interest in music increased, but my interest in classes decreased. By my 5th year, by credits I still wasn't officially a senior, and eventually dropped out, only to go to a different college and get a Math degree (which took an additional 3 years).

I treasure those years as a music major, and made some lifelong friends. Also, the experience of being completely embedded in a musical community for 4 years, and in such a formative time of my life was invaluable.

Tyler · Post by **Tyler** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 10:27 am

Joseph E. Smith wrote:
Tyler Morris wrote: Damn, dood, we usually play basketball and hold wrestling meets in our Gymnasiums!

... I used to (and still do sometimes) refer to it as the Gymnausium.

Of course!

In middle school it's where you go to get more Gymnausium Ad Nausium....

aight, that was lame, oh well...

Crysania · Post by **Crysania** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 12:07 pm

Hi rh! It's good to see another music theory-obsessed type here. I have a bachelors in music theory/history, a masters in compostion, and I'm finishing up my doctorate in music theory/composition whenever I can actually get my behind a-writing that darned dissertation!

I've spent a lot of years analyzing music. I love it!

~Crysania

Post by **Nanohedron** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 12:49 pm

Just to insert a bit of non sequitur here: "gymnasium" basically means "place where you get naked". Of course, that was the Greek practice of old during athletics (I'm not even gonna touch on wrestling

).

Hurrah for Swedish higher education!

djm · Post by **djm** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 3:32 pm

Nano wrote:"gymnasium" basically means "place where you get naked"

Sweden ... that's where all the naked musicians are, isn't it? - running nude out of steaming ITM sessions and jumping into holes in the ice?

djm