Think like a business person if you're heading off to graduate school in music. improvplanet.thinkific.com/ "The Four Pillars of Piano Technique" is now a full 32-lesson course. Enroll at the link above.
Best advice I ever got: “Music makes a better mistress than a wife.” I did the piano masters then jumped right into graduate school at NYU to become a psychoanalyst. The piano has never left my life. In NYC I studied with exceptional concert artists who complained to me of their lonely life on the road, the awful pianos they often had to perform on, the stress of constant performance and their inability to nail a university position. Once a pianist snags a good faculty position, they NEVER leave. There are hardly any openings anywhere. Keep the piano in your life as the greatest hobby you, or anyone, could ever have. It’s a great comfort in your lonely hours and just getting near mastery with some great pieces is an extraordinary achievement.
Lol, Thank you professor for mentioning me! I have to correct you though. I clock out at 5.30 not at 5pm. Yes, I rush home and the first thing I want to do is get to the piano! Sometimes even the coat on. I don't want to waste my time with taking it off. But how did you know? Are you watching me? Greetings from an adult beginner.
Thank goodness there are people out there like you who give sound advice to their students, this situation is occuring, not only in music, but in a varity of professional pathways offered by the universities to prospective students, whom, upon completion of degree , find out the employment market is saturated in the field they wish to find a position in! A sad situation, but one they need to be aware of so they can plan in a constructive way their working life. Soooo important!
Your last section on growth areas in music was absolutely brilliant. Honest assessment, using an analytical frame of mind, of music as an economic sector. Truly great food for thought. Thank you.
Wonderful advice. I'll note that when I got a Masters in 1978 (piano performance), I decided in the space of 1 day to go to MBA school and dump my plans for a DMA. I was happy with this and always maintained my piano as an amateur and volunteer (in church). My contemporaries from school have all done very well in private piano in teeming Houston, Tx, but I just didn't see myself as a private teacher, particularly of children. I found business (accounting) interesting and challenging, and have never been unemployed. But, I knew I made the right decision when I returned to my University about 20 years later and THE SAME NAMES WERE ON THE DOORS along the faculty hallway, except one who had died. There was zero turnover.
Joe Stephens I weep reading your testimony and your noted conclusion of zero turnover .a brother landed a job in Australia as a string Bassett been there for 40 years titled as an emeritus his reply to the music school interview question of What do you inspire to be as an adult. He replied Railroad engineer. So I hail you on your turning point decision that actually landed you a job after school
Wow! You covered all bases in my YEARS of decision making. I stumbled across your video, trying to find thew answer to how I can get myself out of poverty. I fell in debt in 2015 when I started my master's degree. I wasn't able to finish my degree since I wasn't able to pay for living costs, so here I am now watching your video and making a decision whether to return or not to finish my masters. I think this video finally did this for me! I've always loved digital art and I believe I may go back to school for graphic design or multimedia production in the fall instead of finishing my music education degree. Thanks again for the encouragement
I often think like you say about "what is needed?" But you must add, that if people have the drive and the love for music and can play, improvise, and teach (feeling their way into people's minds) and are willing to also take some common school jobs (which differ radically from town to town) and private teaching (which is difficult if you want to make money from it) - radio programmes, writing art columns in local websites? - working with musical instruments and take the accounting when needed - then their love for music will give them some good moments throughout life, and the more they get into real knowledge the more joy they will have. I recommend your perspectives very much! Even our orchestras are fighting for their lives and livelihoods. One thing more. I have noticed a vast difference (as you mention in another video) between people who improvise, write, experiment, arrange for groups - and people who really "love Chopin and want to play his most beautiful compositions". They are indeed beautiful, but music is live communication. Being able to find the right moment to play the right piece for, say, elderly people, who recognize it is great, but the ability to find new music and present it so people get interested is the highest level of musical entrepreneurship. Oh you just said all that! :) You know so much about music and environment.
I really appreciate the time and energy you gave to creating this video to share your insight. I am considering going back for a masters of music in Vocal Performance but have many conflicting thoughts given the lack of employment afterwards. Thank you for your kind honesty!
As an adult learner I know I'll never become a concert performer or a professor. Primarily, I'm learning piano because I LOVE it! Also, I want to find new ways to memorize, develop my aural skills, lay down and structure new neural pathways in my brain, increase cognitive and finger speed and develop confidence in making mistakes when playing before a group of people. I love exploring new towns or even new hiking trails, even though I won't get paid for doing this. Music, for me, is a whole new world waiting to be explored and to get absorbed in - I have no need to get paid for it.
Thanks for the advice. I can confirm, that pianist good at theory have an advantage for faculty positions. That's my case and I got a job partly because of it, I was told.
I'm glad to hear that schools are taking a look at their theory cirricula. It's so frustrating that so many programs still teach theory as if the last 100 years didn't happen. There's so much focus on minutiae of period theory that really could be presented either as a footnoot in a history class or be studied in a period specific graduate level theory class... but it's taught in the compulsory undergraduate classes. Meanwhile, tons of practical theory is not. I work with so musicians who don't have a formal background in theory, but have a vastly superior functional knowledge of it compared to many of my teaching colleagues who have graduate degrees. It's a sad state of affairs and I hope it gets rectified in the future. Having talked to some theory professors, it sounds like a huge part of the problem is that it's such a top down design. It's all designed for post-grad theory. Your undergrad theory is made to be a pre-req for what they expect for grad theory, which is pre-req for post-grad work. But none of that matters if you want to just get your undergrad and go work. It's especially a disservice to performers, but teachers too need to under functional contemporary theory. Even if you're just a choir/band/orchestra director you'll likely play things that incorporate larger chord than you were taught and many concepts that are basic to working musicians, but elusive to the formally trained (like tritone substitution). These things can actually matter when balancing the sound of your ensemble or knowing what parts to bring or what can be safely omitted without losing the quality of the harmony.
thanks for writing these comments, i've been learning a lot from them. I've certainly found these things to be true--despite having many years of piano lessons and undergrad study in music, I'm very much a beginner in improvising, some practical theory, and aural skills. Even some other skills I should be good at, like sight reading, need to be developed a lot more in order to be a strong professional. But that last one is more of my own fault. I've found that in terms of "technique", many music jobs are frankly very easy, but they require many other skills that have only been minimally developed through conventional music education.
Thanks for being honest by this. I'm a first-generation College Graduate and it is hard to get a job in the market in general and in music if it is not self-employed when as you mentioned faculty positions are there for a LONG time. I am applying for Grad school to get my Masters Degree in Music Education & now seeing the difficulty in the market I don't see myself as of now getting a Doctorates anytime in the future. I am going keep a realistic mind though out. I am glad that my mother understands the difficulty of job finding in the market for my older brother and I but my father doesn't see it unfortunately and thinks it is easy like it was at his time. You are very right with 1st generation college students because my brother and I are one of them and both of our parents didn't passed high school level and don't face the challenge it is. I really hoped College faculties let students know about the job market & how hard it has gotten over the years. I'm doing 2 jobs substitute teaching & teaching privately at a music store and it took me 4 years after graduation to teach piano and being given the opportunity in a music store/studio. I applied to many and even had an interview in a music studio but wasn't given a position just only as a substitute fill-in when I was need. I had a colleague from college reach out to me on the opportunity of the music store where I am currently teaching and took it. I am teaching a few adult students in the music store & I know it is hard regarding their schedule but I know many that are on the older side really want this opportunity to learn. I give the opportunity and never want to turn down anyone wanting to learn music. I remember my 5th Grade teacher was still teaching when I was in middle school and I'm sure by now she has been retired for a while. My University's Music Department has unfortunately shrink a lot since I graduated in 2017. My piano teacher that received her Doctorate's in Piano performance from USC has had it rough finding a position. I notice she is no longer teaching at my College Alma Mater and I hope she is doing well and finding ways to still do what she loves. I'm glad my Alma Mater offered a Music & Business class and the professor was very honest and let us know the various ways about the job marketing if some of us do gigs, want to teach at a Schoo or University. Thank you for your honesty in this topic.
I believe u hve spoken to me coz am playing to go for masters degree studies in music but am glad I hve heard this from you before I get into the realmove
My piano instructor has developed relationships with elementary and middle schools. She may have several students whom she teaches and prepares for competitions and judging competitions. She thinks like a business person and is a highly skilled pianist. Joe.
This was an interesting video. Thanks for the info. I'd like to add to your list of music-related jobs where there are way more openings than there are applicants. Those jobs are: violist, harpist, organist. Musicians with advanced skills in those three instruments will have people falling at their feet to offer them positions.
There is a caveat to that train of thought, though. I am a former board member of my local chapter of The American Guild of Organists. Yes, there are openings, and there are fewer musicians that have been studying and earning degrees in organ performance. But the idea that there are jobs calling for those organ majors is somewhat exaggerated. Like pianists, organists also want those prestigious positions. They seem to all think that they will be able to capture the big-name churches like St. John the Divine, Riverside, Coral Gables, Christ Cathedral, or famous venues like the Wannamaker organ in Philadelphia's Lord and Taylor (now Macy's), Walt Disney Concert Hall , etc. In the organ world you have to be supremely talented to make a name for yourself touring as a recitalist and to get those positions in prestigious concert halls, churches, cathedrals and parishes. To garner these posts, you also have to be very proficient in improvisation. For the regular organ graduate, though the amount of positions is exaggerated, particularly out in the western U.S. On the East Coast, particularly in New York, Virginia, Florida, and Massachusetts there are a lot of openings, but out West, not as many. Many organ majors will also either double major in sacred music or minor in it. The format of worship has changed to where many churches have now become less formal, and everyone seems to be into the cheapened "Rah Rah" praise-band format rather than high church liturgical format ; many churches they do blended services. Also, the cost of building pipe organs can be prohibitive, and they are maintenance hungry. So yeah, there are positions, but there is more competition than many are led to believe. As educational budgets in many states have grown again, more schools have gone back to offering more music. Teaching certainly can be an option. I know Ministers of Music that look for accompanists to help at rehearsals and to accompany their choirs for church services, at least for the literature that utilizes the piano. There are churches that look for pianists or keyboardists for those churches that use a praise type service. If one is interested, and really, with some instruction from a good organ teacher, most talented pianists can adapt to organ technique and be able to earn a Service Playing Certificate from the AGO, which will give them opportunities to substitute for church organists who go on vacation or need a Sunday or Saturday off. And those gigs tend to pay fairly well for an hour's work. When I had a regular position at my last church posting, I was always trying to find a substitute whenever I wanted or needed a service off. I substitute now, and if I just accompany a service which includes a prelude, offeratory, maybe do an improvisation for communion music, a postlude along with two or three hymns, I usually get anywhere from $150.00 to $175. Or if it requires accompanying a choir and they need you to do a rehearsal, it can be $225 to $250. Not recitalist money, to be sure, but for an hour-long service that is not bad. And one gets to make music that people enjoy and can bless them and bring happiness into their lives. What more is there than that anyway? The advice that Dr. Mortensen gives is spot-on and solid.
That was great. Just subscribed and liked. Gonna go explore more of your videos to see if there is something more current. I have a DMA in classical guitar from UCLA, Csula, Claremont Grad. University. I had a late start but was and still am obsessed with playing classical guitar. I sort of just went to grad school to buy more time to get better at my instrument and musicianship skills. I am now at a professional level and have had the opportunity to go back to UCLA and audit classes for the last 10 years. I have ADHD and I guess I have some time blindness. However, I can now play the super esoteric 20th century music from Theodore Norman, Schoenberg, Stravinsky, as well as music of Bach, Scarlatti, Mozart, John Downland, Luis Narvaez, etc.. Andres Segovia, Julian Bream, and Peter Yates are my favorites.
Thank you. I will do more research over the options you’ve mentioned where musicians could fulfill a need. Working on a research proposal for my MPhil at Cambridge and was wondering if you are open to anymore questions? I’d really love to help musicians think more innovative and consider integrating their education with entrepreneurship as a way to expand the value they have to offer.
Thank you for all the interesting content that you post on your channel. Could you maybe do a video on what kind of piano you would recommend for advanced piano students? What is your view on digital pianos? Thank you! Greetings from Sweden
Christian - If you are advanced or even low intermediate, please don't do this to yourself.Forget that the digital pianos even exist,if you want to really play the piano.
What rigorous research opportunities are there for grad students in music? What about for grad students in STEM (math, statistics, computer science, physics, etc.) who want their research to contribute to the field music?
Very good video. I am an adult beginner with about one year of experience in piano playing. I love playing and I’m doing it every day. I’ m leaving in the UK and was looking for good teacher for adult beginners. It isn’t easy. Finally I have found one. I think that there is a good market for teaching adults, not only teaching but organising events for them small concerts or even competitions. Many adults want to play for pleasure and they have some money to spend. I would say that it is good business opportunity for entrepreneurial teachers. But looking at the whole market I much prefer to have career as en engineer and enjoy music after work that face problem as most musician have with finding employment.
How valuable is a masters in music theory will it take me away from my piano studies/dreams of being a pianist. I’m having to decide on f I pursue a masters in piano performance and pedagog. But always the thought of masters in theory could get me a job makes me wonder. Cause I love theory as well
Great advice. But I feel like this is mainly for music performance majors. I am thinking of going of a masters in music education. I really have no desire to teach music in a university because I actually enjoy my position at an elementary school.
Absolutely. And that's wonderful that you enjoy your position! We definitely need educators like you in those younger-age school teaching positions, I think lots of other soon-to-be music educators in college doing their bachelors or masters wouldn't typically go for those younger age group school positions, but those are the important teachers that introduce those young kids to the wonderful world of music in the first place.
This makes me question whether or not I should pursue this, I'm a junior and I really do love music, and the piano, my plan had been to get a doctorate one day and try to teach theory or piano performance at a college, but I don't know if that's so realistic anymore. It makes me question if I should just jump ship and try to get a degree in marketing or something like that. I don't know, that's the hard part, I don't know what to do, I mean what I want one day in life is to be able to have a family and stable pay, but maybe that's not something that can be achieved with a degree in music?
If you're fine with doing something else in music, you still have a much higher likelihood of making it, though. There is teaching, or accompanying, or playing for a band, composing, improvising, etc. which are viable career paths. Check out Nahre Sol for example. You can still do some cool stuff if you're interested.
This video is very helpful. Can you please make a video about those people who learned piano late but still hope to become not very famous but know concert pianist? What path should one follow? Please help.
You are known though which is great. You are making a difference by making these videos. I want to make a difference too. Please guide regarding what path to be taken.
its_somebodyx.covers An able musical that's not very famous I recall the story of Carlo James Curley .He drop out of high school ,did the organist choir master bit , slept on a few friends couches , hooked up with Allen organ company to promote their electric organs. Made e a few recordings and left America to play in churches in England and Sweden He made a name for himself with in a devoted circle and died with admirers lamenting their loss . But mind you he was a snake oil salesman the likes of Ron Popell the vegematic wonder guy
The idea that if you want to become a concert pianist you need to become a super-virtuoso or people won't come to your concerts is unbalanced. First start off with being able to put an attractive programme together and performing it successfully. After that gradually increase the level of difficulty (not beyond your ability). Everything is to do with marketing. You need a team including a manager (who can be new to the game but proficient with some training), an artist (you) and a publicist who works closely with the manager. Well, there are different ways of doing this but here is just a suggestion. If you perform then people will hear you and eventually you will build a following. If you learn pieces that are so difficult that you take so long to play them well enough then it will be an unwise use of your time. In the end you might be too scared to perform some crazy Horowitz or Godowsky transcription and then it would have all been for nothing (career-wise).
What is your advice on the following method as far as higher-education is concerned: Step 1: Studying some realistic , high demand job such as accounting ect. Step 2: Establishing yourself in that career and making money Step 3: Then going to music school and studying and afterwards experimenting with different job opportunities in the music field . I think the time spent Studying could be plausible as it takes 7 years to become a regular GP and then even more to become specialised. So what are your thoughts ?
I think that if you can find a way to make a living and also do things that make you happy and bring joy to the people around you, and if you can lie down and sleep at night satisfied with your day, you are the smartest person in the world.
I work full time as a musician and virtually none of my full time peers would recommend someone try to go to school for music. Getting a job that pays well instead has many more benefits. I end up gigging with a lot of people who've taken that route. They don't have to take jobs they don't want. They don't have to take jobs when they are busy. They have way more disposable income for fun things like nice instruments. If you're actually trying to make it as a musician, you'll spend a lot of time learning and playing music you don't particularly enjoy.... that's what gets you paid. You'll often take on huge workloads, particularly around the holidays when work is plentiful and holiday pay is good. I mean, I'm a full time musician and the thing I regret the most this particular holiday season is that I don't get to enjoy music. I'm sequestered away working on stack of music for a ton of engagements. There have been fun holiday music things I've done in the past that literally just don't have time for. So the cost of being a full time musician is that I often don't get to actually just enjoy music for myself. This is not a problem my doctor, realtor, and even UPS guy friends have. They gig when they want and make extra money, but they mostly just get to play and have fun on their terms and only playing stuff they like. Now, I don't hate what I do, but I'm also a glutton for punishment. I enjoy improving even in areas of music I don't like. I like doing tons of technical work. I think it takes someone borderline sadistic about practice to make it in music. But most people want to just pursue the music they personally enjoy even if they are pursuing it seriously through school. I think that's a bad move and a costly one. So I'd honestly say follow step 1 and 2 and skip 3. Do it for fun if you like but not looking for career opportunities necessarily in music.
Wow, you're post was so educational, thank you for that! As a full time musician, do you think it would be a smart choice to major in a field (so you can follow steps 1,2 and 3) and also major in music as well in college? Does having a significant degree really be the deal breaker for certain or all jobs? Or do you think it's better to minor in music, as the alot gigs judge based off of other requirements other than a significant degree? If this is the case, what will gigs look at instead of a degree so you can get the gig?
Honestly, I'm not aware of any performing jobs that care about what piece of paper you have. They care if you can play the music you're being hired to play. If there are jobs that actually care about your degree, I'm not aware of them. I have seen guys bragging about their degree to the wrong people and getting shot down though. I've worked with plenty of guys with no college degree who basically learned in real world experiences like cruise ship gigs. They are fantastic at what they do and if someone brags about a degree, they'd better be able to show skills to go with it because not only is the degree irrelevant, but if there's an ego coming with it, it's usually unwelcomed. People like working with those who are easy to work with even if they aren't as skilled. I wouldn't really recommend majoring in music. While my degree gave me a lot of experience with different styles and ensembles as well as some foundation, I'd say that the vast majority of my useful skills were learned after college. The theory and ear training in particular are entirely inadequate and usually poorly suited to real world use. Contemporary theory and contextual ear training tend to be missing in favor of common practice theory and a very narrow scope of ear training usually with little context. Additionally, college programs aren't going to focus much on contemporary styles (unless you go somewhere like Berklee). You'll get a bit too much focus on "legit" music. They see to almost pretend the last 100 years of music didn't happen and the last 200 years of theory didn't happen. Rep is great, but for pianists in particular, you need to READ. Your reading needs to be great for "legit" jobs (mostly accompaniment). For jobs like jazz combos and cover bands you need to have good comping skills and a good ear as well as some lightly improve skills. You don't necessarily need to be able to lay down crazy solos, but being able to comp a part from chords is extremely useful and it bleeds over a ton into my legit work. I end up getting a lot of work solely because I can do both the reading and the chord comping while so few others are comfortable with this. Obviously, this is also going to require a lot of contemporary theory knowledge (look into some of Mark Harrison's books). What's going to get you he gigs is networking. You just need to meet people and that needs to lead to more work. But for that to work for you, you need a good reputation. You need to be punctual. I always feel like on time is late. Be there! Be prepared. Be easy to work with and flexible. You should constantly be trying to improve your skills through self-assessment. I make it a goal to never have to say "I can't do that." I still have to plenty, but any time I have to or I find that I was weak on a gig because of a particular skill, I drill into that skill to turn it from a weakness to a strength. If you're working with a lot of the same people (and as you network you will be) they will notice that you're not that guy who just gets by and feels like they are "good enough" but as the guy who constantly is pushing to meet the needs of whatever job you've been hired for. At some point you stop looking for work and instead work just finds you. Some guy needs a sub for his band or some cocktail style gig he's playing, or some jazz combo needs a guy who can come in and sight-comp chord charts to fill out the rhythm section, or some lady needs you to sub at their church, or some choir director heard you accompany well, and maybe some band director heard from them and want you to play accompany solos for a contest.
I don’t even expect a college job. I’m thinking of applying for masters to be a studio teacher. Hmm...do I even need a degree for that since I’m already doing it. This is why I have been in limbo for 5 years, I don’t see how grad school can help me except for the letters behind my name. I can just take lessons from a teacher if I want to improve my playing...I need help.
I am studying music in depth. But I am not doing it for a job prospect. Seems to me to be totally the wrong motivation to learn music in my opinion. Study music as a pleasure or a vocation to inspire others. But do your day day job in some other field to earn an income. Never mix the two. Not saying that is correct, it is just the way I see music. As something you do for pleasure only. Your videos are very helpful. Thanks.
if everyone followed your theory, the music industry would collapse and it would disappear as an art forever. How do we learn music theory unless there are devoted teachers who turn music into a career, and work to do so?
I more and more realize that studying classical music is for most of us just for personal pleasure. It's not (anymore) sustainable source of income. Any thoughts?
I live in DFW. And just took my second to last placement exam for my master's. Number one question; is it common for master’s students to take placement exams? I struggled with a couple of them. Should I be too concerned? They are called placement exams. So it does not kick me out of enrollment.
Nowadays. Compared to five years ago. EVERYONE IS LOOKING FOR MUSIC FACULTY& staff at lower level education. I start graduate orientation in three days. Also, I will not name the school. But sadly, as of two months ago, it is now under an academic accreditation warning. So, I am wondering if I should transfer and abandon the ship. My focus is church sacred music as a vocalist. I recently got my first professional job as a singer.
If you have already committed tons of money and time, to be contemplating grad school, it seems like the inevitable choice. What other choice is there? Yes, teaching is an option - teacher's college may save a number of students who are happy to teach high school. But the dye is cast and, frankly, this should have been researched and thought through long before you got to this step. I like the idea of teaching seniors, but it is hard to keep them interested because whatever distracted them from music when they were younger will probably still be there. You can get them busking for fun and profit, and they will see the kind of musician's life they missed in their youth. Another avenue to play music at retirement homes - but the classical musicians might have to learn some Guns & Roses and Metallica songs that remind seniors of their well-spent youth. Certain classical musicians might resent playing pop/rock/metal songs, but they've made their choices. They should be happy playing and getting paid. The other option that is rarely talked about is getting patronage - as a means to avoid pop culture and making money (thinking like a businessman). Yes, classical musicians are reluctant to make concessions to non “serious” music, but with a patron that problem vanishes. Patronage still exists, and the trick is finding out who is willing to play that role. You just have to find the candidates who are willing to see your genius and brilliance (plus maybe offering some other services). Anyway, these are some options that musicians can explore...
It's horrible . Back in the old days after the Civil WAR they flooded out of conservatories , Paris and Leipzig no jobs then either so they try their hand in North and South America . The test for someone to be accepted in a music learning program should be how well you can sell yourself .Like how long did you last as an encyclopedia salesman would be a good test
To potential grad-students going into music studies: Thinking like a BU$INE$$ PER$ON, just ask yourself the 🔄 question: That person who will hire you, is s/he considering you because of whether you have a doctorate or a master’s degree(?), ...or, whether you can make money for her/him(?), and/or their institution-? AND, the $alary you’d get {pfft-!}, can it allow you to pay your rent, food, health care, transportation co$ts, cellphone/laptop Wi-Fi payments, ...AS WELL AS, pay off the debt you incurred in your {at best, 📉 ‘shaky’] grad-school investment-⁉️
what kind of student have you been? were you a brilliant student? a piano virtuoso? what kind of grades did you had when passing the exams? how did you got your teaching job at a Conservatory? would be interesting to have this background on you so i know better who I get the advices from. if there is a Q&A video that i have missed then pls somebody point me to it. thank you
Good advice but these musicians should also focus on seeking a professional orchestral position and teaching at elementary and secondary schools and making recordings. Also, one should consider being an apprentice with a master teacher and or performer. Making connections are everuthing!
