College/school?...necessary tools to make a living in music as a teacher?

[funkadelickbass]

If there is a specific place for this thread please move it...I did a few similar searches but couldn't find much....

My question is related to becoming a teacher, what schooling is really helpful. Also, in the teaching realm, does the school matter.

Where I am at now:
-I want to do Music Ed and maybe a minor in composition or jazz...
-Basically I am for the most part an bass "guitarist", I play upright but I truly prefer playing bass guitar.
-I do also do percussion, and brass instruments..

I have a performance degree started but I want to switch into the education study because I have been teaching more now, currently I teach and write music for a drumline that I used to play in, and fell in love with the feeling I get when I pass the knowledge I have on to a student and they "get it"...Its hard to explain the feeling but I am sure many of you know what I mean.

My end goal would be to have a similar "lifestyle" that many of my passed teachers have had...Teach, private and/or in a school, during the day and gig at night.

Any input would be nice...I just need some direction

[B.C.]

This is coming from my experience as a former music major

If you want to teach in a school or university level at all, a B.A. is absolutly necessary. First of all, the degree does not make you a good musician, but it gives you the experience and the practice you need to be one.

That being said, you do not need a degree to make a living out of it, (teaching privately, etc.) but you will have a much more difficult time doing it. I suggest the degree because even if you don't teach a school, you have options open, which is super important.

The switch from a performance degree won't be bad, since the first two years for performance and ed. majors is pretty similar.

Hey man, I think you should go for the degree, you seem like you have the right attitude to do it, that attitude which changed me as a growing musician when I was younger.

[Jazzdogg]

Around here (Southern California) you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a PhD who is teaching music. I have several friends who are teaching music to 6th and 7th draders with a masters, and many of the adjunct music professors at local junior/community colleges have their doctorates.

So, although a graduate degree may not be necessary to be an effective instructor, a masters or doctorate may be necessary to compete for jobs that pay well and provide good benefits.

Good luck!

[BassChuck]

Your college Education department will know all the information you'll need to be certified in Wisconsin. Most states have reciprical status with each other so the education and training you'll receive in Wisconsin will apply to a lot of other states should you desire to live some place warm. That said, the BA degree is bottom line necessary for any faculty position K-12. In Ohio, and I'm guessing a lot of states, teachers have 5 years from getting the BA (your teaching license will expire in 5 years) before getting the MA. So you have to have it to re-new your license. PhD's are mostly for college teaching. If you have a PhD you can teach public school, but most places don't have a salary line for that. (Master's plus 30 or 35 is usually the op level of education).

If you are dealing with a drumline there are likely licensed or certified teachers on the staff... talk to them. As for the choice of school that really doesn't have a huge impact on the training... But.... a good school (read 'big') will be a great network for you to communicate with other teachers and find open jobs etc etc. Also, you might look into joining a state music teachers association. They probably have annual conventions and that can be a great resourse for all kinds of information and networking.

Good luck.

[funkadelickbass]

What kinda sucks for me is that near all of my credits won't transfer... i 'm not sure as to the exact reason but it has something to do with UW-Milwaukee's music dept being separate or something like that...I am currently at a different school...

I see my time there as a time to learn how to practice more effectively...

The line I am teaching only have one licensed music teacher, a history teacher (does a lot with WGI and WSMA), two other performance majors (one with a BA)...so far all the advice from them is "well...what do you want to do...hmmm...go to the college I went to..." or "hmmm...well you'll figure it out..."

In WI I know its not that big of a thing but in other state does the school your degree is from matter? Like University of "x" vs say a more prestigious college (like Harvard for music teachers). I know that as far as networking goes for a performing musician the bigger schools help for those once in a lifetime opportunities...but does the same thing apply for finding a job teaching in a place like Nashville, Seattle, LA, or any other music center in the US...