College major

[nickyoung787]

So i'm new to this forum but i'm a bass player going to a community college next year as a music major and then i think i'm going to transfer an do my bachelors in music therapy.
My problem is that in order to get into school for my bachelors you need to audition playing classical music and i really love jazz. i would rather do a bachelors in jazz studies but i don't think that i would be able to get a job as easily with a jazz degree as with a music therapy degree, which makes it sound like i don't really want to do music therapy but it's something that i want to do but i just really want to play jazz and i'm looking for some input.

[Matt Ides]

Work with your current teacher or find one that will work with you on your preparation for classical pieces for your college auditions and well as jazz. Don't think in silos, rather being the best player you can be regardless of music. It seems your focus should be on the Therapy degree, right.

Can you minor or have a focus on jazz at the schools you are looking at or work with faculty? When I was at junior college I think I played in the chamber orchestra, symphony orchestra, and two jazz combos.

[nickyoung787]

i think i'm going to try to get in at western for a double major in music therapy and jazz studies.

[Roy Vogt]

Originally Posted by nickyoung787

i think i'm going to try to get in at western for a double major in music therapy and jazz studies.

Sounds like a good idea to me.

[mcnaire2004]

Originally Posted by nickyoung787

i would rather do a bachelors in jazz studies but i don't think that i would be able to get a job as easily with a jazz degree as with a music therapy degree

Don’t worry about that. If you realize the stupid liberal arts majors or even say one out loud (yea I go to a liberal arts university) then you realize that many jobs just want someone with a college degree. Unless your major is something in HR or Business, or some specific real-world job specialty then it doesn’t matter what your degree is in.

As far as music related jobs go, you don’t need a music degree, unless, you want to work for a School teaching. But then again there are people like Midori who have a degree in psychology and still get jobs teaching music.