Would this be possible to major in?

[LuvingLife]

Okay, so I have been thinking, praying, researching, and thinking some more about what I would like to major in. This may sound like a wierd combo, but I am looking into doing a double major, such as music ministries( possibly music education) and nursing (probably and associate's at first, then go on when needed). And also a minor in photography. I know wired combo right?:001_smile: But this is what I feel that I am being called to do. I just don't know if this is possible, has anyone done anything like this before? Or somehting different?

[choirfarm]

It would probably take you 6 or 7 years to graduate. As a music ed major, it would have taken me 4 1/2 years to graduate and I didn't have to take a single science class...well, I did have to have 1 class but my ACT score placed me out of Biology and gave me the credit I needed. So you would need tons of science classes. Also, music takes tons of time. I was only taking 15 hours, but I went to class from 8 until 3 Monday through Friday. A lot of classes only counted 1 hour, but they would practice everyday for an hour like choir. Then in addition to my homework like English and other basics, I had to practice voice every day for an hour and piano for another hour. ( As music education you have to take enough piano to be able to accompany someone and well relatively well. My concentration was voice.) Other classes like woodwind methods had me listening to hours and hours of recordings...so did music history. I was so jealous of my friends as they seemed to have so much more free time than I did as a music major. I'm not sure how you would fit in all of the science classes you would need for nursing... Sorry, probably not what you wanted to hear.

 

Christine

Edited December 12, 2010 by choirfarm

[Michelle in AL]

Nursing is usually a fulltime major, no minor needed or time for one in your schedule. The good things about nursing is that jobs are readily available. It is versatile in that you can do several different things with it: floor nursing, education, hospice end of life care, home health, psychiatry, management etc. Music (only to some degree) and photography can be self studied to become secondary careers or hobbies, so you could almost have the best of both worlds.

[FaithManor]

Hi,

 

I tripled majored in piano performance, music education (instrumental), and philosophy. I CLEPed out of my first semester of college and carried 21 credit hours per semester thereafter plus summer sessions in order to make it out in 4 years.

 

Music is rigorous because you will have performance groups you must be a part of every semester and either voice lessons or lessons on your instrument of choice. You will be expected to practice 2 hrs. per day minimum for voice and 3-4 hrs. per day for an instrument in addition to your class load and performance classes.

 

I really don't think that double majoring with nursing would be possible. This is because in your third or fourth semester your will begin clincials and those will take place in area hospitals. Many nursing students, once in clinicals, spend more time off campus Monday thru Friday than on...you won't have time to prepare for your junior and senior recitals.

 

If you would like a career in medicine and music, I highly recommend music therapy. This is an unusual major that requires specific spheres of knowledge within music but not with the high expectations of the standard music major. It crosses over into psychology and some basic medical concepts plus delves into the use of music in a therapeutic setting for children with serious mental and physical challenges. Hospitals hire music therapists to work with chronically ill children to help continue a more normal childhood development, for pain management, etc. So, you get a meld of disciplines.

 

Not every large university with a medical center offers music therapy and most typical music schools do not either. I believe that the University of Cinncinnati in conjunction with the school of music has such a program. Michigan State University does too and I think Duke as well.

 

Faith

[choirfarm]

More about my experience: I was a music major for two years. By the end of that two years I was so tired of being a music monk. It was all I did. I didn't want to even listen to music when I was home on vacation. For me, it took something I loved and turned it into drudgery. So, I talked to my parents and decided to major in something else and just keep music fun. I changed my major to secondary education with fields in English and history. While my dh was in residency I helped out with a children's choir, sang in the choir and played handbells. Then he started practice here. I directed a children's choir for 12 years ( sat the last two out). I am doing a sticks group now ( Salt and Light ministries produces these cool tapes. Some use dowel rods to portay scences in music. Some songs simple choreography, and others use some sign language. They are really fun) with the youth. I've sung in the praise team for the last several years. I have been head of my music committee. I direct the choir when my music minister is gone. I even helped plan the services when we were in between music ministers and recently when my music minister's dad died unexpectedly. I love music. I just don't get paid for it. I don't regret changing majors, however, I do wish I had taken a conducting course!!

 

I'm not saying you should choose nursing at all. For you, music may be the way to go. But if you do choose nursing, you do not have to give up music!!!

 

Christine

Edited December 13, 2010 by choirfarm

[asta]

One of my girlfriends got her BA in music performance and her MA in Special Education.

 

After receiving her BA, she realized that the reason she liked music so much was because we had all had this incredible music teacher in grade school who really *reached* kids. Our band (the top in the district) had special ed kids, regular kids, and gifted kids - and no one "stood out". Everyone was on an even playing field. It was awesome the way the band director pulled everyone together.

 

So... she went back to school to get her MA to teach special ed. She used the moral lessons she had learned from our band teacher, and applied the "community" lessons she had learned in her BA. She is an incredibly successful and loved teacher.

 

 

a

[LuvingLife]

Hi,

 

I tripled majored in piano performance, music education (instrumental), and philosophy. I CLEPed out of my first semester of college and carried 21 credit hours per semester thereafter plus summer sessions in order to make it out in 4 years.

 

Music is rigorous because you will have performance groups you must be a part of every semester and either voice lessons or lessons on your instrument of choice. You will be expected to practice 2 hrs. per day minimum for voice and 3-4 hrs. per day for an instrument in addition to your class load and performance classes.

 

I really don't think that double majoring with nursing would be possible. This is because in your third or fourth semester your will begin clincials and those will take place in area hospitals. Many nursing students, once in clinicals, spend more time off campus Monday thru Friday than on...you won't have time to prepare for your junior and senior recitals.

 

If you would like a career in medicine and music, I highly recommend music therapy. This is an unusual major that requires specific spheres of knowledge within music but not with the high expectations of the standard music major. It crosses over into psychology and some basic medical concepts plus delves into the use of music in a therapeutic setting for children with serious mental and physical challenges. Hospitals hire music therapists to work with chronically ill children to help continue a more normal childhood development, for pain management, etc. So, you get a meld of disciplines.

 

Not every large university with a medical center offers music therapy and most typical music schools do not either. I believe that the University of Cinncinnati in conjunction with the school of music has such a program. Michigan State University does too and I think Duke as well.

 

Faith

 

Thank you very much Faith (that's my little sister's name!!:)), I know you have a lot of experience with music and things like that nad I am glad that you have helped. I was thinking of doing music therapy, but a lot of the colleges I have looked into don't have that as a major. I do love music, it is amazing and I feel great after playing, this is what I feel God has called me to do. I think I might major in music, or minor in it, my major will definitely involve music though!

 

One

of my girlfriends got her BA in music performance and her MA in Special Education.

 

After receiving her BA, she realized that the reason she liked music so much was because we had all had this incredible music teacher in grade school who really *reached* kids. Our band (the top in the district) had special ed kids, regular kids, and gifted kids - and no one "stood out". Everyone was on an even playing field. It was awesome the way the band director pulled everyone together.

 

So... she went back to school to get her MA to teach special ed. She used the moral lessons she had learned from our band teacher, and applied the "community" lessons she had learned in her BA. She is an incredibly successful and loved teacher.

 

 

a

 

What a great story, I love hearing good things like this happen to people. Maybe I should do something like this, I love music and I love helpling kids, so I might look into this.

 

Thank you to everyone else too, you have all been great, I just can't quote everybody though!!:lol:

[MorganClassicalPrep]

At most colleges, that would be considered a dual degree and not a double major, which would most likely end up being near 180 credits.

 

If you are absolutely sure this is what you want to do... be prepared to spend more than 4 years at school. I would never discourage anyone from following their dream, but I would strongly recommend you think about what you want to do when you graduate. Do you want to teach music, and plan on doing the nursing as a back up? Or do you want to be a nurse, with the music as a back up?

As for photography... this is something you could study on your own. You could even take non-credit classes at a local community college once you graduate.

 

I'm currently in college. Major in History, minoring in French, Spanish, and Latin American studies, plus part of the university's honor program, which is essentially a 4th minor for me. I am taking a full load (actually I am taking more than a full load, and had to get special permission to do it), and it is still taking me 5 years to finish.

[FaithManor]

Luvinglife, if music is your passion AND you have a passion to use it in a non traditional-educational/non-performing way to bless others, than music therapy is definitely the field for you. In the undergrad environment, it might be called something else because often, and MA is required afterward just to get all of the psyche and special ed classes in...so start calling universities and just asking to speak the head of the music department. Also, call your closest Pediatric Hospital...especially if it is one with a "Ronald McDonald House" which means that this hospital deals with a high percentage of chronically ill children. These facilities are the most likely to employ a music therapist. Ask them where their music therapist went to school and if they don't know, ask to speak with that person or have them call you back when they are on shift. If you dig, you should be able to find a university with this degree within a three state radius of your home. Seriously, the University of Cinncinnati should be on your at least consider, considering list! If you are willing to think about north and cold, I can find out if Michigan State University is still offering this degree. We are county 4-H science education superintendents, so we have a few connections on campus and should be able to get some info.

 

Faith

[LuvingLife]

Luvinglife, if music is your passion AND you have a passion to use it in a non traditional-educational/non-performing way to bless others, than music therapy is definitely the field for you. In the undergrad environment, it might be called something else because often, and MA is required afterward just to get all of the psyche and special ed classes in...so start calling universities and just asking to speak the head of the music department. Also, call your closest Pediatric Hospital...especially if it is one with a "Ronald McDonald House" which means that this hospital deals with a high percentage of chronically ill children. These facilities are the most likely to employ a music therapist. Ask them where their music therapist went to school and if they don't know, ask to speak with that person or have them call you back when they are on shift. If you dig, you should be able to find a university with this degree within a three state radius of your home. Seriously, the University of Cinncinnati should be on your at least consider, considering list! If you are willing to think about north and cold, I can find out if Michigan State University is still offering this degree. We are county 4-H science education superintendents, so we have a few connections on campus and should be able to get some info.

 

Faith

 

Please let me know Faith, I would love every bit of information I can get, I may not be able to go to Michigan State, but I will definitely consider University if Cincinnati, thank you so much for your help!

[FaithManor]

Hi LuvingLIfe,

 

Guess what? A travesty has occured...MSU has suspended their music therapy program indefinitely. They aren't even accepting new students into the Masters or PhD program. I am bummed because it was an excellent program. But, the good news is that Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo...has a very good program and Kalamazoo is a nice area to live in as well. Here is a link to their site.

 

http://www.wmich.edu/musictherapy/bachelors_degree.html

 

Tuition is $4091.00 flat rate for 12-16 credit hours per semester, approximately 400 in fees (expect to pay a little bit more for a music major...they always manage to stack that against the music majors) so that comes to about $8600-7000 per year and then if you get the gold plan room and board plan (all meals in the dining hall or other area food courts administrated by the college) $8095.00 per year. So, less than $20,000...except that I don't know if they charge significantly more for out of state students. I didn't see that initially when I looked at their website. Some schools do and some schools do not.

 

Anyway, I'll see what else may have music therapy for you a little closer to home. Oh, my sister just emailed and there is a M.T. program through the University of Louisville and it is pretty well respected. So, Kentucky...isn't that quite a bit closer to the range you were considering?

 

Faith

[LuvingLife]

Hi LuvingLIfe,

 

Guess what? A travesty has occured...MSU has suspended their music therapy program indefinitely. They aren't even accepting new students into the Masters or PhD program. I am bummed because it was an excellent program. But, the good news is that Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo...has a very good program and Kalamazoo is a nice area to live in as well. Here is a link to their site.

 

http://www.wmich.edu/musictherapy/bachelors_degree.html

 

Tuition is $4091.00 flat rate for 12-16 credit hours per semester, approximately 400 in fees (expect to pay a little bit more for a music major...they always manage to stack that against the music majors) so that comes to about $8600-7000 per year and then if you get the gold plan room and board plan (all meals in the dining hall or other area food courts administrated by the college) $8095.00 per year. So, less than $20,000...except that I don't know if they charge significantly more for out of state students. I didn't see that initially when I looked at their website. Some schools do and some schools do not.

 

Anyway, I'll see what else may have music therapy for you a little closer to home. Oh, my sister just emailed and there is a M.T. program through the University of Louisville and it is pretty well respected. So, Kentucky...isn't that quite a bit closer to the range you were considering?

 

Faith

 

Wow that is a bummer! I can't believe that has happened! Lol, I guess that is what happens.

 

Yes Kentucky is much closer to home for me, and I was looking at colleges there as well! This is perfect, thank you so much for your help Faith, if you happen to find anything else, please don't be afraid to post it here or PM me!! Thank you!:)

[Melinda]

I did not read all the replies, but I double majored in music therapy and music education with a minor in photography.

[Melinda]

pahaha...I see now that someone else suggested music therapy. :)

[Melinda]

Here's the program I was following before I *gasp* dropped out....

 

http://www.wartburg.edu/music/index.html

[LuvingLife]

I did not read all the replies, but I double majored in music therapy and music education with a minor in photography.

 

Did you really?! What was it like?

 

pahaha...I see now that someone else suggested music therapy. :)

 

Yea, but that's okay, the more suggestions on it the better1

 

Here's the program I was following before I *gasp* dropped out....

 

http://www.wartburg.edu/music/index.html

 

Would you mind telling me more about your experiences with what you majored in?I would love to know!:D