In a music college, students arrive motivated by a love for music that is so strong it overrides the instinct for a more secure career path, and often the resistance of their parents.
As music educators we are responsible to not only stimulate the intellectual advancement of the student, but also to provide wise and experienced counsel that will help the student prepare for a career in music. Music school graduates may ultimately choose a different career path, and a music education is a wonderful preparation for many fields of endeavor. But the challenging career path of a professional musician requires special attention, and the institution must lay the groundwork for its students.
A fact of musical life that cannot be ignored in music education is that technology has become central to every aspect of music. Yet, many educational institutions have not changed their approach in spite of this.
Can a student receive meaningful preparation for life after a degree without becoming fluent with the hardware and software that drive this industry? Perhaps every entering freshman should receive a laptop stuffed with the latest software, along with a digital camera, high quality microphone, midi keyboard, and other essential tools just as students in the past arrived with notebooks, pencils, manuscript paper, and stacks of textbooks.
There may not be a lot of full time jobs just waiting for young musicians to apply, but there is a lot of work for those prepared to perform it. A contemporary music education must help students understand this work, how to find it, and do it well. This requires a unique blend of study that develops intellectual and musical potential, and also provides a practical focus that is up to date, savvy, and realistic.
Harry Chalmiers, President
McNally Smith College of Music
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A fact of musical life that cannot be ignored in music education is that technology has become central to every aspect of music. Yet, many educational institutions have not changed their approach in spite of this.
I've observed the sales reps & product specialists from music technology companies training salespeople on the finer points of their new products. A quick and easy route might be to invite these companies to address our students... in the same fashion as Artists in Industry, only Technology in the Music Industry.
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