The Future of Music Majors
A feature of the outlook and situation of Music Majors at the University of Houston and the Moores School of Music
by Owen Zinkweg, Charnee’ Collier, and Jasmine Perez Diaz
When choosing a career path, picking a major can be one of the most stressful decisions a student or any person can make in their lives. Not only do they have to be comfortable with a college work load but must also think about life after college and graduation. Despite some of the difficulties that come with selecting a major in the arts, many students still go against the grain and do so. Majoring in music at the University of Houston is one of the more demanding majors offered, but students seem to think it’s worth it.
Music is a difficult career path for students to undertake. For many, it means relying on auditions and scarce opportunities as sources of income. Because of this, many would-be arts students seek out more lucrative careers in sciences and business. So what happens to the students who do decide to stay on the music path? The University of Houston’s Moore’s School of Music has many students who struggle with these questions, and professors who are dedicated to helping them find answers.
Cynthia Clayton, a 14 year Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies Music shines a light on the Moore’s School or Music. Not only is Professor Clayton a teacher, but she was a Professional Opera singer and had been at it for the past 26 years, gaining a lot of experience in her time in the music circuit. Clayton received her undergraduate degree at the University of California Los Angeles and didn’t major in an ordinary music program. Seeing how UCLA didn’t have a music school back then, Clayton had to get a Bachelors of Arts in Music. Things have changed over the years, as a Bachelors of Music is a more common degree now. Afterwards, Clayton continued her graduate studies at the University of Southern California.
Like many music majors at both UH and other schools, Clayton never saw herself teaching, performance was the track she chose. After attending graduate school, performing professionally and booking gigs was where Clayton put her focus. It wasn’t until Clayton became a mother tha performing became unsustainable for her. Teaching local students became her new career; and Clayton decided she wanted her students to learn what she never got a chance to learn herself while she was in school.
When it comes to majoring music, a majority of Professors teach their music students in a way that Professor Clayton didn’t see as beneficial.
“A lot of teachers approached teaching as getting the students to sound a certain way,” said Clayton. “I teach my students to understand why that certain sound is important and why it is correct,”
Becoming an opera singer or classical musician professionally is not always a possibility for music students. According to Clayton, becoming one these days is highly unlikely.
“No one is going to only be a Classical Singer,” Said Clayton. “You have to be good at coming up with new ideas, new genres and mixing genres.”
Clayton felt that music was just like any other competitive field, and she says that students have to go the extra mile to get to where they want to go, and that being mediocre will never do.
Clayton expressed that when most think about majoring in fields like music and art, the word job does not fit. However, it is the complete opposite when it comes to music majors. According to Professor Clayton, teaching in music is a bigger industry than what most people expect and getting jobs after graduation is much easier than what some people may think.
“Before deciding to major in music, you do have to dig deep ask the questions, just as you would with any other major decision,” Said Clayton.
Clayton felt that Texas was an especially good place to have a music education.
“ But the state of Texas values music education and music educators so much that there is an 100 percent job placement,” Clayton said. “Most of our graduating students receive teaching jobs automatically.”
Despite many hardships along the way, Clayton believes that Music students do have a place in the world and definitely a place at UH. Future performance majors will really have to be persistent in their efforts to find job placement. But for those seeking a career in music education, there is not as much to worry about. With high job placement straight out of college, a career in music education is very successful, and choosing this track could have music students becoming just as successful as their counterparts in business and science programs.
