What If I Choose Music Teaching?

If you choose music teaching as a career, discuss your decision with your music teacher and guidance counselor. Ask them to help you find out

• what college or university with an accredited music education degree program interests you the most. (Try to visit at least two schools.)

• what music scholarships are available to you in the music department of these schools.

• what options are available within the music education degree program. You may prepare for working with children from kindergarten through middle or junior high school as a teacher of general music. If you do so, you may work in a single music room or you may travel from school to school. You may prepare to teach music electives in high school such as theory, history, and music appreciation. You may prepare to be a band director, or an orchestra director.

As you gain experience and add to your academic foundation, you may decide to be a music supervisor in a large or small school system, a state supervisor of music, or a college professor. Often, state certification allows you to teach all music subjects through grade 12. Alternatively, depending on state regulations, you may be asked to choose certification within a specialty. Institutions may prepare students to receive any of three different types of certification: comprehensive, which allows graduates to teach all K-12 music courses (both vocal and instrumental); instrumental, for teachers of grade 5- or 6-12 band or orchestra; or vocal, for teachers of K-12 general music and chorus. Obviously, if you have a teaching certificate with your music degree, your opportunities are greatly increased.