College - Major or Minor?

I was explaining to my dad of how I want to Major in Music Performance, and Minor in Business Management. Though the feedback was that I should Major in Business and Minor in Music. My passion is singing, and I feel as though I should Major in something like that, but he explianed to me that Business should be my major because it could help me out way more and get me further in my future than having a major in music can.

So which one should I major in, and which one should I minor?

I was in your shoes early in my college career. I wasn't sure if I wanted to major in business or music, so I selected a school that was very strong in both programs (Indiana). Unfortunately, at the time, Indiana did not offer a minor in music (considered a waste of their high-level resources), so I had to choose between the two. I went with business because I was not prepared to live the life of a struggling musician out of college (moving to NYC or seeking continuing education beyond college). Instead, I took my four year degree, got several job offers out of school, and have had a financially stable life since. That being said, I was still able to pursue music as an interest. I was in several different bands while in college, and even today (12 years later) I still play in three bands. If I wanted to, I could pursue a full-time music career today because I have remained involved...despite not having a major or minor in the field.

Here's the scenario I see for you. If you major in music and minor in business, it will be unlikely you will achieve a "top tier" job out of college. I used to interview hundreds (and hundreds) of college graduates for a Fortune 200 company, and if a resume came across my desk with music/business, I would be concerned about hiring that person because I don't know how committed they would be to the company. The best jobs available for business majors aren't hiring to do a job today, or even in two years. Companies seek talent for jobs 5-10 years down the line...that's where the payoff is for them, to be able to develop their own talent into future leaders of their organizations. A music major may give the impression that they won't make it 5-10 years because they will always be seeking a career in their major field of study.

A major in business and minor in music will not only secure your post college lifestyle, but you could parlay it into a possible business/music career. Maybe be a sales rep or on a marketing team for a music company. Maybe for an agency. Music is a billion dollar industry, and there are opportunities for business-minded people to have healthy careers in the industry.

If you major in music, and it is truly your passion, you may be better off with a minor (or double major) in education. This will give you a better opportunity to stay close to music while securing a long-term career (to fall back on). You could even do private lessons, with credentials, while you're getting your music career up and running.

Good luck with your decision.

Its really all up to you. Its good that you talked to your parents about it. But in the end its your decision. If you feel that music is your passion, then by all means go for it. Good luck

Darryl

"If you want to hurt your parents and don't have nerve enough to be homosexual, the least you can do is go into the arts."
-- Kurt Vonnegut

Ok, that probably doesn't help much, but it makes me laugh whenever I think about my dad not wanting me to major in Linguistics next year.

You should do what makes you happy. And remember, majors can be changed if you decide you want a different path.

I would say major in business. Your dad is right, unless you're going to be a singer, which you wouldn't go to college for anyways, the music performance isn't going to get you as far as a degree in business. With a minor in it, you can still have time for your passion and set yourself up for having a bright future. Good luck.

I say go for what you desire. My Dad had a music Major and was in the Marines and was a music teacher. So just because you might make more with a Buiness degree, you might find that there is more to life than making more money. I hope this will help.

You should follow your heart. Do what you love because you'll spend the rest of your life doing it.
Good luck :)