Can you be in a symphony without a music degree?

Question

I am currently a freshman in college as a journalism major. I got offered a music scholarship to a University but gave it up because I was going to have to major in music to keep it and all the classes I would have to take was going to get in the way of my journalism causing me to ultimately double major. I really love playing oboe and I even made all-region and all-state honor bands in high school. It was hard giving up music because I love it, but I knew it was going to be impossible to do both things I wanted. My private instructor who was also the oboe professor at the University I was offered a scholarship was the one who really pushed me to be a music major. She was upset when I didn't take the offer but in the end, I decided I wasn't ready to attend such a big university so now I am at community college earning an associate's degree. I by no means want to give up music so I was wondering if it was possible to be accepted into a symphony orchestra simply based on skill and no music degree?

Answer 1

Your chances are incredibly slim. There is a reason that people major in their instrument in college - and grad school - you need the CONTENT of that education, the discipline of directed practice, and all the professional experience and contacts. There are many professions that you cannot keep up *on the side* - they are all or nothing. Now , if you want to play for free, for short money, or for fun, then there might be a few things that come your way, few and far between. But it appears that you have made you choice. To get from a local community college into any kind of even *decent* music school - never mind a top one - is nigh unto impossible. So - continue to play when you can, see if you can find a few friends to fool around with - but to encourage ANY professional aspiration in you would be cruel. It is increasingly difficult for those of us who DO do this fulltime for decades, to keep working, what with cutbacks.

Answer 2

I play oboe professionally and Many of the orchestras will not take you unless you have a degree BA or higher. The only exception is if it's a community orchestra that people do for fun, where they take everyone age 5-95 and it's not a paid job. The reason is because of all of the technical things you would not have learned- stylistic class for genres, methods on each instrument, orchestration, etc.



You're competition will be very high if you attempt to audition with no degree (and they Hate seeing A.A.s) because community college music depts usually lack in funding)

Answer 3

You can, but be aware that you'd be up against people with music degrees and the skills they developed while getting those degrees. Evevn someone right out of conservatory training would have trouble getting a job like that. As a rule, you need experience to win a spot in a professional orchestra.



You should have a resume that shows experience at least equal to what you'd get in a music program. It's not just the audition - resumes of applicants are screened by someone before anyone is invited to audition. If you submit a resume for a professional opening and it shows nothing but high school groups you probably won't be considered. Without a degree, an orchestra would almost certainly expect to see that you had worked your way through the ranks of semi-professional orchestras.



If you want to go the degree route, find another way to build up the same level of training and experience. If you want to play professionally, that needs to be your number one focus. If you want to be a journalist and play on the side, that's a different goal

Answer 4

Sure you can be in a Symphony Orchestra.. and a degree or not doesn't make any difference.. all you need to do is AUDITION BETTER THAN THE OTHER HOPEFULS... In Performing arts you have to be able to prove what you can do.. not just talk about it.. and the AUDITION is the time honored way to get into Symphony Orchestras.. and anything else in the performing arts.

Answer 5

I think you can......Larger symphony's that are completely professional probably might pass you up if you don't have a degree in music. But more regional and smaller groups who pay less tend to take whoever wins the audition. You need to really keep up on playing. Go to professionals for lessons....I do!!! I take any gig that comes around paid and not paid. I went to college to get a music degree....I almost had it but an unfortunate car accident put me out. I had a bad college professor who tried her best to sell me a degree like it was a product, and told me I was Garbage at any chance she had. That's the problem music teachers at colleges and universities they sell their degrees like they are a commodity, a product. Because it is to their benefit to do so. The four things they are interested in are.....1, their paycheck, 2 their benefit plan, 3 their retirement, and most of all 4 their tenure. I now play in a volunteer orchestra and enjoy it very much. Was just voted in on their board of directors!!! begins next season! I would like to someday gat paid to do it....and I don't care if that check is $2.00 or $200.00 Ill do it!!!! I have private lessons with a woman who is a college/university instructor, and she is an active performing artist. She told me NOT to go out and get myself into debt for a music degree...I am self employed and love my job, and make a wonderful living. I also know so many wonderful people who are great musicians in our symphonies who make their money outside of music...many of them are first chair and have no degree in it. I think they sound even better than many who have degrees in it!!! Most orchestras work off of "the one who wins the audition is the one who gets the job." another friend/teacher who is a professional Oboist of a very well paid symphony told me that I certainly do not have to have a music degree to be a paid oboist in a symphony. At the Double reed show in Redlands, All professionals there told me 'Certainly not!!!" You do not need a degree in music to play oboe 1st or any other. To make you're Entire sole living off of playing the Oboe you might have to get a degree. I will tell you, and PROFESSIONALS I hope you are reading this!!! I have many times (VERY MANY) I times have encountered and played with people who have music degrees and oboists of fancy colleges, and I am stunned at their level. I wondered "How On Earth did they get a degree in music?!" "That was soooo sub-standard!" Its because they just bought a degree, a piece of paper. It only means anything if they can get the right results. You will find that you will have to work quite hard to get a seat in an orchestra without a degree. It can be done, it has been done. Music is very difficult to make high-end money at. Last year it was reported on "The Economics and Investments Report" that among the Lowest paying majors in from college was music. One particular college I believe in Michigan (I might be wrong) has a policy that if you want to major in music (performance) then you have to double major in something else (that makes money) I think they are tired of having their graduates come out of school with an expensive degree and not able to find a job. I think in the next few years something is going to happen in the world of orchestras, musicians, they money they make, and the whole selling of a degree by a college professor just to make money. You practice hard, VERY hard.....more than you ever thought of. YOU find a teacher....(MANY) and as many of whom are professionals themselves...you pick their brain...you have then teach you as much sight-reading as possible, ask about how to make it in the real world and what to do. You get a teacher(s) who do not try to sell you a degree. You do any gig there is....you will have to be the most fast acting and intense opportunist you can be. You go to every audition there is. If the audition is out of town and you can't take the job, you do it anyway, to teach yourself how to be comfortable with it, and learn that it is a normal part of a musicians life. You do regularly scheduled recitals....all the time. Lots of chamber music, will help you be the best musician you can, find friends and do recitals, as much as you can. If there is a music contest and you are within the age group to do it...YOU DO IT! You do it till you get as many first place awards as you can. You must always remember your up against some very tough competition, you have to supplant all they had with all the resources you got. Most important of all....use Patience...this is a time for HARD work and patience. I do wish we could talk more....and many others in your spot. Good luck and always remember what is most important to you....never give up......if there is anymore help or advice I could give you let me know.

Bye for now...

Answer 6

Auditions are usually blind, so anything is possible. That said, you would be up against people who typically have graduate degrees in music performance.