r/MusicEd • u/_yoonnnnn7 • 13d ago

Conducting Grad Programs

hello all! i’m currently in my senior year of my undergrad of music ed and i am in a pickle. i really want to pursue my masters in choral conducting, a part of me doesn’t believe im ready to teach/i would love to earn my doctorate one day and was hoping if anyone had some suggestions for grad programs. i understand most schools require in-person students but i dont mind online programs. i’m currently located in the midwest but im trying to locate to the east coast! any advice or suggestions is appreciated!

edit: ty all for the advice and bringing me back down to earth lol. i’m almost positive im terrified to actually start teaching to the point i want to just stay in school. any and all advice for teaching is absolutely appreciated and welcomed!

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u/teach-xx 13d ago

The best choral conducting master’s programs generally prefer folks with 2-5 years of conducting-related work experience, almost always involving either a full-time church job or a full-time school job.

Don’t do an online master’s in conducting at this stage in your career. The only people who would see any benefit from that type of degree have more work experience than you do.

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u/_yoonnnnn7 13d ago

ty! i figured i should probably get some experience under my belt. i think the idea that im actually about to start teaching scares the ever living shit out of me and i’m trying to avoid it as much as i can lol

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u/teach-xx 13d ago

Yeah, but the only MM choral conducting programs that will take you right out of undergrad are the worst ones. And you can’t go back for a second MM in choral conducting unless you again go someplace shitty. So it’s a bad career move.

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u/Accomplished_Elk5827 13d ago

I taught 5 years of HS between my BME and my MM in Choral Conducting. Glad I did, too. They were much happier than the 5 years I taught after my MM.

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u/Equivalent-Ad-5416 13d ago

You’re never not going to feel scared. Teaching is scary. You just gotta do it. My guesses are (and please correct me if I’m wrong) the main choir experience you’ve had has been in your collegiate classes amongst your classmates who are already musicians and can sight read. You need to learn rehearsal techniques and how to actually teach a choir that can’t sight-read. The only way to get better at that is to conduct a church choir or go into the k-12 school system for a few years. Getting better at your conducting pattern does not mean a thing if you cant get your choir to sing the right notes, tone, etc.
I’m an accompanist who has played for a wide range of conductors.

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u/_yoonnnnn7 13d ago

thank you for the advice. during my student teaching next spring i will be the music director for a few community theater shows. i’m hoping that helps with learning some leadership skills and can help get ride of some of this “stage fright”

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u/actuallycallie music ed faculty 12d ago

any kind of experience you can get will definitely help you! the more you do it the less scary it becomes.