Grad studies. Music and.........
September 14, 2011 1:18 PM Subscribe
I am looking for suggestions for highly-integrative graduate studies program in music/technology/culture. Suggestions? Also, looking for a way in after being out of school for 3 years with a performance-only background. More after the break.....
So....I am desperately looking to go back to school next autumn.
Quick background: Two degrees (BM, MM) in music performance, lots of performance experience, lived in Asia for 3 years playing professionally in orchestra. Came back to America this summer due to disillusionment, burnout, and general need of change. Reverse culture shock has not quite faded yet.
Basically, I came back to America and discovered that I am essentially useless with a Master's degree in Performance. I have sworn off orchestra auditions for the next 5 years and really want to be back in school after working full-time (and it was literally full-time) for 3 years. I am very interested in how music and the arts in general can integrate with technology and culture and am looking for a program where I can get my feet wet with musicology, ethnomusicology, and most importantly, technology.
My biggest problem is that I lack a background in the hard sciences, having given up on that at some point in high school. (Passing chemistry was a miracle of generosity from a faculty member who found my devotion to music amusing, I suppose.) I have considered going back for a DMA and then trying to move laterally across departments. I would be happy to go back for another master's and extend it into a doctorate (yeah, I know, silly piece of paper, but I want to do it and it's pretty essential in many sectors of the music profession.)
Any suggestions on schools/programs? I'm happy (more than happy) to go abroad again (America hasn't been agreeing with me since I returned.). I'm looking (States-side) UCSD, OSU, CUNY, ASU, and Georgia Tech (I'm not going too big name because of my lack of science and musicology background). There's also some programs in London and Finland that seem interesting if I can swing the money.
I guess I want to use this to go more into creating music and experiments than just replicating it. Or finding unique ways to bring classical music to people in terms of pedagogy, community, etc. Especially if that can be used abroad or in communities that have less access to music. Also, I'd love to create strange machines and tools that straddle the borders of music and science, that can be practical on one hand and expressive on the other. I suppose this is part of the technological zeitgeist. (the other part of me just wants to get a degree in volcanoes and run around outside all day sticking my head into hot pools of magma. And then study fish. I obviously have a focus problem. I even considered going back for a second bachelor's in bio/ecology science. But I love music as well, so if I found a way to tame volcanoes with Brahms, I suppose my life would be complete.)
Ideas? Suggestions? Tomatoes?
So....I am desperately looking to go back to school next autumn.
Quick background: Two degrees (BM, MM) in music performance, lots of performance experience, lived in Asia for 3 years playing professionally in orchestra. Came back to America this summer due to disillusionment, burnout, and general need of change. Reverse culture shock has not quite faded yet.
Basically, I came back to America and discovered that I am essentially useless with a Master's degree in Performance. I have sworn off orchestra auditions for the next 5 years and really want to be back in school after working full-time (and it was literally full-time) for 3 years. I am very interested in how music and the arts in general can integrate with technology and culture and am looking for a program where I can get my feet wet with musicology, ethnomusicology, and most importantly, technology.
My biggest problem is that I lack a background in the hard sciences, having given up on that at some point in high school. (Passing chemistry was a miracle of generosity from a faculty member who found my devotion to music amusing, I suppose.) I have considered going back for a DMA and then trying to move laterally across departments. I would be happy to go back for another master's and extend it into a doctorate (yeah, I know, silly piece of paper, but I want to do it and it's pretty essential in many sectors of the music profession.)
Any suggestions on schools/programs? I'm happy (more than happy) to go abroad again (America hasn't been agreeing with me since I returned.). I'm looking (States-side) UCSD, OSU, CUNY, ASU, and Georgia Tech (I'm not going too big name because of my lack of science and musicology background). There's also some programs in London and Finland that seem interesting if I can swing the money.
I guess I want to use this to go more into creating music and experiments than just replicating it. Or finding unique ways to bring classical music to people in terms of pedagogy, community, etc. Especially if that can be used abroad or in communities that have less access to music. Also, I'd love to create strange machines and tools that straddle the borders of music and science, that can be practical on one hand and expressive on the other. I suppose this is part of the technological zeitgeist. (the other part of me just wants to get a degree in volcanoes and run around outside all day sticking my head into hot pools of magma. And then study fish. I obviously have a focus problem. I even considered going back for a second bachelor's in bio/ecology science. But I love music as well, so if I found a way to tame volcanoes with Brahms, I suppose my life would be complete.)
Ideas? Suggestions? Tomatoes?
A friend of mine is doing her PhD on music technology at McGill (Montreal, Canada) and loves it. They have masters too. http://www.music.mcgill.ca/musictech/programmes_and_admissions#graduate
posted by TheGoodBlood at 1:45 PM on September 14, 2011
posted by TheGoodBlood at 1:45 PM on September 14, 2011
(oh sorry, missed the 'graduate studies' part, feel free to ignore..)
posted by empath at 2:05 PM on September 14, 2011
posted by empath at 2:05 PM on September 14, 2011
Apologies in advance, the first part of my answer is going to come across as a bit snarky, but I absolutely do not intend it that way.
It is not clear to me why you need more education, other than to give you something to do and an escape from your burnout and disillusionment. There are very few circumstances that justify going back to school for a duplicate degree (another MA or BA), and, unless you want a job as a university faculty member, there's very little need for a PhD in your field. In my opinion, there are two reasons to pursue graduate degrees: 1) you have identified the exact job you want and the degree is necessary to obtain that job, or 2) you are gainfully employed and can pursue a graduate degree on your employer's dime. A distant 3) would be if you are offered a full ride plus living expenses to get the degree so you don't incur any debt, but even under these conditions I would advise against it if it didn't meet criteria 1).
If neither 1) or 2) holds, going to grad school is likely to just serve as a (particularly expensive) way to buy time until you figure out whatever the next step in your life may be. If I were you, instead of going back to school, I would do some searching and find a nonprofit organization that is doing work in one of your areas of interest and get a job there. This may be more difficult to do in practice due to the current state of the economy, but you have a couple of advantages: you are not geographically limited, and you are not far enough removed from living on a limited income that going back to that lifestyle would be impossible (I'm assuming you lived like a typical grad student while you did your MA).
Heck, even if you can't find a paying job, find an organization that you are passionate about, move there, and volunteer. As an accomplished musician, you should be able to find employment that is gainful enough to support you until either the organization you volunteer with realizes they can't live without you and offer you a job, or you get a better sense of what you want your next step to be and figure out a way to carry it out.
At worst, following my plan will serve the same function as grad school (delay tactic until next step can be discovered) at a much lower cost than a graduate program. At best, you will discover your calling and live happily ever after.
posted by jtfowl0 at 2:29 PM on September 14, 2011 [3 favorites]
It is not clear to me why you need more education, other than to give you something to do and an escape from your burnout and disillusionment. There are very few circumstances that justify going back to school for a duplicate degree (another MA or BA), and, unless you want a job as a university faculty member, there's very little need for a PhD in your field. In my opinion, there are two reasons to pursue graduate degrees: 1) you have identified the exact job you want and the degree is necessary to obtain that job, or 2) you are gainfully employed and can pursue a graduate degree on your employer's dime. A distant 3) would be if you are offered a full ride plus living expenses to get the degree so you don't incur any debt, but even under these conditions I would advise against it if it didn't meet criteria 1).
If neither 1) or 2) holds, going to grad school is likely to just serve as a (particularly expensive) way to buy time until you figure out whatever the next step in your life may be. If I were you, instead of going back to school, I would do some searching and find a nonprofit organization that is doing work in one of your areas of interest and get a job there. This may be more difficult to do in practice due to the current state of the economy, but you have a couple of advantages: you are not geographically limited, and you are not far enough removed from living on a limited income that going back to that lifestyle would be impossible (I'm assuming you lived like a typical grad student while you did your MA).
Heck, even if you can't find a paying job, find an organization that you are passionate about, move there, and volunteer. As an accomplished musician, you should be able to find employment that is gainful enough to support you until either the organization you volunteer with realizes they can't live without you and offer you a job, or you get a better sense of what you want your next step to be and figure out a way to carry it out.
At worst, following my plan will serve the same function as grad school (delay tactic until next step can be discovered) at a much lower cost than a graduate program. At best, you will discover your calling and live happily ever after.
posted by jtfowl0 at 2:29 PM on September 14, 2011 [3 favorites]
It's not clear exactly what you intend to do in grad school. I'd recommend holding off until you can get more specific about what you hope to accomplish by going to graduate school, and also do more legwork on who does what kind of research where.
Would what this professor at Northwestern does be up your alley? He has degrees in jazz performance and a Ph.D. in computer science, and his research is in music technology (sample projects). Check out the backgrounds of people in his lab, that might also give you an idea of schools or courses of study.
posted by needled at 3:51 PM on September 14, 2011
Would what this professor at Northwestern does be up your alley? He has degrees in jazz performance and a Ph.D. in computer science, and his research is in music technology (sample projects). Check out the backgrounds of people in his lab, that might also give you an idea of schools or courses of study.
posted by needled at 3:51 PM on September 14, 2011
Stanford has a pretty cool program called CCRMA. Someone I knew in my college radio days at Tulane now works there and it always sounded really awesome.
posted by radioamy at 4:02 PM on September 14, 2011
posted by radioamy at 4:02 PM on September 14, 2011
Not having a background in musicology isn't necessarily a big deal. It's not uncommon for performers to switch tracks (even after an MM) and wind up doing a Ph.D in academic music. Don't let this deter you from applying to a program that seems like a good match otherwise. (I'm assuming you did some kind of musicology/ethnomusicology coursework as part of your performance degrees, of course. If I'm wrong and you've never taken a musicology class in your life, then yes, that could be a problem.)
Honestly, I wouldn't worry about the science background thing, either. There are lots of specialists in music-and-x who don't have a degree in x. As long as you're willing to learn it, you should be fine.
posted by sleepingcbw at 4:53 PM on September 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
Honestly, I wouldn't worry about the science background thing, either. There are lots of specialists in music-and-x who don't have a degree in x. As long as you're willing to learn it, you should be fine.
posted by sleepingcbw at 4:53 PM on September 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks for the responses, everyone. I'm still in the "searching" mode right now. jtfowl0, your observations are well-warranted and the part about burn-out and disillusionment is true to a certain extent. I'm hoping that I will find a good path in the future.
posted by wakuwaku at 2:09 PM on October 22, 2011
posted by wakuwaku at 2:09 PM on October 22, 2011
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