You would want to major in music education with a focus on voice/choral. A degree in choral directing beyond K-12 is typically a graduate degree. We encourage you to read this article: A Career in Choral Conducting.

If you love music and can’t see yourself doing anything else, then it would be hard to pursue a degree in something entirely different. Careers in music aren’t easy but then again, careers in so many areas aren’t, either.

To make a living as a video game composer, you’d need to be an excellent composer first and foremost. We encourage you to take a summer program to deepen your experience with music, to see if you have what it takes to pass auditions or get a composition portfolio together, and to set yourself up to know more of what you want to do when it’s time to apply to colleges. Use our Summer Music Camps & Programs to get started. Note that in college, you can – and should – continue with music in a variety of ways even if you don’t major in it.

Look at the application and audition requirements on the websites of schools you may want to apply to. Also look at the required curriculum for a music education major. This will give you a better idea as to whether music education seems like the right way to proceed. Note that as a music educator, you will be demonstrating technique and performing. So it would be helpful to learn how to reduce your performance anxiety. Here’s one option: The Five Day Stage Fright Solution.

It would also be helpful to you to read the music education articles on MajoringInMusic.com.

Ask the head of the music education department at your university about the percentage of majors find teaching jobs when they graduate. Many schools tell us that 100% of their students find employment in music education upon graduation. We encourage you to read all of the music education articles here on MajoringInMusic.com – there’s great information about finding a job in music ed.

Music is not an easy career field but if you’re as passionate as you say you are, it sounds like you’re the kind of person that should give it a go. This article, “A Career in Choral Conducting” would be worth reading. Also note that as a music major, you gain many skills useful in any career field. Read this Transferable Music Skills article to learn more, and be sure to share this with your parents.

To major or double major in music, you would need to pass an audition. Look at the audition requirements at schools you’d be interested in applying to. Do you have the skills to pass these successfully? Do you have a foundation in sight-reading?

Note that students who love music but who don’t have the proficiency to major in it have lots of other options at most colleges and universities where they can minor in music, take elective music classes, take lessons, and join ensembles, jams, etc. At liberal arts colleges, where students need a strong high school academic record to be accepted, you typically wait until your sophomore year to declare a major or double major – which could allow you to take music lessons and music theory in your freshman year to see if majoring in music is really the right fit.

Why not find a few classes to take to clarify your interests and help you decide on next steps? That way you’ll get a better understanding of the areas you’re interested and whether it really makes sense to switch directions. And keep on singing!

No. It all depends on what you want to study. Use the Find Your Major section of MajoringInMusic.com to get ideas and then check application and audition requirements at schools that catch your eye.

You’re right – to be accepted at most schools, you’ll need to audition. We strongly encourage you to look at the audition requirements on college websites. You’ll see what you’d need to be ready to do if you were to pursue auditioning.

Students find that attending a summer music program helps them improve their proficiency – but it also takes daily practice as well. So if you are not inclined to work that hard, you can always look at minoring in music – you may still have to audition but typically not until you’re already at college and then mainly to see which level of band or ensemble you’ll be placed.

You can always try out for marching band, get lessons and continue finding opportunities to perform with others even if you don’t major OR minor. So if you love music, make sure you keep it in your life – in college and throughout your life.

See this article: What if You’re Not a Musical Prodigy http://majoringinmusic.com/what-if-youre-not-a-musical-prodigy/

Unless you’re a child prodigy, I would not recommend majoring in music.

Attending a community college can be a great way to pursue a degree in performance and education. Pay attention to the information in this article (Community College for Music) so you don’t end up wasting your time or money.