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Being a band director is not the only option in music education.  I used to teach band, and I now teach elementary general music and I find it much more rewarding and actually just as challenging (if not more so) but in a different way.  You have to teach ALL students to be musical, read music, and appreciate/enjoy music, not just the kids who are already interested (and that's much more rewarding to me, seeing a kid who's never had any experience with music prior to school excelling and having fun singing or creating music, or really getting into some music that they would never have heard if it wasn't for their exposure to it in my classes).  It's really just as important that you enjoy helping others learn and figuring out how to help them learn (which is not always easy), enjoy and have a knack for solving problems, as well as  being very patient and willing to accept the fact that each student is different and may think or learn in a different way than you do as well as not learn at the same rate as others do, as it is that you like music and conducting.  Conducting is really just a tiny part of what music teachers do (at least good ones anyway).  Wanting to be in charge should NOT be a motivating reason for wanting to be a band director or any kind of teacher.  Good teachers are in tune with how their students are learning and take the cue for how and what to teach according to their students' needs, and any teacher who just expects kids to do (or to even be able to do) what they say because they are the one in charge is just asking to be unhappy in their job, because that's not how kids work (as I'm sure you yourself know).  If you are not sure what kind of job suits your personality, you should speak to your guidance counsellor and see what he/she thinks.  So anyway, maybe see if you can get a summer job working or volunteering with younger kids at a community center or camp, or babysitting, or something where you're working with kids to see whether you have the personality and patience to teach and work with children.  Working with people younger than yourself (who don't have the same maturity or education as you) is a lot different than helping your peers.  You might find that you like little kids and that again is another option, and learning about how children develop musically from a very young age can be fascinating to learn about.  Also, teaching elementary general/vocal music usually doesn't involve nearly the same time commitment as a high school band director does - we have some concerts/performances to plan for, but very little on the weekends (if anything), and depending on the district or position possibly no after school activities.  I have a few after school activities but they are ones that I do by choice and created myself as opportunities for my students (and get paid for fortunately), not ones I am expected to do.  Most of the emphasis of this type of job is on the learning process of the students, and actually helping to develop their musical minds, rather than on putting out the product of frequent performances.

About the pay - the starting pay usually isn't great, but you get regular raises and most public school districts have good benefits like health insurance (which is a BIG expense if you had to pay it yourself).  You can also get pay increases in many districts if you earn a masters degree or take additional coursework past your bachelor's degree, and lots of districts will actually reimburse you for part or all of your tuition if you go to graduate school while you're teaching.  So that's a HUGE benefit right there.  I'm not going to say how much I make but it's plenty enough to have a decent house (not HUGE mind you but plenty big enough for my family), a car, pay my bills, put a little away in savings for when I'm not teaching in the summer, and take at least one nice vacation every year.  Although again I don't have a huge salary compared to a job in the corporate world or a lawyer or something like that, I will say that since I started teaching my salary has almost doubled (and I've only been teaching about 15 years), and it will keep going up from there... so it's a job that can become more financially rewarding the longer you stay in it (of course there's always inflation to account for... but after so many years you end up paying less comparatively for things like your mortgage and usually student loans evetually get paid off, etc.... so after a while it actually is a pretty comfortable salary - my dad just retired after 30+ years of teaching and actually just had a new house built and he is able to live comfortably off his pension and has plenty in savings (and my mom didn't work outside the home)... there's ANOTHER benefit, a nice pension plan that many states offer.  That's probably not something you as a high school student are thinking about!!!  But after you've been in the job for a few years and get married and have kids, it's something that is really important.  Another great aspect of being a teacher is if you plan on having children someday - they will basically have the same schedule as you once they start school (unless you're one of those band directors who holds rehearsal till 5 PM every day and is away every weekend for 3 months out of the year) so you get to spend lots of time with them (as much as you can being a working parent), have the same vacations days that they do, your summer off to spend with them if you choose.  I think some of the benefits are worth not getting a gigantic salary.  Of course, it is a stressful job no matter what area you teach, but I think it's definitely worth it for the amount of enjoyment and sense of accomplishment I get from it and I would rather do this than anything else no matter what it paid.  So if you're looking to have a huge salary where you can buy whatever you want teaching probably isn't a great job for that... but anyone who goes into teaching for any reason other than that they enjoy helping others, are facinated by the process of watching others learn (and want to become better at doing it), and like being around kids, isn't going into it for the right reasons and will be unhappy no matter how much it pays.

Last edited by Christine Nowmos (2008-07-10 22:42:10)

Thanks for all these post, they are all really helpful.

It's all for the kids and exposing them to many types of music.  And hopefully enjoying that.  There is a lot of garbage that can get in the way of that though.  I think a lot of is just the teacher's personality and not even what they are teaching.  I think that's a big part of it and I don't know how can be learned. 

I've been in a few groups, and left, because it wasn't that enjoyable for one reason or another.  And I'm in music.  Nuts.  But I could identify with students a lot more after those groups.  The one I liked better wasn't the most sophisticated technically but everyone enjoyed.  One of the technical ones just started and stopped all time, fixed lots of thing, but there wasn't much chance to play and enjoy it.  I was really surprised when I decided to leave the group too.  Life's short and witnesses a director rant and rave isn't worth it.  I imagine it's multiplied for a student's short time in an ensemble.

Yes.

First off, I'm sad for those who are teaching music but aren't happy doing it, as well as for those teachers' students. It is unfortunate that, generally speaking, teacher pay is not great, particularly when starting out, but many districts have pretty good pay ladders, and if you're willing to relocate to a state that pays well (Wyoming is one that comes to mind), you can make out pretty well. However, despite low pay, there are many teachers that love their jobs. My wife is one of those individuals - she teaches 5th & 6th-grade band and a nebulous guitar/choir/drama class (it's her choice each quarter) on a part-time basis in two rather run-down buildings in a small rural district, and she absolutely loves it. Of course, as with any job, pay is only one factor - if the district and/or building administration are difficult to work with, or the physical environment is awful, even the best-paying job can seem not worth it. However, that's true of any job, not just of teaching music.

That being said, a music teaching career path that seldom seems to get any mention, at least at MENC, is college teaching (at least, other than the teaching of elementary- and secondary-level music teachers).  Granted, most 4-year schools require doctorates these days, but particularly if you're willing to teach in the public schools for at least three years and then get a masters degree, community college teaching can be a great way to go. That's where I teach, and while few of my students are going to set the music world on fire, they're here because they want to be, and I'm happy to say that a good number of them do go on to be successful music teachers and performers. Paywise, it's my impression that community colleges tend to start out higher than that in the public schools, even for the same educational level, but don't grow quite as fast at the top end. However, there are a lot of variables, such as what state (or even community) the college is in, and whether the faculty is union or not. I *have* read that community college pay can be better than in many of the less prestigious 4-year schools.

If you have your heart set on elementary- or secondary-level teaching, another place to look is the military schools. Many military bases, including those situated in other countries, have their own schools on base. While I am not very familiar with these schools, I have the sense that they pay pretty well, and if I'm not mistaken, you are actually a federal employee with all the attendant benefits.

What it really boils down to (and here I'm reiterating what several others have already said), don't let the pay be your sole determining factor. Teaching can be an incredibly satisfying career choice, so long as you and those around you have a positive attitude. And if you end up in a position where you encounter a lot of hassles, stick out the year, sending out applications to other districts all the while. Some districts are *always* short of teachers, so as long as you're doing the best job you can, and especially if you're willing to relocate, you can almost certainly find another job.

ghalsell wrote:

If you have your heart set on elementary- or secondary-level teaching, another place to look is the military schools. Many military bases, including those situated in other countries, have their own schools on base. While I am not very familiar with these schools, I have the sense that they pay pretty well, and if I'm not mistaken, you are actually a federal employee with all the attendant benefits.

Actually, most schools that are on bases in the US are not run by DoD and are part of the local school district.

Overseas schools are run by DoD.  I am not familiar with the pay schedule they are currently using, but openings are rare and high competition.

When considering pay scales it is also important to consider cost of living as well.  States that have lower pay scales often have lower costs of living (rent, food, etc).  What good does it do a teacher to get paid $75K in California when rent is $1800 a month for a little tiny place?  The important question to ask regarding pay is "can I support myself/my family in this location on this pay?" 

AK

Tim wrote:

Also consider the fringe benefits, great medical (usually), retirement, and lots of Vacation.  I get 13 weeks paid vacation every year.  Most people I know who aren't teaching feel lucky if they get 1 or 2.

You get PAID vacation?!?!? Where?

Every place I have ever taught or known people who have taught do not get a single day of paid vacation.  Yes, we get time off and yes, our pay is usually spread out over that time (i.e. we still get paychecks in the summer months) but the days off are NOT paid days.  Every teacher I know gets paid ONLY for contract days: instructional days+in-service days+other teacher working days, but NOT for any federal/state holidays or any days of vacation.

Please let me know what state you teach in that actually compensates you for your time off.  There may be a run of teachers to relocate to your state if it is indeed true.

AK

Teaching is a vocation. Thus, low salaries can sometimes be compensated by your students who learn so much from your efforts. As a private music teacher myself, I learn to focus my attention in helping my students rather than thinking of my pay.

Regarding the difficulties in running my own music teaching studio, I have found a software that will help me in my tasks and it greatly increased my potentials as a music teacher.

Reading through these posts, I notice that a lot of the participants mention salary and amount of time and things like that... I just wanted to give you my perspective as a music education student in college.

When I decided to be a music ed major, it was because I knew that I was good at teaching others, most ages. I liked being a teacher and a leader, and inspiring others. I also was very involved in music; I was the drum major of my marching band in high school, and was involved in several music groups and extracurricular activities in my high school. So, naturally, I thought that being a teacher plus love of music equals music education.

My first two years I went through a lot of doubt with whether or not I wanted to be a music teacher. A lot of people talk about pay, living off of low salaries, "doing this job for the rest of my life," all things with such permanence. But I think what you really have to look at is, are you interested in this? If you are, you should give it a try, whether it's taking some courses at the college level, or observing other teachers in the area. You can't really know if you want it until you try it.

As for the business of a music major, I can say that sometimes my eyes twitch and I go crazy from lack of sleep... but I love the atmosphere in my classes and my classmates. I also have a wonderful opportunity with my music ed program at the University of the Pacific, where I get to do fieldwork in schools in the area, testing and honing my teaching skills, trying things out to see if I like it or if they work at all. Last semester I got to teach general music to a class of 3rd grades and a class of 4th graders, all by myself. I can tell you, you don't really know anything about it until you've tried it. I'm fortunate enough to get that chance at the college level as a student, before I go and get a job.

Plus, you should also think about what it is you want to study and why. A lot of students to to UOP or any other college because they want to go into a major that will get them a job, get them paid well, etc. But really, why should we be going to college? To study something that we love and want to know more about. I have to remind myself of this when times get hard in school or I'm scared of the permanence of a "career." Remember, you can study something and try it out, but it does not have to be the last thing you do on this earth. If you are interested in it, then try it out, test it, and if it's not for you? Try something else. Put it in your bag of experiences to carry with you to the next thing. I guarantee you'll learn a lot about yourself in the process, and that in itself is valuable.

I am aghast that your band director would be venting to you, a student, no matter your age, intentions, or availability (because you hang around the band room.) This is not professional behavior. Period. If he can't stand it, he should get out, take a leave of absence, work with a personal or professional counselor, see a doctor (for depression??), take up a hobby, get a part-time job doing something else... anything but drop his problems on kids. If you want to be proactive/outspoken about this, tell him kindly but firmly that you don't think he should be sharing what he is. Or talk to your guidance counselor in confidence. Up to you!  That isn't to say that kids thinking of music don't need to hear some of the realities about pay scale compared to other professions requiring a similar amount of education; community demands & expectations, which can be huge; working with admin.,teachers, kids & parents who aren't on your page (or side.) Teachers do get a lot of paid vacation during the school year, but not over the summer. In many communities they get lots of recognition, acknowledgment, respect & affection. A little add't. income can be had in many places by playing gigs, conducting community groups, and more by teaching privately. If you like kids & working with others enough to consider teaching at all, there's a lot to be said for music as compared to elementary classroom, for example, in my opinion. I would encourage you to arrange visitations with any other music teachers in your district, for a starter. My district has a school-to-work intern program, which was started to give kids a taste of the world outside school, but when some music students asked to intern with me, it was welcomed & encouraged. I use roughly the same plans & sequence that I employ with college student teachers, just assigning a little less responsibility and spreading out the assignments over a semester or two, instead of eight weeks. When you are looking at music schools, look for some that have a thorough and rigorous plan for classroom visitations and pre-student-teaching in local schools, so you both get experience & some chances to evaluate your intentions long before your senior year. I'm thinking of Ithaca College (at least for strings), and Brigham Young. If you don't go to any music camps, you could look into those, both as a camper, to find a peer group, and as a counselor, for experience.  Good luck to you! Sue (January String Mentor)

Last edited by fiddle-player Sue (2009-01-20 09:30:45)

You are (or I feel I am at least) expected to be doing something during those summers.  Not one has gone by that I haven't been active doing something for school, even though it's summer.  It's kind of like an unstated obligation.  I know if I wasn't it would really be looked down upon.  There still is probably a month or so in the summer when things are much less intense though.

Last edited by Bob (2009-01-20 16:14:13)