General

Category: General

Applying to Grad School for Music Performance Part I: What to Consider

APPLYING TO GRADUATE SCHOOL FOR MUSIC PERFORMANCE

Why grad school?

  • Consider your options post-undergrad: Is graduate school the best route to assist you in finding a job in your field? Will this investment be worth it in the end? As a performer, it definitely can benefit you when looking for professional work, but it is not always necessarily required.
  • Do not do it just because everyone else in your studio or school is doing it- do it if you feel like this is the right path for you.
  •  Some people prefer taking a gap year after feeling burnt out from undergrad. Others would prefer to continue their education and do not want to take the risk of losing their drive.
  • Student debt really becomes a concern after undergrad so taking a gap year (or a few) or not attending graduate school at all is always an option in order to repay this debt.
  • Graduate school is not for everyone and that is ok!

What schools should I look into? These are the top things to consider:                      

Teacher

  • Find someone who is a big name for your instrument/ voice and will help you make connections with other professional musicians/ organizations. Also, take time to read bios and listen to these teachers as performers- find someone who you admire and who you would like to influence your sound.You want to find a good fit: someone you will get along with that will push you hard and teach you a lot, but not someone that will push you over the edge.
  • Another aspect to consider is who best will prepare you for current real-life auditions. “Older” professors with many years of experience teaching and performing might have some of the top reputations in the business, but may not have taken a professional audition in decades. The art of taking and winning auditions has changed drastically from just 10 years ago so working with people with more recent auditioning experience can be just as beneficial.

Name/reputation of the school

  • Aim BIG and look into schools known for their musical excellence (schools you see in performers’ bios). Some schools have reputations for landing people jobs so find those schools that have high employment rates.
  • View ratings of the school/ professors and see what kind of overall rankings the school has.
  • You will be faced with competition everywhere you go, but some schools might be a bit more fiercely competitive than others might be. Is this something you would like or are you looking for a more supportive, sympathetic institute?

Geography

  • Find schools in areas that will have many performing and teaching opportunities available. Also, try to find schools located near first-rate orchestras so you have the opportunity to attend their concerts and connect with those musicians (places like NYC, Chicago, and Philadelphia are bound to offer great opportunities for freelancing and all have top-notch orchestras).
  • Location can be important. Consider if you want to be somewhere hot or cold; rainy or dry; East, West, or Midwest; rural or urban- these can all be factors to consider.

Other Important things to consider:

Cost and Finances

  • Graduate schools are expensive and the cost to attend is often a deciding factor in where people choose to go. Do not let this hinder you from still looking into great (but expensive) schools. If they really want you to attend, schools will find a way to make this possible and cover much or all of the cost for you. Graduate students are usually prioritized for financial aid and many schools offer graduate assistantships where you teach undergrad students of your voice or instrument.
  • Consider if you will be living on or off campus and how much living expenses will cost.

School Culture and Size

  • Can you imagine yourself attending this school? Are the students and faculty people you get along with and are people who will motivate you to grow more as a musician? You will be there for at least two years so make sure you can work well with your other colleagues.
  • Are you looking for a smaller conservatory or a large state school? There can be considerable differences between the kinds of opportunities available and challenges you face at large versus small schools so think about what kind of environment you will thrive best in.
  • Having gone through four years of undergrad, you have probably built up a strong support system of friends or are in a committed relationship. Are you ok potentially going to school on the other side of the country from your friends and family? There are various ways to cope, but this can be a concern for many students. There are always going to be plenty of people to meet and befriend in graduate school!

Abbey Atwater ‘19

Career Peer Educator

Resume Tips & Samples

RESUME BASICS – Chronological Resume

  • Header
    • The header is the very top portion of your resume. It will always have your name, phone number and email, and if applicable your Linkedin and website URL. 
    • Your contact info should be listed underneath your name.
      • Ex. (000) 000-0000, sample@lawrence.edu, linkedin.com/in/sam-ple
  • Education
    • This section is where you list the schools you have attended and the degrees obtained. For first year university students, this section may include your high school’s name and any honors awards you’ve obtained while in high school. 
    • List the name of the school, where it is located, and your anticipated or achieved graduation month and year. Underneath this list the degree you obtained and the what you majored/minored in.
      • Your major should always be bolded on the resume
    • Underneath your school information you can list any honors or academic awards. This may include any Deans list achievements or National Honors Societies. 
  • Work Experience 
    • Here is where you list your work experience in REVERSE chronological order (newest positions at the top). 
    • For the job information, list the name of your position, name of company, where it is located, and the month and years you have worked there. 
    • Underneath the job information make 3-5 bulletpoints describing what you did for your position
      • Try to use keywords from a job position you are interested in. 
      • Good action words to start are: “assisted” “managed” “collected” etc. Try to stay away from words like “helped”. 
    • Only list job information that is relevant to what you are applying for. 
  • Additional Experience
    • This section is for any work information you don’t want to or need to describe, unlike your Work Experience section. This often includes clubs, sports teams and other extracurriculars. 
    • For the additional experience section, list the name of your position, name of company (or club/sport), where it is located and the month and years you participated. 
    • In this section you do not need to put bullet points underneath the job experience. 
  • Technological & Language Skills
    • If applicable, in this section you can list any technology programs you are acquainted with or languages you know.
      • Ex. Microsoft word. Fluent in French. 
    • Try to stick to programs and languages you know very well, instead of just putting down ones you are acquainted with. 

RESUME SAMPLES

  • Chronological Resume
    • The most standard form of resume. 
    • Highlights work experience.
  • Combination Resume 
    • This resume highlights your skills and classes rather than your work experience.
    • Use this resume when you may not have much work experience within the field you are applying for.

Career Highlight: Occupational Therapist

Interested in pursuing occupational therapy as a career? Read on to find out more information about what a job as an occupational therapist looks like!

Job Duties
As an occupational therapist, frequently your job will involve evaluating and assisting people with various physical and/or neurological disabilities. For example, you may lead an autistic child in reciprocal play, or demonstrate healthy and/or alleviating exercises for people with chronic health conditions. As a result, your day to day activities will vary, and require a lot of flexibility. Part of this may include evaluating and assisting with updating a person’s home and/or work environment to ensure their health needs are being met. This often includes educating family, caregivers, and employers on how a patient can be best accommodated, providing information such has how to help them through a meltdown or flareup of symptoms, and how to use special equipment when necessary. Finally, occupational therapists work with the patient to develop a treatment plan to help the patient meet their own health goals.

Where They Work
Occupational therapists work in a variety of locations, depending on the patients they see. Many occupational therapists are employed by either hospitals or private healthcare practices. However, some work in educational settings, as schools will sometimes hire occupational therapists to help with child development in special needs circumstances. Retirement facilities will additionally hire occupational therapists to assist their elderly residents get accustomed to life in assisted living. And as may be suggested by the job duties, many occupational therapists additionally visit the homes of their patients to provide better hands on care.

Working Conditions
Work hours for occupational therapists are often flexible, suited to their patient’s needs. Most occupational therapists work full time (40 hours a week), and many work only during weekdays, similar to a typical day job. However, many also work nights and/or weekends when needed, in order to accommodate their patients and better recognize their needs. As previously mentioned, most will work in either an office of occupational therapy or hospital as a type of home base — where paperwork and planning commences. However when engaging with their patients, typically occupational therapists will spend a lot of time on their feet. This can include helping a patient get outside for some exercise, generally assisting around the house, etc. Additionally, local travel is often necessary for OTs who may need to visit patients in their homes as well as patients in a hospital or hospice care situation, as many OTs will treat patients in multiple facilities.

Who They Work With
The disabled, chronically ill, neurodivergent, and elderly are the populations typically served by occupational therapists, although exceptions exist. An occupational therapist will have the most interaction with their patients and caregivers, in addition to other occupational therapists. This is especially true if they work out of a private practice or hospital setting, where multiple occupational therapists are employed by the same organization (by contrast, schools will typically only hire one occupational therapist). In a hospital setting, an occupational therapist may expect to work with nurses and doctors as well, when necessary.

Education and Training
Occupational Therapists are required to go through quite a bit of education and training. The first major step is to take the Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) exam in order to get their license to practice. However, most occupational therapists elect (and most states require) to obtain a 2-year associates degree in Occupational Therapy, as these programs prepare you to sit the COTA. After successfully passing the COTA, you can find work as an occupational therapist assistant and gain valuable fieldwork experience. In order to become a full-fledged Occupational Therapist, a masters’ degree in Occupational Therapy is required — although many programs exist that combine bachelor’s and master’s in occupational therapy. Finally, you must take a final exam — the Occupational Therapy Registered (OTR) — and obtain state licensure, whose requirements vary based on location. Then you’ll be able to practice!

Pay and Job Outlook
Pay varies based on state and on where you are on your career journey. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics reported that in 2020, the median pay for an occupational therapist was $86k per year, or $41 per hour. However, occupational therapy assistants make a little less, on a range from around $36k/year to as much as $60k/year — all dependent on geographic location. As can be expected, occupational therapists in the midwestern states and smaller cities/towns make a smaller average than occupational therapists who work in large cities, especially along the coasts. That said, the Bureau of Labor and Statistics expects employment for occupational therapists to grow up to 16% in the next ten years, which is much faster than the average employment growth across all occupations. They suggest that occupational therapy will continue to be vital in treating people with conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, autism, or the loss of a limb.

Career Highlight: Applied Behavioral Analyst

Interested in pursuing a career as an applied behavioral analyst? Read on to find out more information about what this job looks like!

Job Duties
As an applied behavioral analyst, your primary patients will be children, especially those with Autism Spectrum Disorder or other neurological and developmental disabilities or disorders. This position often requires conducting an initial interview to assess the child, as well as setting short- and long-term goals with the child and their parents/caregivers and tracking growth and/or behavioral shifts. Tracking may include identifying improvements in addition to conditioning harmful or maladaptive behaviors. Much of the work involves leading applied behavioral analysis therapy sessions, in addition to communicating with parents/caregivers regarding the child’s progress. Applied behavioral analysts often work 1:1, although group work is relatively common, typically through a school or other community organization. Finally, an applied behavioral analyst may additionally provide training — both to ABA interns and lower-level employees who may interact with the child, and to the child’s parents/caregivers.

Where They Work
Applied behavioral analysts often work through organizations dedicated to working with autistic children — for example, the Wisconsin Early Autism Project is a major hub for applied behavioral analysts in Wisconsin — as well as having opportunities to work through schools or even children’s hospitals.

Working Conditions
A general requirement is that as an applied behavioral analyst will be working with children — they will need to be able to work alongside them, and within the typical environments they occupy, including the home, school, etc. This is very varied to each child’s needs, but typically requires a great degree of movement that would not be found at a typical desk job — for example, you may be expected to spend most of the day transitioning between kneeling, sitting, squatting, standing, even carrying the child. Local travel is often necessary, although the degree to which you will need to travel varies. Many applied behavioral analysts work within a patients home environment, others work from a home-base clinic where the patients come to you. Permanent employment within an organization is likely and many applied behavioral analysts work full or mostly-full time — however, children/families may cycle according to their needs. Additionally, many organizations offer part-time employment in addition to full-time; this most notably includes offers to those still currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree.

Who They Work With
Applied behavioral analysts work primarily with children with ASD and their families and/or caregivers. Most frequently, an applied behavioral analyst will work by themselves with the child, although they may be expected to communicate with other members of a treatment team (the child’s pediatrician, other members of the clinic, etc.). Some applied behavioral analysts additionally work in a group setting, with multiple children.

Education and Training
Education really varies by state, and there are a couple of very similar positions to applied behavioral analyst. For example, an applied behavioral analysis technician (or assistant) typically only requires a high school degree — however these positions are almost always part-time. Typically an applied behavioral analyst either has a degree in a related field (commonly psychology, behavioral analysis, etc.) or is currently in pursuit of that degree — although some positions will prefer a candidate with a master’s (of psychology or behavioral analysis). As applied behavioral analysis as a therapeutic technique is quite specific, most organizations will provide extensive training as the initial job duties after first being hired — this will then transition into the typical job duties described above.

Pay and Job Outlook
As with many therapy positions, pay varies between states. As such, a general range of estimated yearly salary is between $35k per year and $62k per year — with the lower end pulling from more rural areas and the higher end reflecting potions in large cities. Pay is also significantly dependent on education and experience on the job — applied behavioral analysts will typically experience a peak in their salary after about 5 years of experience. Additionally, demand for applied behavioral analysts is very high. Employment growth over the next ten years, as reported by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, is expected to be 18-20%, which is much faster growth than the average across all positions and fields.

Career Pathways in Psychology: To Grad School Or Not To Grad School

Career pathways are often at the forefront of soon-to-be graduates mind’s —and often even on the mind’s of sophomores and juniors — as you prepare to make the decision of whether to apply to graduate programs or not. In the field of psychology, there are myriad career pathways — some require different levels of graduate education, but some are possible with just your BA. Take a look at a brief (but certainly not exhaustive) list of ideas below!

I’m interested in getting a Master’s or PhD — which degree is suitable for what position?
Positions requiring graduate degrees in psychology will often involve some level of direct therapy with patients. Often, attaining a Master’s in psychology alongside licensure can provide you with the qualification to work as a counselor in an organizational setting, as a Staff Psychologist, and as a School Psychologist. Something to consider for these types of positions is what clientele you would prefer to work with. Obviously, school psychologists will work with children and adolescents, whereas a staff psychologist will work with members of a specific organization’s staff to ensure good health and mental well-being in a work environment.

Getting a doctorate — PhD or PsyD — in psychology, along with appropriate licensure, opens the door to private practice as a Clinical or Counseling Psychologist. This will enable you to work 1:1 with patients in a private setting — either your own or someone else’s clinic. Additionally, if you’re interested in leading your own research or teaching, a PhD is a requirement for many positions in academia.

I only want to get my BA in psychology, or I’m not sure about graduate school — what opportunities are out there for me?
While clinical and counseling therapy positions require higher education, there are plenty of positions in mental health that only require you to have a BA in psychology — and some you can even start while still pursuing your degree. For example, an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Instructor typically requires a BA, or even occasionally just the current pursuit of a BA, where you will get to work as an interventionist for educating and treating children with autism and autism-spectrum disorders.

Additionally, you could look into becoming a Mental Health Case Manager, where you will oversee a caseload of clients with long-term mental illnesses. Rather than providing direct therapy treatment, case managers help clients assess their needs and implement or review plans for service, while also connecting clients with community resources.

Finally, if you’re interested in pursuing research, or want to explore research as a career pathway without committing to years of graduate schooling, most Research Assistant positions in Psychology require a BA in psychology or other related social science. Research assistant experience also looks excellent on future graduate school applications, if that does end up being a possibility in the future.

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