Should You Major in Music Education?
If you are reading this post, you will likely fall into a few different groups: high school students thinking of majoring in music education, pre-service music education majors, those that teach pre-service music educators, current music educators, or music industry folks keeping tabs on me. In this era of generative artificial intelligence, political turmoil, and a very different group of children in our classrooms, it is a question that many are asking themselves. Whenever I speak with undergraduate music ed majors, I meet at least one student who asks me whether being a music teacher is still a noble, valued, and worthwhile profession. It’s a question filled with both hope and hesitation — hope for a life spent making and sharing music, and hesitation about the practicalities: the workload, the job market, the salary, the emotional investment. My answer is always yes. I personally believe that teaching music is a wonderful way to spend your life. That said, I left public school teaching in 2007, and a lot has changed since then.
If you’re currently wrestling with that same question, you’re not alone. Music education attracts some of the most passionate, idealistic, and determined people I know. It’s also a field that demands resilience, creativity, and a deep sense of purpose. So let’s explore this question honestly — not with platitudes, but with perspective. What follows are my thoughts based on over 36 years of teaching music, including my reasons and the considerations that I would recommend before answering that question for yourself.
You’ll Change Lives — Often in Ways You’ll Never See
Let’s start with the most important truth: teaching music changes people. To this day I have former students reach out to me, often recalling their time with me in my musical ensemble, reminiscing about a story that happened, or occasionally thanking me for inspiring them to love music. It’s an extremely rewarding thing, and I never take those moments for granted. Think about your own musical journey. Somewhere along the line, a teacher believed in you, guided you, and helped you find your voice — sometimes literally. That teacher may not even know how deeply they influenced you. As a music educator, you’ll step into that same role for countless students.
Music has a unique way of connecting people across boundaries. A math teacher might help a student understand fractions, but a music teacher can help a student feel rhythm, teamwork, and belonging. You’ll witness shy students gain confidence through performance, struggling learners thrive through rhythm and melody, and school communities come together through concerts, marching bands, and musicals. It’s humbling work, because so many of your greatest impacts will be invisible — the quiet moments where music becomes a safe space for a student who doesn’t feel they belong anywhere else. You’ll change lives, and many of those students will carry your influence long after they’ve left your classroom.
You’ll Never Stop Learning
One of the most rewarding parts of majoring in music education is that it guarantees you’ll never stop being a student yourself. Music is alive — constantly evolving with new technologies, genres, and pedagogies. The best music educators are lifelong learners who embrace that evolution. When you major in music education, you don’t just learn how to teach; you learn how to keep learning — how to adapt, innovate, and reflect. Your undergraduate years will immerse you in conducting, theory, pedagogy, psychology, technology, and performance. But after graduation, the learning continues. You’ll attend workshops, clinics, conferences, and (if you’re like most of us) stay up too late arranging new music or exploring new software tools like PracticeFirst or Sight Reading Factory.
And that’s part of the beauty of it: music education doesn’t just prepare you to teach — it equips you to stay curious for life. If you’re the kind of person who loves to grow, explore, and reinvent, this field will never grow stale.
You’ll Join a Passionate, Supportive Community
Majoring in music education means joining one of the most collaborative and generous professional networks out there. From the moment you enter your first music education conference (mine was NJMEA back in 1998!), you’ll discover that music educators genuinely want to help each other. Veteran teachers mentor younger ones. Band and choir directors share lesson plans, fundraising tips, and performance advice on Facebook groups and forums. And yes — you’ll find that the coffee-fueled, pre-concert chaos of a band room builds friendships that last a lifetime. Even more inspiring, music educators rally around a shared mission: ensuring every child has access to high-quality music instruction. That sense of collective purpose gives this profession an energy you won’t find everywhere. When you’re part of the music education community, you’re part of something larger — a movement that values creativity, empathy, and humanity.
While music education is deeply fulfilling, it’s not for everyone — and that’s okay. Before you declare your major, you owe it to yourself to think through a few important realities.
It’s a Demanding Program — Academically and Emotionally
Let’s be honest: music education majors work hard. Between ensemble rehearsals, private lessons, theory and history courses, conducting, education methods, and student teaching, your schedule will be full — sometimes overwhelmingly so. When I was a music ed major at Montclair State, I ended up graduation with over 150 credits!! And beyond the academics, there’s an emotional side. Teaching requires patience, empathy, and a high tolerance for imperfection — both your students’ and your own. You’ll juggle lesson plans, administrative tasks, and concert logistics while trying to maintain your own musicianship and mental health. If you’re considering this major, be ready to embrace structure, discipline, and reflection. The payoff is extraordinary — but it’s not effortless.
Your Relationship With Music Will Evolve
Many students enter college as performers first. They love the thrill of the stage, the applause, the artistry. But majoring in music education means learning to channel that love of performance into something broader: helping others find that same joy. While I regularly gigged on tuba and even played in a cover band for years, today I make music very rarely, and believe me that weighs on me. If you are a music teacher, I strongly recommend keeping those playing skills sharpened by performing with a community band, choir or orchestra, or joining some friends and becoming a weekend warrior.
The shift away from regularly performing can be emotional. You may find yourself playing less for yourself and more for your students. Your identity as a musician will expand — from performer to pedagogue, from artist to advocate. That doesn’t mean you’ll stop performing (far from it), but it does mean that your satisfaction will increasingly come from their growth rather than your own applause. If you can embrace that transformation, it’s one of the most rewarding journeys you’ll ever take.
Here’s something I wish someone had told me when I was starting out: Don’t let the system steal your joy. Sadly, the reason that I eventually left teaching was for precisely that reason. I often would say to colleagues when they asked why I was leaving “If they would only let me teach music, I would stay”. It was the administrivia that drove me away. Music education — as a profession — is beautiful, but it can also be bureaucratic. Budget cuts, standardized testing pressures, and administrative red tape can make you feel like you’re fighting an uphill battle.
It’s easy to lose sight of why you started. I’ve seen extraordinary teachers burn out because they tried to do everything: perfect concerts, flawless adjudications, constant innovation. The truth is, you can’t do it all — and you don’t need to. That’s precisely where I think technology can be an invaluable tool. Use it to minimize your time on administrative tasks like grading, planning and jumpiung through whatever hoops your administration puts in your way, adn spend more time making music with your students.
Protect your passion. Remember that every great program starts with a teacher who refuses to let paperwork or policy outweigh purpose. Surround yourself with colleagues who lift you up. Celebrate small victories - when a student finally achieves their goal, when an ensemble absolutely nails a piece that they’ve been working on, and when a student looks up from a creative endeavor with a smile - pleased with what they’ve created. That’s where the magic is. That’s what lasts.
So — should you major in music education?
If you love music and people… if you find joy in helping others grow… if you believe that creativity belongs in every child’s life — then yes, absolutely. Major in music education. But do it with eyes open and heart steady. Know that your success won’t be measured by trophies or test scores, but by the quiet, consistent impact you make every single day. You’ll cry at your students’ senior concerts. You’ll beam when they earn their first chair. You’ll laugh when your beginner clarinets squeak through “Hot Cross Buns.” And one day, you’ll get an email from a former student who’s now a music teacher — thanking you for inspiring them. That’s when you’ll know: you chose right.