Arts Majors...not for pansies

One of the biggest challenges I face as an advisor for performing arts students is public perception. There are a hell of a lot of people out there who still consider the arts to be a "soft option" and that arts classes are "easy A's". This, my friends, is a load of crap.

My students routinely carry more credits per semester than your average pre-Med student (without all that burden-some Chemistry). 15-18 credits per semester of extremely challenging classes...plus rehearsal time--2 to 3 hours a day for Music students, 3-4 hours a day for Theatre students--makes for students who are extremely tired, and stressed. The Music Theory courses that are required for all Music students (4 semesters worth) are particularly difficult to pass on the first attempt and at 4 credits a piece, have the potential to drop a Music student's gpa like a stone. The two semester Intro to Drama class, which is required for all Theatre majors, has almost as high of a D/F rate as BIOL 101 (one of the most hated courses here at VCU).

And yet, the academic aspect is only a portion of the issue. Both Music and Theatre are considered "professional training programs" (as are many of the programs in the School of the Arts) and both hold their students to high performance requirements. Students in the Theatre department are judged not just on their performance in their classes (via their respective gpas) but also on their "professional prognosis". In short, students are judged (in part) on whether or not members of the Theatre department faculty feel that they will have a career in professional theatre.

Both Music and Theatre hold their students to a professional standard as soon as they enter the department. Students who are habitually late to class, who are unprepared, and who misbehave are rarely given opportunities for outside work (professional gigs for Music students, Mainstage casting for Theatre students). Are you starting to get the picture?

Students who are considering these majors should give all of this information careful consideration. If you loved Theatre or Music in high school and you want to continue doing it, that's great. There isn't a program in the world (or an arts lover either, for that matter) who will tell you to stop doing what you love. But are you ready to make this the only thing you do? Are you ready for your life to revolve around this, and this alone, for the next four years? Are you ready to handle all of the work, and all of the stress...and then ask for more...because that is what will be demanded of you?

If you've answered all of those questions in the affirmative, you may have another problem...convincing Mom and Dad that this is what you want. Every summer I speak with the parents of incoming first year students who are concerned about the practicalities of an arts degree. "This is what little Billy wants, but what can he actually DO with a Music major? I mean, isn't this an easy option? I think he should get a degree in Business so he can get a job as soon as he graduates." This is usually the point in the conversation when "Billy" is standing behind his mom, rolling his eyes and I try really hard not to laugh.

We're right back to public perception. The university environment is changing, people. You have to remember that the major on your degree doesn't make as much difference these days as what you do with it...and how you spin it. What kind of a work history do you have? Have you been busting your ass for summer internships in fields you're interested in? Can you make a connection between your degree and that work experience? If so, you're far more likely to get a job. You also have to break the hard news to Mom that it takes an average of nine months to find a job (and that figure fluctuates, depending on the job market and what field you're looking in) so you may be crashing on her couch for a while, even if you did get that Business degree she wants.

It is far better to get a degree in something you actually enjoy doing---when you enjoy your classes, you get good grades...and that looks good on your transcript!