What's the difference between a general music major and...

Question

What's the difference between a general music major and a music teacher education in colleges? My high school's website has these 2 categories, and I wonder what each entails...

Answer 1

There are more than those two:

General Music:  usually a BA.  You cover all areas of music knowledge (history, theory, literature...) as well as performing and ensembles.  Pedagogy (how to teach) might be covered in limited detail.  Most require a junior and senior recital.  This degree will not prepare a public school music teacher without additional education.  It is good preparation for graduate study.

Music Education:  in most states, music is a K-12 certification area.  You must take educational theory classes related to all grade levels, music pedagogy classes, and some general music knowledge.  As well as performing and ensembles.  This is often a 5-year program and will include student teaching.  This is for people that want to teach in the public schools.

Music Performance:  All of the general music knowledge with considerable emphasis on performing.  Very little if any pedagogy.  Recitals will be a way of life.  This requires considerable dedication.  It's all about playing music and prepares those who aspire to performing for a living.  This does not prepare public school music teachers.

Music Academic Areas (history, theory, composition); very similar to the performance major but instead of playing you study your area.  A music history major would write a lot of papers.  Composition majors compose music.  Many students in these areas go on to graduate study and research.  

Church Music:  As the name implies, prepares one for the music ministry.  Will include study of theology as well as music.  Very much study in piano/organ and choral methods.

There are some other specialized areas such as Music Business, Recording Technology, Accompanying, Arts Administration, Music Therapy, etc... but these are the common degrees.

The general music is usually a BA.  The others are usually a Bachelor of Music (BM) or Bachelor of Music Education (BME).  The BA will have very much more non-music general education included than will a BM or BME.

Answer 2

Majoring in music is very broad as you can work in the music industry like a record company or radio station or you can go on to do composition and performance while music teacher educations is specifically for becoming a music teacher in a secondary or college level classroom.