With a conservatory education the end game may vary, but music students are all striving for the same thing: a career in music. 

“I feel my main purpose in life is to sing and to help others sing as well,” Sarah Harris said, a voice student working with Cathy Cook. “I just want to go around performing wherever I can before eventually opening a private voice studio,” Harris added.

For clarinetist Zoe King, it’s the instrument’s adaptability that first inspired her. “I enjoy the versatility of the clarinet.” She’s now eyeing that versatility as a model for her future career: “I want to be a performer first and foremost, but I also enjoy teaching and am excited for that to be a part of my career as well,” she added. King is a student of Carey Bell at SFCM.

Both students are working towards getting a Bachelor of Music (BM) Concentration in teaching. Since 2022, SFCM has offered BM concentrations in teaching, technology, and business. 

These concentrations serve as an opportunity for students to focus on an area of interest and build a larger skill set in the musical economy. Once completed, concentrations will be indicated on transcripts and visible to future employers and graduate programs.

“It’s a key component, but music school is about more than practicing,” Assistant Dean of the Professional Development and Engagement Center (PDEC) and Chair of Professional Development Kristen Klehr said. "With these optional concentrations, it opens up additional opportunities for students to succeed and build out their unique career path.” 

From auditioning to interviewing, courses are designed for any musician and open pathways for any future they choose. “If a student wants to solely be a performer, how can they identify what is a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ contract to sign?” Klehr continued, “or what if they need to run a recording session? Or build a successful teaching studio? These are questions that students master in these classes.”  

Classes prepare students to do everything from financial management to understanding entertainment law and even planning a music festival. “No matter your instrument or goal, these skills can give you the competitive edge in our industry,” Klehr added. 

For King, like many students, she shares her passion for performing with teaching. “Teaching pushes me constantly to find new ways to approach things, that learning goes both ways,” she said. , “Teaching is also so fun because you get to watch your students learn and grow both as people and as musicians, and you get to be a part of that journey.”

For Harris, teaching music has an even deeper meaning. “Singing started as a type of therapy for me,” she said “It lets me forget all the stress life has to offer, just for a moment.” She’s excited to now create that experience for someone new: “I've always enjoyed working with kids, and I know many of them could use that therapeutic escape I had as a kid. It also helps that the fulfillment I get when I watch them learn and grow, feels just as good as when I sing an aria.” 

Learn more about applying to SFCM.
Learn more about SFCM’s Bachelor Music Concentrations.