FAQ on multiple woodwinds degrees

ByBret Pimentel

I get to hear fairly often from aspiring woodwind doublers who are considering the option of a college degree in multiple woodwinds. Here are some of the questions I answer most often.

What school should I go to?

There are a few options for undergraduates, more at the masters degree level, and a few for doctoral students. I maintain a list that is meant to be comprehensive but probably isn’t; please let me know if there’s anything missing or erroneous.

Mostly, the schools that have multiple woodwinds degrees are ones that have large and reputable music programs. I personally did one multiple woodwinds degree at a music school that is widely regarded as one the best; this was an excellent experience but I found my opportunities limited in terms of professors’ attention and ensemble placement. I did a second multiple woodwinds degree at an excellent but less-famous music school, and got many more opportunities. Your mileage may vary.

Will I need to be able to play all the instruments well before I start the degree?

Most multiple woodwinds programs seem to be for either three instruments of your choice or for all five major/modern woodwinds (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and saxophone). In most cases you will need to enter with some level of proficiency on each instrument that is covered in the degree, and will need to be well-accomplished on at least one of them. By “proficiency” I mean evidence of a disciplined and serious approach to the instrument over a non-trivial period of time, preferably under the guidance of a good teacher. I entered my masters degree program with an undergraduate degree in saxophone, several serious summers’ worth of flute and clarinet lessons plus some experience playing those instruments in university ensembles, and a semester’s study each on oboe and bassoon.

Will I need to own all the instruments?

It’s possible that some schools will instruments available for you to check out. But if you’re serious about doubling, my advice is to consider instruments to be a necessary educational expense. Your professor may be able to make some recommendations of instruments that are of suitable quality for a “secondary” instrument at a lower cost than a true artist-level instrument, if that suits your goals.

What is required for auditions?

Each school’s requirements are different, so be sure to find out what precisely they require. I auditioned for several masters and doctoral programs in five woodwinds; most of those required a three-instrument audition process. Some had specific rules: one school required that flute be one of the audition instruments, and another required at least one double reed.

If you are auditioning for a masters program then you will probably need to play a respectable short underclassman-level repertoire piece or movement on each weaker instrument, and one or more strong senior-recital-level pieces on a “primary” instrument. For a doctoral program, you will likely need to play upperclassman- or masters-level repertoire on weaker instruments and serious masters-level repertoire on at least one instrument.

Who do I contact with questions about the specific degree program?

I would recommend checking the university’s music department website to see if there is someone listed as the woodwind area chair (or some similar title). If not, I would start with the professor of your “main” instrument.

What will I be qualified to do with this degree?

For a bachelors or masters degree in performance (multiple woodwinds or any concentration at all, really) the answer is “nothing specific.” Careers in performance rarely require a degree; however, you should gain some skill, experience, and network connections during your degree that can help. A doctoral degree is generally a requirement, more or less, for university teaching, and a doctorate in multiple woodwinds can make you a strong candidate for a job that requires teaching multiple instruments. (A masters in multiple woodwinds plus a doctorate in a single instrument or some other music concentration might also help, depending on the job and your other qualifications.)

While finishing my doctorate in multiple woodwinds, I applied for a large number of university teaching jobs, some of which specifically called for multiple instruments, and some of which didn’t. I heard back from several, and without exception they were multiple woodwinds jobs. I don’t think a multiple woodwinds degree would ever automatically disqualify someone from a single-instrument teaching job, but those jobs attract an alarming number of extremely-qualified applicants, and most often those jobs go to someone who is very, very focused on that instrument.

Is a multiple-woodwinds degree geared toward, or appropriate for, jazz players?

All of the programs that I have any familiarity with are essentially classical performance degrees. During my masters degree, at a school that had a classical saxophone professor and a jazz saxophone professor, I obtained permission to do some off my studies with each of them, and also did jazz studies as an area of secondary study (find out if the programs you’re interested in require a minor or something similar). Doubling skills can certainly be of use to a jazz musician, but most programs don’t combine jazz and doubling within the curriculum in any meaningful way.

Will I really master all these instruments by graduation?

No way. In my experience, for example, the very best doublers in degree programs will be competitive with their single-instrument classmates on one or maybe two instruments. But they will hopefully lay some foundations for future improvement, and will likely have the sense that they are playing catch-up on the other instruments for many years to come.

Each program does (or should) have its own guidelines on what type of proficiency multiple-woodwind students need to achieve before graduating, and on how those proficiencies are evaluated.

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    My university students are mostly undergraduate music education majors, but many at some point inquire about graduate school, including a performance degree path and eventual university teaching. Here are some things you should know about graduate performance studies if you’re an undergraduate music major. Read More “Advice on graduate performance study and university teaching careers”

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    Advice on multiple-woodwinds graduate degrees and teaching careers

    ByBret Pimentel

    I often have university students bring up the idea of graduate school and a university teaching career, and I have previously given general advice about that.

    Perhaps since my graduate degrees and a teaching career are in multiple woodwinds, my students sometimes wonder if that’s a path they should take. Here are a few thoughts:

    I’ve mentioned previously that, even for talented and hardworking folks, a graduate education is far from a guarantee of employment. Does a multiple-woodwinds degree help? I think it helped me, but I also had some significant luck.

    The year I was on the job market, I applied for a small handful of multiple-woodwinds jobs and got a small handful of interviews. I landed in the job that was the best match. I kept an eye on job listings in subsequent years, and years went by without a single multiple-woodwinds job being listed. If I had graduated a year later than I did, I may well have been unemployed.

    During my job search I also applied for single-instrument teaching jobs, and got zero responses. Having been on the hiring side of things a few times now, I understand why. Faculty jobs get dozens of applicants that need to be narrowed down quickly, and the ones whose qualifications and experience are laser-focused for the job in question rise to the top. Though I felt I had things to offer, my multiple-woodwinds background wasn’t a precise enough fit, and somebody else’s background was.

    So is a multiple-woodwinds education better, employability-wise, than focused study of a single instrument? It’s a calculated gamble. When you’re on the job market there might happen to be a windfall of single-instrument jobs, and if you’ve been focused on multiple woodwinds instead, you may be out of luck. However, there are fewer multiple-woodwinds graduates, so if a multiple-woodwinds-geared job opens, your background might prove very valuable.

    Multiple-woodwinds teaching jobs tend to be common at smaller schools with smaller music departments, and that may or may not affect your decision. I have a mixed but mostly positive relationship with my small-university job. If your heart is set on teaching at a major university, then most of the jobs won’t be multiple-instrument jobs, and your competition will mostly be highly-specialized, highly-focused single-instrument players.

    One other factor to consider is what kind of multiple-woodwinds education you want to get. Do you want to have a “primary” and “secondary” instruments, or study them in an equal way? Do you want to do a masters degree and a doctoral degree both in multiple woodwinds, or one in multiple woodwinds and one in a single instrument? How you focus your studies will affect which theoretical future jobs you will or won’t be a match for. (Each degree program is a little different, so check with the schools you’re interested in to see how their programs are structured.)

    Graduate study in multiple woodwinds can be valuable preparation for a career in higher education, but the job opportunities are limited and hard to predict. I suggest pursuing that path if you have additional reasons or motivations for doing so, like a fascination with the woodwind instruments and woodwind doubling.

  • The myth of beginning band instrument “tests”

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    Photo, Dyvo

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    Some beginning band programs kick off the year by allowing prospective students to “try out” the various instruments, ostensibly to determine which instrument they have the most natural aptitude for. I find this ludicrous.

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    Secondly, the first few minutes that a child (or adult) spends with an unfamiliar musical instrument can turn out very differently depending on a large number of factors. When your child spends two minutes trying out a flute and two minutes trying out a trumpet, and is pronounced a budding trumpet virtuoso, is it really because of some genetic predisposition to the trumpet? Or is it that the flute had leaky pads? Or that the band director’s explanation of the flute embouchure wasn’t clear enough? Or that your child accidentally leaned on one of the flute’s trill keys, and the band director failed to spot it? Did your child do better at bassoon than oboe because the bassoon reed was well-balanced and vibrant, while the oboe reed was stuffy and insufficiently soaked? My point is that there are too many potential issues to sort out in a few minutes (perhaps even a few hours—or years), and judging aptitude at that stage is no better than guesswork.

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    If you really want to know what instrument your child will be good at, ask them which one they want to play. Motivation is the make-or-break factor for beginning instrumentalists. (I do think that it’s worth introducing your child to the various instruments so that they can choose from all the available options, instead of just the ones whose names they already know.)

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    • Students take 6 credit hours of study on a “primary” instrument, and 4 hours on a “secondary” instrument, and must “demonstrate proficiency” on a third. Presumably the third instrument must either be at a suitable proficiency level upon entering the program, or the student must study the instrument without the additional credit hours counting toward degree completion.
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    See my hopefully-comprehensive list for more North American university/conservatory degree programs in multiple woodwind performance. (And please contact me if you see anything that needs to be added, removed, or updated!)

  • Your first lesson with your college instrument teacher

    ByBret Pimentel

    Every teacher is different, but here are some ideas of what you might expect when you take your first instrumental lesson with your new college teacher.

    Before the semester starts: When you have your login information, check your new university email and LMS (it might be something like “Canvas,” “Blackboard,” or “Moodle”—a site you can log into to see announcements, assignments, etc. for each of your classes). Check in daily to see if there are updates from your new teacher, like a lesson schedule or other instructions. When you arrive on campus, locate their office and check their door or bulletin board for information. If they are inside, they would probably be happy to say hello and answer your questions.

    Usually lessons are scheduled on a one-on-one basis. I look over my students’ course schedules, decide when I am going to have each student’s lesson, and post a link to an online calendar on the LMS, plus a copy on my door. Other teachers sometimes have a system for you to sign up for your own lesson time. Do this ASAP so you can get a time that works well with your schedule!

    The teacher might have instructions for you to show up with something prepared to play, or not. Usually I personally don’t expect them to have prepared anything for their first-ever lesson, and instead we will spend that time getting oriented and assigning materials to prepare for the next week’s lesson. (Returning students usually know what will be expected, and should show up with some scales, an étude, and the repertoire piece we picked out at the end of the previous semester.)

    If you have previously taken lessons or have worked on études or repertoire pieces on your own, make a list of those.

    The day of your lesson: If you can possibly squeeze it into your schedule, find a practice room and warm up a little. Pick out a good reed if applicable.

    Gather your materials:

    • Your instrument and all accessories
    • Your list of previous repertoire, if you have any, and your copies of the most recent ones you worked on. Your teacher may find this helpful in evaluating your level and deciding which materials to have you work on next.
    • Something to take notes with. I personally don’t mind if you use a digital device for this, but some teachers might prefer that you don’t have your phone out during your lesson. Bring a notepad to the first lesson just to be sure.
    • A pencil. In fact, stock your instrument case, backpack, etc. with pencils. Keep one in your pocket or purse. You will need one for every lesson, practice session, and rehearsal. Pencil, not pen.

    Lesson time: Show up at least a few minutes early, with your instrument assembled and ready to play. (You may or may not actually play in this first lesson, but it’s good form to come prepared.) If you feel nervous, take a few deep breaths. Use the restroom. Mute your phone.

    Some teachers tend to run a little late, and they might be finishing up the previous lesson when you arrive. Unless they have instructed otherwise, I think the best thing to do is go ahead and knock right at the stroke of your lesson time so they know you are there. Give a real knock that they can hear, not a timid/quiet one they might miss. Then wait patiently if they take a few more minutes to finish up with the previous student.

    Call your teacher by their academic title (like “Dr. Pimentel” or maybe “Professor Pimentel” if you’re not sure), unless they tell you to call them something different. You might be able to figure this out by reading their biography on the university website, or by checking to see how they sign emails they send to you.

    Don’t try to write down everything they say, but taking a few notes might be appropriate. If you need another moment to write, or you’re afraid it will be rude to look down at your notepad, you could try asking, “Do you mind if I write that down?” Definitely write down what they assign you to work on for next time.

    Depending on your teacher’s personality, the teacher might dive right into lesson stuff, or may want to spend some time getting to know you.

    After the lesson: Review your notes and edit/clarify if needed while it’s still fresh in your mind. Make a practicing plan for the week to make sure you prepare your assigned materials as best you can for next time.

    If your teacher asked you to purchase some repertoire or other materials, do this right away! I usually try to help my students out with a photocopied page or two so they can get started while they wait for their own copies to arrive, but some teachers may expect you to get it on your own and be prepared by the next week. (Tip: if you’re at a large music school, the university library might have copies of some materials, which you can use until you get yours.)

    If, during the week, you realize you are unclear or have forgotten something, visit your professor during their office hours (probably posted on the LMS and/or their door) or send an email. Much better to ask for help while there’s still time to practice, than to show up unprepared at your next lesson.

    Make friends: You will hopefully be meeting some other students who play your instrument and take lessons from your same teacher. (If you arrived on campus early for marching band camp, that’s a nice advantage.) Those people remember what it was like to be brand new, and if they are nice (they probably are!) they won’t mind answering some questions about the teacher, giving you a few lesson tips, and maybe even loaning you an old étude book while you order your own. Sometimes the students know the processes and procedures (signing up for classes, getting your ID card, logging into the LMS) better than the professors do.

    Have a great semester!

  • University/conservatory degree programs in woodwind doubling

    ByBret Pimentel

    I’ve updated my list of schools with woodwind doubling programs. The current count as of this writing is 5 schools with some kind of bachelor’s degree program, 15 with a master’s program, and 5 with a doctoral program. Read More “University/conservatory degree programs in woodwind doubling”

One Comment

  1. Word of advice to prospective students – it’s critical when considering a multi-woodwind program, that you understand the proficiency levels that will be required of you to complete the program – and that goes for each instrument you’ll be playing. In my program, one instrument is classified as “primary”, another as “secondary” and the other three as “minor” – but the Masters Handbook provides literally zero guidance about what level of mastery is expected on these different classes of instruments. It’s quite possible that the different woodwind teachers could have very different ideas about how well you need to play each instrument in order to graduate. Before entering such a program, do whatever it takes to find out how you’ll be graded, by whom, and what level of mastery will be required of you on each instrument – do this *before* you enter the program. Talk to as many of the teachers as necessary. Pin them down and ask very specific questions. Mention specific pieces that you’re already familiar with as a gauge to the proficiency levels required. Ask if the instrument needs to be played to levels such as “undergraduate” or “undergraduate junior” or “undergraduate sophomore” or perhaps “equivalent to a graduating masters student.” These kinds of questions help eliminate the possibility you’ll be surprised, and you can also use their answers as ammunition when professors are trying to twist your arm and make you take more semesters of lessons on an instrument in which you’ve already achieved the requisite proficiency level.

    On another topic, if you aren’t experienced with your doubles, it’s quite likely you’ll find yourself advancing more quickly on some instruments than others, and the ones you find an affinity for may not be the ones you expected! So find out if you can change your “secondary” or “minor” instruments mid-stream. There may be recital or other requirements that prevent you from doing this, so it behooves you to find out as early as possible which instruments you really enjoy the most and play the best on.

    Reply

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