Career Switch Advice

[slimmershadier]

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Hi friends,

I've been reading your forums for a little while now as I've been weighing a rather dramatic career change. I've searched a little, but not found exactly what I'm about to ask, so you have my apologies if there's a pertinent thread buried somewhere that I've missed.

By the end of this school year, I'll have a M. Mus in orchestral performance (and the B.Mus that went before it). The world of orchestral playing is shaky at best, and while I love what I do and I'm not awful at it, I would like to hear advice or personal stories about those who have sidelined an artistic career path in order to pursue something a smidge more practical. I'm particularly interested in becoming an orthodontist. I feel like I'm suited to work involving planning, small details, and overall meticulousness. However, I don't have any science background besides AP Bio from high school (I scored a 4 and like biology) - simply didn't need any more than that for my undergrad. I had a 4.0 as an undergrad and a 3.98 as a grad student, I work hard, I did a Religious Studies minor and I speak (sloppily - but understand pretty well) French, Spanish, and a little Polish. I'm Canadian (have the magic green card), and female. I think I'm a good candidate, but I'm woefully out of the science world.

I'll be moving with my husband to the SF Bay area next summer (he works for an internet startup based out there, he works in a satellite office while I finish grad school in the midwest). I'm open to the idea of taking my science prerequisites at either a community college or state university starting as soon as next fall, as long as it's going to actually prep me for writing DAT and applying to dental school (one of the SF schools would be my ideal - hello, in-state 🙂 ). Since I cruised through the last six years of school just paying cash for the tuition my scholarships didn't cover, I don't have any loans yet. I really would like to get this done as quickly as is realistic - I want to work.

Thoughts? Personal stories? What do you guys really think of the schools in the Bay area? Any particular place/pre-dental path to follow?

Thank you for your wisdom!

 

[yumi43]

this is amazing. i just applied to dental school this yr, took my DAT about 2.5 weeks ago, and am in my lag year now.

my background is almost identical to yours. i majored in violin performance and went to a nyc conservatory where i received my bachelor's degree in music, then went off to another university to get my master's in music. i then took a year off to freelance in new york city and was totally dissatisfied with my life. i had been thinking about switching careers for a very long time (ever since my undergrad years), but never had the courage to do so. one day, i just woke up and knew i had to do it and i haven't looked back since.

i started looking into postbacc programs in nyc (this is where i live), applied to a couple, and have now been in the nyu postbacc program for the last 2 yrs taking all the dental school prereqs.

i too didn't take any tough courses in high school because i knew i was going to pursue music, so i know thinking about hardcore college science courses is intimidating. it takes a lot of hard work and you need good study habits, but this is all stuff you will figure out eventually.

i think taking prereqs at one university (and probably not at a comm. college) will look best on a dental school application. hmmm... i don't know what else to tell you at the moment because there is so much to tell, so please let me know if you have any specific questions. you can pm me also. good luck!

 

[rxfordummies]

...
my background is almost identical to yours. i majored in violin performance and went to a nyc conservatory where i received my bachelor's degree in music, then went off to another university to get my master's in music. i then took a year off to freelance in new york city and was totally dissatisfied with my life. i had been thinking about switching careers for a very long time (ever since my undergrad years), but never had the courage to do so. one day, i just woke up and knew i had to do it and i haven't looked back since.

Just curious why you're not happy with your music career ....If it's money issue then you're wrong. I live close to Redmond (Seattle area) where almost every family wants their kids to be able to play the piano or violin 🙂 I was desperately searching for a piano teacher who would be willing to charge less than $60/hr for my daughter at one point. Every time I see someone playing the piano or violin I admire them so much and I wish I could play it too, obviously I can't so I'm pushing it onto my daughter 🙂

 

[yumi43]

for me, personally, i didn't want to teach full time. it can be good money (especially in nyc, i have musician friends that charge $80 an hour), but i majored in violin performance to perform. i was not satisfied with being an orchestral musician either. the only steady paycheck you can really earn as a violinist (besides teaching or being a famous soloist) is being an orchestral musician. since i love music, i didn't want to have to struggle to earn a living as a musician because i knew i'd start to resent it after a while. i'd much rather earn a living doing something else while playing the violin for enjoyment, without having to worry about where my next gig will come from or whether i will make enough money in the future to support a family. luckily for me, i had many other interests outside of music, so over the years, i discovered that dentistry will be an ideal career for me. music is a very hard business. it's cut throat, everyone knows everyone else's business, and it's political.

i now play in a professional caliber volunteer orchestra in ny (most musicians are conservatory graduates from juilliard, curtis, etc. who have gone on to pursue non-music careers like me). playing violin because i want to and not because i have to makes it that much more enjoyable. now i get the best of both worlds 🙂

 

[slimmershadier]

Yumi said it: I've got performance degrees because I want to perform. In fact, there are so many wonderful musicians who majored in music education, I actually feel bad when I take students because I feel like someone with a stronger pedagogical background should be teaching them. Mine is a woodwind instrument, not in marching band, and the market is smaller anyway; piano was my first instrument and I can play it fine, but I'd rather an actual pianist teach your kids to play it. I also feel bad if I undercut the market by giving $20/hr lessons or whatever.

This sounds great to me: working my [orthodontist?] job in the daytime, playing for fun on the side, occasionally giving a performance with great players (where did you find Juilliard and Curtis grads playing semiprofessionally, Yumi?), instead of feeling like I have to do my six hours in the practice room, getting by on an hour or two and liking it. That IS the best of both worlds! This is very encouraging.

I'd love to hear more stories... thanks for the replies so far!

If anyone has more specific Bay Area post-bacc pre-dental stream advice, I'm all ears.

 

[yumi43]

the group i play with is camerata notturna (www.camnot.org). some of my musician friends recommended me to the director of the orchestra and i went to school with many of the members as well. i am sure there are many orchestras you can join in california also.

just google postbacc programs in cali and see what you come up with, read about their programs and requirements, and pay close attention to deadlines.