American culture -- and job markets -- place an outsized importance on a four-year college education at a time when many students either do not have one, or leave college unprepared for the workforce.For far too long, most industries and job markets have adopted an overly simplistic yet outdated model for evaluating talent: a college degree is better, some college is worse, and none is disqualifying – regardless of whether the education actually prepares young people for their chosen field.
Hiring practices have followed this trend, as job requirements mostly prioritize college education or degree-based credentials over real-world experiences or applied skills training. A recent study found thatThe music field is one of the many that demand formalized, higher education when practical training is also just as necessary.of both talent and fresh perspectives in fields that desperately need them. And universities are not necessarily built on preparing students for the current job market, rendering their degree programs less valuable in connecting people with meaningful work opportunities. — our field. Music-program graduates begin their search for employment with a shiny new degree, only to find that the music industry doesn’t inherently require a formal college education for success. The majority of music majors only find part-time music work, or ultimately choose a career in an unrelated field for a more stable income. The bottom line is: getting a traditional degree in music isn’t always beneficial. Music students often spend long hours in classrooms and work from a rigid, fixed curriculum, where they learn about music theory and history with greater importance placed on the study and practice of classical and jazz, versus other genre