Measuring Responses of Music Majors and Music Technology Majors Regarding Perceived Career Potential*

 

John Rametta

 

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to measure the responses of fourth year undergraduate music

majors and fourth year undergraduate music technology majors regarding their opinion of the potential their program of study offered them in attaining employment in a music-related discipline. Participants in this pilot study included 17 University of Rhode Island (URI) and 17 University of Massachusetts-Lowell (UML) students, ranging in age from 20 to 26 years. A Likert-type questionnaire was used to measure responses in three areas: (1) The students’ perception of their level of preparedness for employment; (2) The measure of their positive outlook for employment in a music-related field; (3) The extent that music technology core subjects were covered in their study. In the responses, the UML students reported receiving comprehensive training in most of the music technology core subjects including audio recording, audio lab, MIDI and electronic music, and the creation of music for multimedia, whereas the URI students reported receiving very little training in any of these disciplines. Regarding employment outlook, the results revealed that, although students from both groups generally felt well prepared for employment in their primary concentration, only 17% of URI students felt positive about the job market with 47% reporting a positive outlook for employment within 12 months of graduation. Conversely, 41% of the UML group felt positive about the job market with 88% reporting a positive outlook regarding the attainment of employment within 12 months of graduation. The study found a significant correlation between the inclusion of audio recording in the curriculum and the students’ positive outlook for employment within 12 months of graduation.