Life Changing Decisions

Ever since my Senior Recital, I have had to start thinking about the next steps in my life.  I have one more year at BYU until my Bachelor's Degree in Violin Performance is complete.  What does that mean for me?

Graduate School!

During my time at BYU, my dreams in music have really changed.  For so many years I was so certain I wanted to compose music for movies, but the more I researched it, the more I was turned off by it.  It did not seem like the lifestyle I wanted especially if I get married and want to support a family.  Therefore, I thought I would go the Violin route, which has been a huge blessing.  I've had many opportunities come my way, because I changed my major to Violin Performance.

Growing up, my Dad was a Violin Professor and the more I think about it, the more I see myself doing that.  So . . . many could say that I should just get a Master's and Doctorate Degree in Violin Performance and go teach at a university . ..  but . . . who knows it there would be an opening for me right away.

Therefore, I have considered getting a Master's Degree in Music Education and a Doctorate Degree in Violin Performance hopefully giving me more options, but I'm not sure about that . . . and I still don't want to completely abandon my talent in Composing music.

So . . .. I have also considered Composition for a Master's Degree.

Basically, I am deciding between three degrees for my master's degree:

VIOLIN PERFORMANCE

MUSIC EDUCATION

OR

MUSIC COMPOSITION

. .. . and then, I have to decide where to go 

.... and if I'm doing performance I have to learn hard music, that I've already started on such as:

Sibelius' Violin Concerto

(feel free to watch this recording of the first few minutes of David Oistrakh playing the first movement)

and 

Paganini's 20th Caprice

(feel free to listen to this recording of Jascha Heifetz playing it)

I'm excited to learn this music.  I never thought when I was younger that I would play the great violin works such as the Sibelius Violin Concerto.  I just need to decide where I want to apply and what I want to do.  I just pray the Lord will help me know the answer in his own due time.

This is an exciting time of life . . . .. .