THE GRADUATES OF AB-MUSIC STUDENTS’ ASPIRATION AND

CAREER PATH:

BASIS FOR PRE-ENROLMENT COUNSELING

A Study Presented to the Faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of the University of
Southern Philippines – Foundation

In Fulfillment of the Requirements in Method of Research in Major Fields Under:

Dr. Angeles P. Suarez

Submitted by:

Betonio, Shaira May C.

Junio, Jeriel S.

Narciso, Japet C.

Mendez, Donmar R.
 Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING

INTRODUCTION

Making the decision to study can be a big step but making the decision what career to
choose is a bigger step. Being a student of music is quite hard whether we choose to be in a
career related to our field or we choose another career which is in another field. Taking up this
course, we are allowed to explore what we really wanted to achieve, what our goals are and what
will be our career path in the future. We may be asking ourselves these questions: “Am I taking
this course for fun?”, “Am I taking this course just because I don’t like solving problems? I don’t
like doing experiments? I don’t like memorizing a lot of medical terminology?”, “Is music really
what I’m passionate about?”, “What is my goal in taking up music?” these are just a few of the
questions that music students maybe asking themselves. Nowadays in the industry a lot of people
took music when they were still university students and after graduation they are taking another
field as a career. We never really understood what pushed them to choose the career not related
to what they have studied/graduated. The context of this research is about the aspiration of the
graduates of AB-Music students and their career path.

Music is a collection of coordinated sound or sounds. Making music is the process of putting

sounds and tones in an order, often combining them to create a unified composition. People who
make music creatively organize sounds for a desired result, like a Beethoven symphony or one of
Duke Ellington's jazz songs. Music is made of sounds, vibrations, and silent moments, and it
doesn't always have to be pleasant or pretty. It can be used to convey a whole range of
experiences, environments, and emotions. (What is Music?)

Music is perhaps the art that presents the most philosophical puzzles. Unlike painting, its works
often have multiple instances, none of which can be identified with the work itself. Thus, the
question of what exactly the work is is initially more puzzling than the same question about
works of painting, which appears (at least initially) to be ordinary physical objects. Unlike much
literature, the instances of a work are performances, which offer interpretations of the work, yet

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the work can also be interpreted (perhaps in a different sense) independently of any performance,
and performances themselves can be interpreted. This talk of “interpretation” points to the fact
that we find music an art steeped with meaning, and yet, unlike drama, pure instrumental music
has no obvious semantic content. This quickly raises the question of why we should find music
so valuable. Central to many philosophers’ thinking on these subjects has been music’s apparent
ability to express emotions while remaining an abstract art in some sense. (The Philosophy of
Music)

Amateur musicians can compose or perform music for their own pleasure, and derive their
income elsewhere. Professional musicians are employed by a range of institutions and
organisations, including armed forces (in marching bands, concert bands and popular music
groups), churches and synagogues, symphony orchestras, broadcasting or film
production companies, and music schools. Professional musicians sometimes work as freelancers
or session musicians, seeking contracts and engagements in a variety of settings. There are often
many links between amateur and professional musicians. Beginning amateur musicians
take lessons with professional musicians. In community settings, advanced amateur musicians
perform with professional musicians in a variety of ensembles such as community concert
bands and community orchestras. (Music as a form of art and entertainment)

One of the theses we wanted to test with these surveys was that a lot of graduates were more
likely to end up taking a career from a different field than in the music industry, a research about
this was already conducted before but we wanted to continue this study. One of the key findings
of the survey is that a lot of students who are taking music as a course are just taking it without a
strong desire because they don’t want to be in other fields hence they ended up being in a career
way out of the field they have graduated.

ABSTRACT

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 Musicians have been known to take the likely irrational decision to pursue the highly
competitive, uncertain, demanding career path of musical professionals. Given the usual and
common advice provided by the music teacher to them, “Do music if it’s the only thing you can
do,” and the very low availability of jobs, the musician’s job market across genres is
characterized by an extremely high supply of people with sheer talent and great motivation.

The aim of this study is to determine the career path of the students who graduated AB-Music
course from the University of Southern Philippines Foundation between the school year of 2014
and 2019. This research will interview 10-15 students in all. Descriptive survey research is used
in this study. We will use the following statistical tools: 1) Percentage and frequency
distribution. 2) Ratios and ranking. 3) Tables and graphs. Researchers also wanted to gain
insights in finding out if they really had taken the job relevant to their course or not after they
have graduated. If not, we wanted to find out what field they have landed and how satisfied are
they in working on that specific field. The study will concentrate on thoroughly investigating the
respondents by using both survey questionnaires and interviews as the main instruments in
gathering the data collected. Also, the material needed for this study is camera for the purpose of
video recording. This research is done within Cebu City. Slovin’s formula was used for
collection, organization, analysis and interpretation of data.

The gathered data and the sets of survey analyzed are enough to allow conclusions from the
purpose and aim of this study on some of the reasons as to either taking a career related to music
or taking another career from a different field. These results have implications for theory and
research on the subjective side of careers and the role of time in careers. Further, numerous
questions arise about the long-term implications of having a calling.

RATIONALE

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 “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life”
-Confucius

Music exhibits a unique artistic form of language which serves as a platform of expressing one’s
creative and emotional expression. Music as an education can develop a person as a whole where
it provides an environment to explore. As a creative endeavour it will also help and give students
the opportunities to grow. This has been a part of study since decades up until the present time.

Choosing the right career choice is one of the most important decisions of human life because of
we need to survive and we need to satisfy our basic needs. The right career will determine an
individual’s happiness or unhappiness. On the other hand the graduates of AB-Music need to
choose the right career whether to choose the field they have graduated or to be in other fields.
Some graduates questioned if it’s a wise move but they still continued just to survive.

THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

As part of an auto-ethnographic narrative in which she deconstructs her own life as a

musician and music educator, Carole Richardson (2009) reflects on the experience of a
performance she gave as an undergraduate student:

“This story of musical memory and reflection, at the same time both joy and pain, is
representative of the musical conflict that was, for many years, the silent accompaniment of
my life. Even as I read these words more than twenty years after this concert, I feel tears
threatening as I recall the purity of that experience. The tears surprise me and cause me to
reflect on their dual origins. They are summoned by the visceral remembrance of the beauty
of the moment but also because music, which had early in my life provided me with joy and
recognition, had become, during my undergraduate degree, something through which to
suffer and to bear. Though outwardly I projected absolute musical confidence, personally and
professionally, the tension between my unspoken understanding of my musical self and the
way in which others viewed me musically ran darkly beneath every aspect of my life,

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effectively robbing me of my authentic voice: that voice which enabled me to sin and
experience music joyfully unencumbered, and to speak with a clear understanding of my
musician self.”

This passage summarizes and crystallizes the ideas written in this research paper. This
paper is anchored on the theory of Robert W. Lent’s Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT)
that views people as active agents in, or shapers of, their aspiration and career path. This
emphasis on personal agency (or self-direction) actually has deep roots in the study of career
behaviors and the practice of career counseling by Borgen in 1991. This theory expounds the
term “self-evidence” which means that people help construct and create their own career
outcomes; that that their beliefs (such as about themselves, their environments, and possible
career paths) play vital roles in this process; that we are not simply beneficiaries (or victims) of
situational forces. Of course, self-exploration and related activities that affect a person’s
aspiration towards their career would be futile if career development were entirely determined by
factors over which they have no control of. It further adds that leaning to a vertical career path is
not just a cognitive or volitional enterprise and that there are often potent (extrinsic and intrinsic)
barriers to choices, chance, and growth. People differ in their abilities and achievements
backgrounds. To put it simply, a complicated array of factors such as culture, gender, genetic
endowment, sociocultural considerations, and disability or health status operate in tandem with
people’s cognitions, affecting the nature and range of their career opportunities and possibilities.

From the work of sociocultural theorist like Rogoff (1990), Vygotsky (1978) and Wenger
(1998), it is generally understood that learning is an act of the individual resulting from
experience in socio-cultural context. Within this context, following Dewey (1998), learners need
to take an active role, engaging and constructing their own understanding (Brunner 1996;
Goodman 1978; Rogoff 1990; Vygotsky 1978). Specifically, for musicians to take this active
role, they need to feel a sense of personal agency which Bruner (1996) describes as a ‘sense that
one can initiate and carry out activities on one’s own linked to aspiration, confidence, optimism,
skill, and know-how. Since becoming a musician involves venturing into the unknown or less
known, risk-taking is intrinsic to the process (Rogoff 1990). Taking risks places musicians in a
vulnerable position which is why a safe and supportive environment is essential for empowering
musicians (Freire 2002l Greene 1995; Noddings 2003).

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Musicians are also learning from each and every one’s behaviour by observation. We’ve known
a lot of students that when you ask them the question “How did you learn how to play that
instrument?” the common answer it’s because of they’ve learned it when they were watching
someone playing that specific instrument or their favourite artists influenced them. This is also
based on Albert Bandura’s Theory of Social Learning. People learn through observing others’
behavior, attitudes, and outcomes of those behaviors. “Most human behavior is learned
observationally through modeling: from observing others, one forms an idea of how new
behaviors are performed, and on later occasions this coded information serves as a guide for
action.” (Social Learning Theory by Albert Bandura). Social learning theory explains human
behavior in terms of continuous reciprocal interaction between cognitive, behavioral, and
environmental influences.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

This thesis conceptualizes that: students who graduated from music course have not
taken the job that is relevant to what they have graduated. The lack of aspiration and motivation
of these students are one of the critical factors for choosing a different career and not being in the
music industry after graduation.

The input discusses the profile of the respondents including their gender, age, and the year they
have graduated. Additionally it includes current job, status of current job, duration of
employment in current job and experience in a musically-related job.

Furthermore, this includes their job if it’s related to their profession as an AB-Music student, the
months/years they stayed in that job and why did they quit the job. The degree of satisfaction is
also evaluated whether they are unsatisfied, satisfied, moderately satisfied and very satisfied.
Lastly, the difficulties encountered in the process of the job application related to music.

As a recommendation we will propose a counseling program to remedy the challenges that the
students encounter in choosing the course that would really fit them.

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 INPUT OUTPUT
The job they have taken after
graduation.
Pre – counselling
Length of time they have stayed Program
on their job.

Degree of satisfaction in current

job

Difficulties encountered in the

process of applying for a job
related to music.
Research Method: Descriptive
Pre-counseling that can be Survey Research
recommended to the pre-enrollees
in AB-Music. 8
Data Gathering

Questionnaires
 Interviews

Statistical tools:

2.2 Percentage and frequency

distribution.

Ratios and ranking.

2.4 Tables and graphs.

Respondents Identification
(Slovin’s Formula)
PROCESS
Collection, Organization,
Analysis and Interpretation of
Data (Simple Percentage)

Fig. 1 Diagrammatic Schema of the Conceptual Framework

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This study is a continuation of the tracer study of the graduates of Bachelor of Arts
Major in Music and their aspiration and career path. The demographic profile of the respondents
will be asked; Gender, age, year graduated, current job, status of current job, duration of
employment in current job, experience in a musically-related job;

1. What job have they taken after graduation?

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 1.1. Job related to their course;
1.2. Job not related to their course.
2. What is the length of time they have stayed on their job?
2.1. 0-6 months;
2.2. 6-12 months;
2.3. 12-24 months;
2.4. More than 24 months.
3. What is their current job satisfaction?
3.1. Unsatisfied;
3.2. Satisfied;
3.3. Moderately Satisfied;
3.4. Very Satisfied.
4. What are the challenges/difficulties encountered in applying for a job that is related to music?

a. Skill;
b. Experience.

5. What recommendation can be proposed after the result of the study?

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study determines the aspiration of the graduates of AB-Music students and
discovers their career path after graduation if they have taken music as a career or they have
taken a career in other fields. It aims to gain insights if their aspiration and motivation is enough
to be in the music industry. The importance of this study will help future students in the music
department to decide whether to take the course irrationally or passionately and this benefits the
following:

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University of Southern Philippines Foundation – Lahug Campus
This research will improve the school in the development of music education. This
study enlightens new ways of developing skills and talents, thus preparing students their career
paths in the future. This study will also help the school in motivating the students to take a
course that they are really passionate about.

Music Instructors
The results of the study will also help the music instructors evaluate the students’
abilities, skills, performance and attitude towards learning and enhancing their talents in music.
Results will also develop instructor’s teaching-learning strategies towards the students.

AB-Music Students
This study values students’ academic performance and their career paths after
graduation thus their aspiration and motivation is very important in taking the course. The
aspects of this research will not be only beneficial to music students but it can also benefit
students in other fields because nowadays a lot of students graduated from a degree but they are
now taking a career not related to what they have graduated.

Researchers
This will help researchers come up with the understanding that they need to take a course
that they really have a passion in doing so that they will not end up being in an unsatisfied career.

Future Researchers
This study can be a reference to the future researchers for similar studies and since this is
a tracer study this can be a source for further investigation.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Aspiration - a hope or ambition of achieving something.

Sheer - not mixed with anything else; pure or complete.

Insights - the capacity to gain an accurate and deep intuitive understanding of a person or thing.

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Longitudinal Survey Research - is a research design that involves repeated observations of the
same variables (e.g., people) over short or long periods of time.

Qualitative Research - is a scientific method of observation to gather non-numerical data. This

type of research "refers to the meanings, concepts, definitions, characteristics, metaphors,
symbols, and description of things" and not to their "counts or measures".

Medical Terminology - is language used to precisely describe the human body including its
components, processes, conditions affecting it, and procedures performed upon it.

Descriptive Research -defined as a research method that describes the characteristics of the
population or phenomenon that is being studied.

Ethnographic- is a qualitative method where researchers observe and/or interact with a study's
participants in their real-life environment.

Tones - is characterized by its duration, pitch, intensity (or loudness), and timbre (or quality).

Bewildering – causing someone become confused.

Profusion - an abundance or large quantity of something.

Alliances - a union or association formed for mutual benefit, especially between countries or
organizations.

Exploited - make full use of derive benefit from (a resource).

Musical Theatre- is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue,
acting and dance.

Psychotherapy - the treatment of mental disorder by psychological rather than medical means.

Geriatrics - the branch of medicine or social science dealing with the health and care of old
people.

Metaphysics - branch of philosophy that deals with the first principle of things, including
abstract concepts such as being, knowing, substance, cause, identity, time and space.

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Epistemology - the investigation of what distinguishes justified belief from opinion.

Semantic - relating to meaning in language or logic.

Abstract Art – an art that does not attempt to represent external reality, but seeks to achieve its
effect using shapes, forms, colors and textures.

Marching Bands - is a group in which instrumental musicians perform while marching, often
for entertainment or competition.

Concert Bands - is a performing ensemble consisting of different instruments.

Synagogues - the building where a Jewish assembly or congregation meets for religious worship
and instruction.

Symphony Orchestra - a large classical orchestra that includes different instruments.

Ensembles - a group of musicians, actors, or dancers who perform together.

Community Orchestra - made up of musicians/performers that are performing voluntarily to

entertain, educate and inspire their local community.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Design
This study uses Descriptive Qualitative method of research. In gathering data, the
researchers will use survey questionnaire interviews (open-ended questions) and interviews
(open-ended interviews) for the profiling of the respondents. The Statistical Tools used for
analysis and interpretation of data is (correlation) formula.

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Research Locale
This research conducted within Cebu City. This will be based on the respondents’
location for they had already graduated from the University and also have their own places. The
researchers will meet them personally during their recommended time to additionally get
information if they might not be available on the said schedule.

Research Respondents
The study’s respondents are 10-15 graduates of AB-Music course from the University of
Southern Philippines Foundation, Lahug-Campus between the years 2014-2019. Survey
includes: (1) the job they have taken after graduation. (2) The length of time they have stayed in
their jobs. (3) current job satisfaction, and (4) the difficulties encountered in applying for a job
related to music.

Research Procedures
The researchers will send a letter which is address to the dean of the college of music.
The letter is to gain acceptance for the releasing of the respondents information from the registrar
if they had graduated from the university. The researchers will meet the respondents on the said
schedule and are given ample of time to answer the questionnaires and the interview. The
researchers will be recording for documentations.

Research Instruments
The following research instruments will be used to gather data by survey questionnaires
(open-ended questions), interviews and recording.

Statistical Treatment
The researchers use simple percentage in computing the profile of the respondents. 

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Where:

X = given quantity

n = total amount

p = percentage of the quantity compared to the total

After, the researchers used weighted mean in order to determine. 

WM =  Σfw

           N

Where:

WM = weighted mean

Σ = summation

f = frequency of responses

w = weight of the responses

N = number of cases

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