Have you ever been among a group of people who use terms you are supposed to know? My only problem with getting in touch with Alumni is that the Music Program disappeared for 30 years between the early ’80s and when I began the program in 2010 (JuCo transfer), plus the fact that the only thing Alumni Relations Department cares about is begging us for money.
I know it may take you an additional year or so, but you would then be ready to either enter the masters degree in vocal performance with a concentration in pedagogy or teach for a few years in the public school sector before attending graduate school.
If all of this doesn’t sound like it fits you, then we suggest finding ways to keep music in your life, see if you can dive into your music interests during summer breaks, and continue on your current path until you gain clarity or recognition of an alternative course of action.
If you’re serious about getting a degree in composition, you’ll see that many schools require you to present scores of your compositions, recordings if possible, and interviews with composition faculty in addition to applying and then auditioning on a performing instrument or voice.
We hope you’ll read our article about going from community college to music school, if that’s the direction you want to go in: Community College for Music Students… Guidelines for Making it Work” There are a number of community colleges with strong music programs in SoCal so we hope you’ll talk with the head of the music program wherever you are, and see if they can offer some guidance.