Las licenciaturas en educación musical: ¿Qué saben los estudiantes de música de esta opción profesional?

Music education degrees in Mexico have a worryingly low enrollment, despite the fact that they are perhaps the most relevant music programs to meet the social needs and satisfy the labor market. In order to elucidate the causes, the author conducted a mixed study in which new students of the National Conservatory of Music (CNM) during the 2023-2024 school year participated. The study had the following objectives: 1) To identify the professional motivations and expectations that drove students to choose a career specialized in performance; 2) To establish their level of knowledge of the selected academic program; 3) To determine their level of knowledge of the other academic programs, specifically, the Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education; 4) To know the level of reflection they exercised around such an important professional decision. The results indicate there are important concerns in the field of the election of music careers by applicants to enter the CNM. Among them, stands out the lack of knowledge of the degree plan of music careers, as well as a mediocre level of reflection around their election process. The author hopes the results represent a wake-up call to the authorities of tertiary music education institutions concerning this important area of opportunity.