Pursuing Passion: Mila Mincy’s Path to USC as a Music Major

Mila Mincy playing guitar
For Mila Mincy, even at 8 years old, singing “just felt right.” With a firm resolve that music was her true means of self-expression and the encouragement of her extraordinary parents, Mila vigorously pursued her passion. She immersed herself in a variety of styles and took advantage of every opportunity inside and outside of the classroom. Ultimately, it was pop music and vocal performance that captured her focus. Next stop: turning that passion into a music career.

Why Is Applying to College for Music So Hard? 7 Common Application Process Challenges

A student looks stressed while many people are presenting tasks to her.
Applying to college is one of the most exciting and stressful times in a teenager’s life. Although technology has made certain processes more convenient, it has done very little to quell the confusion and anxiety that accompanies the complex college application process. For aspiring music majors, the processes become even more challenging, often leading to aggravation – or even a reduced chance of acceptance. 

From College to Career: Navigating Life After Music School

For most professional musicians, a music school degree is an obvious and ideal path toward working in the field they love. Specialized courses and private instruction mold students into industry-ready players, producers, composers, song writers, audio engineers, and business people. Each musician faces unique challenges after graduating from music college and the opportunity to mold a work-life unique to their musical strengths, interests, and goals. 

Music Specialization: “Jack of All Trades” or “Master Of One?”

Various music instruments
Students and parents ask me whether fanning out or focusing is better — and I’m here to say, well, it’s not that simple. What you should and want to concentrate on really depends on where you see yourself in five, ten or thirty years down the road. There’s a place for all these kinds of musicians as long as you remember one thing — you must be great at something to carve a space for yourself in what is a notoriously competitive career landscape.