What SNAAP Tells Us About Music Alumni Sally Gaskill

1. What SNAAP Tells Us About Music Alumni • Sally Gaskill • Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research • NETMCDO • January 2012

2. What is SNAAP? • Strategic National Arts Alumni Project • On-line annual survey of arts graduates • Investigate educational experiences and career paths • Provide findings to educators and policymakers to improve arts training, inform cultural policy, and support artists.

3. Leadership • Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research • George D. Kuh, SNAAP Director • Sally Gaskill, SNAAP Associate Director • Vanderbilt University Curb Center for Art, Enterprise, and Public Policy • Steven J. Tepper, SNAAP Senior Scholar

4. Who is Surveyed? • Graduates of: • Arts schools, departments, or programs in colleges and universities • Independent arts colleges • Arts high schools • Both graduate and undergraduate degree recipients • All arts disciplines

5. 2011 First National Administration • 66 participating institutions (56 postsecondary and 8 high schools) • Fees range from $1,000 to $7,500 • In the field September 29 – November 29 • 29,000 completed surveys; 36,000+ total respondents

6. What Questions Do We Ask? • Formal education and degrees • Institutional experience and satisfaction • Postgraduate resources for artists • Career • Arts engagement • Income and debt • Demographics

7. SNAAP 2010 • Fall 2010 survey • 154 total programs • 13,500 total respondents

8. Some interesting findings.

9. Music Performance Majors Characteristics UG Grad # responding graduated 2005-09 female married 1 or more dependents more ... 1,642 571 76% 82% 59% 56% 50% 62% 26% 37%

10. Music Performance Majors Characteristics UG Grad First generation White Black Latino Asian 24% 25% 90% 86% 4% 2% 4% 4% 4% 8%

11. Questions on Institutional Experience

12. “Overall, how would you rate your experience at {your school} while pursuing your degree?” Response options UG Grad poor fair good excellent good or excellent 1% 2% 7% 7% 38% 39% 54% 52% 92% 91%

13. “If you could start over again, would you attend your school?” UG Grad No ... Probably yes ... Definitely yes ... Uncertain ... Yes 10% 8% 33% 33% 45% 46% 12% 13% 78% 79%

14. “How well did your institution prepare you for further education?” Response options UG Grad not well fairly well very well did not pursue further education 7% 4% 28% 20% 38%34% 27% 41%

15. “How satisfied were you with career advising while at {your school}?” UG Grad very dissatisfied somewhat dissatisfied somewhat satisfied very satisfied dissatisfied satisfied 17% 17% 29% 24% 33% 28% 18% 23% 46% 41% 51% 51%

16. Satisfaction with work experience or internship placement UG Grad dissatisfied satisfied not relevant 35% 27% 45% 48% 20% 25%

17. Opportunities to network with alumni UG Grad dissatisfied satisfied 33% 33% 58% 57%

18. “Since leaving school, have you used any of the following support services that may be offered...” UG Grad Career services? Networking opportunities? Opportunities or resources to present artistic work? 12% 12% 25% 24% 7% 12%

19. Questions on Skills, Career and Professional Life

20. “Have your ever worked as a professional artist (PT or FT)?” UG Grad Yes, I do this currently Yes, in the past but no longer No 41% 64% 18% 15% 41% 21%

21. After graduating, how long did it take for your to obtain your first job? UG Grad Obtained work prior to graduating Obtained work in less than 4 months 4 to 12 months After more than 1 year Pursued further education 32% 46% 28% 26% 11% 11% 4% 3% 22% 12%

22. How close a match was your first job to what you wanted? UG Grad Not at all what I wanted Not a very close match Fairly close match Very close match Perfect match 17% 8% 14% 8% 12% 16% 15% 25% 18% 29%

23. How relevant is your arts training at {school} to your current work? UG Grad Not at all relevant Somewhat relevant Relevant Very relevant 21% 7% 19% 12% 15% 18% 37%59%

25. Is the following important in your profession or work life? UG Grad Using artistic technique Thinking creatively Writing & speaking clearly, persuasively Working effectively with others 62% yes 81% yes 87% yes 89% yes 82%yes 82% yes 94% yes 92% yes

26. Debt matters Percent of UG majors indicating that student loan debt had a major impact on their career decisions: • 32% fine and studio art • 30% architecture • 28% theater • 25% music • 20% dance

27. Some fun stuff from the full dataset(undergrads only)

28. Top 4 UG arts majors who have ever worked in food services • 45% of theater majors • 36% of fine arts majors • 29% of music majors • 32% of all undergraduate respondents NB: Only 3% of all arts alumni CURRENTLY work in food services

29. Top 2 UG arts majors who have ever worked in computers & math (IT) 1) Music theory, history & composition 14% 2) Media arts 13%

30. Top 7 UG arts majors who have ever worked in healthcare • Dance 16% • Fine and studio arts 9% • Art History 8% • Tie @ 7% each: Music performance; Music theory, history & comp; Theater

31. Top 5 UG & Grad (ALL) arts alumni who have ever been self-employed • Music theory, history & composition 75% • Music performance 72% • Design 71% • Theater 69% • Dance 68%

32. Top 5 non-arts jobs ever worked by UG music performance majors 1) Education, libraries & training (non-arts) 32% 2) Office & administrative support 30% 3) Tie: Food services 29% Sales 29% 5) Communications (journalism, p.r.) 13%

33. Top 5 jobs in the arts ever worked by UG music performance majors 1) Musician! 74% 2) K-12 arts educator 25% 3) ‘Other’ arts educator 17% 4) Tie @ 12% each: Higher ed arts educator & arts administrator

34. In Sum: 3 Things to Remember Music performance alumni have ... • Satisfaction with education  • Dissatisfaction with business and financial training  • Relevance of education to current work 

36. Strategic National Arts Alumni Project Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research Sally Gaskill 812-856-5824 gaskill@indiana.edu snaap.indiana.edu