I was a music major years ago and almost finished but ended up with a BS in economics and later, Juris Doctorate. The debt is real. It’s like a payment on a second home. I regret not finishing up the music degree but can always take a few classes to complete but unless you want to teach, it won’t be a big factor in the music industry. The core education/ teaching cert you will get will be more valuable than a music degree. You can teach most subjects anyway. I remember being advised to get a degree of expediency and finish up incurring the least amount of debt. That was a good plan because I changed careers many times anyway, at least until grad school which I’m still paying off. Finish now while you are young. You will likely change careers/jobs many times in your life.

First, I would encourage you to look at these things like an investment. How much earning potential do you have doing what you want versus the method of getting educated. Second, really make sure performance is your passion. I both did performance and private instruction and you very much can make a solid living doing it, but you have to be enterprising and entrepreneurial. Recently, I decided to switch it up a bit, but I still teach, still love music, and hope to do more with it.

If you want to perform, then perform. No one ever cared what kind of education I had - only that I could do the gig. What kind of music are you doing? Original, jazz, orchestral?

Can you finish your degree at the Christian college and be done?