Astoundingly, applications to music programs are on the rise, even as the economy is in decline, reports The Chicago Tribune. Considering the cost of lessons and instruments, studying music doesn't come cheap and recouping expenses seems tough, if not impossible, given the state of unemployment. However, today's budding virtuoso has more post-graduate options than ever before, and there are some surprisingly practical skills you can pick up with a seemingly impractical degree.

Though traditional orchestra jobs are becoming more competitive, Michael Manderen, director of conservatory admission at Oberlin, says that "students are hip about the professional realities." Music students have many transferable skills, such as discipline and collaboration, which are valuable assets when entering graduate school or the professional world.  Thus, rather than eliminating other career options, studying music can actually be some of the best preparation you can get for business, law, or medical school.

While previous generations of music learners were limited to careers in teaching or performing, the digital age has opened up innumerable opportunities that were formerly unavailable. Students today are majoring in things like ethnomusicology and music administration and getting jobs in the video game or entertainment industries. Because many music programs are a part of a larger university, students have access to the vast and varied curricula of the greater institution. Music majors at Northwestern, DePaul, and Indiana Universities study alongside more traditional majors. Oberlin students can learn about entrepreneurship and tax law. Even Julliard, the most competitive performing arts school in the nation, offers classes on starting non-profits or creating digital scores.

Art schools, on the other hand, have experienced declining enrollment, likely a result of students' desires to enter fields with more stable employment. However, Minneapolis College of Art and Design admissions director William Mullen says that many students transfer into art schools after initially attending traditional universities and majoring in practical subjects. This suggests that students ultimately prioritize genuine interests, even at the cost of a surefire career path. That being said, art degrees shouldn't be underestimated. As one MCAD junior puts it, her pursuit of art not only satisfies her creative passions, but also "is preparing her for a new economic reality in which creative thinkers will be the ones who get ahead."

Journalism programs, too, are seeing a rise in applications, which seems counterintuitive since print publications have been folding and downsizing over the past year as a result of declining advertising revenue. How those graduates will fare in the new digital age is anyone's guess, but even in a tough job market, it seems that passion remains the trump card.

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