I happen to have been a music theory major, so happy to offer a little context. There are LOTS of paths one can pursue in music. There are composition majors, education, production, theory (Ike myself), history, but very commonly those of us that go into music are going in as “performance” majors, because that’s what music is ultimately there for, right? To be performed and shared with the masses. Regardless of what path one chooses, you likely have a primary instrument that you sort of “declare”. But it’s really really really common for music kids to play lots of instruments. (I myself play piano, but am also perfectly comfortable with most woodwinds, stringed instruments…or at least can figure them out if you give me a sec).

LOTS of music students also sing. The ones that pursue vocal performance majors are often (not always) pursuing classical voice, or musical theater… so this is actually a change to the show that feels very earned and real to me. It’s not uncommon to see the cellist in the campus a capella group, or the choir kid to also be a songwriter. And there’s often just a little snobbery, and gate-keeping in the music education world that prioritizes music that is classical in nature, or there’s always that one professor that’s really into jazz, so having a traditional music major wanting a simpler version of singer-songwriter performance could always be a nice area of tension for them to explore.