Music professor

[Lensgirl]

Hi

in my step-dads tree he has a "professor of music" and states this profession from the 1830's onwards. Is there any way of finding out any more information on him?

[Janet in Yorkshire]

From my experience, "professor" of music (or dance or languages) was usually a self-styled title, perhaps referring to someone who took pupils in one of these disciplines.
Bear in mind that in the 1830's the only universities around were Oxbridge (open to those who could pay the fees) and possibly a couple of the Durham colleges, which would have specialised in divinity. I don't think music would have been offered as a degree curriculum option.
I think serious music study was probably provided at convervatoires, but I don't think the students graduated with degrees.
As far as I know, the title "professor" is still a "rank" awarded in the teaching/instructing sphere, rather than being an academic qualification, such as doctor.

Jay

[Anne in Carlisle]

I was going to say what Janet said! I have seen an awful lot of professors of music/singing/dancing on censuses. That's not to say they were all charlatons .... they may have been very good at teaching/conducting/composing or whatever. I think it unlikely in most cases that they were "professors" as we think of the title.

Anne

[ftfmk]

What is this person's name?

[Olde Crone Holden]

I think the word "professor" in this context is used to mean "one who professes", that is, one who lays claim to making music. As described in Janet's post above.

OC

[Kit]

oh you have all ruined everything. I found recently that OH had a "Professor of Music" and thought it was something special.

At least it wasn't my tree. lol

[Sue at the seaside]

I've got a Prof of music working in an American university, so I think a "real" teaching person is a possibility.

[Janet in Yorkshire]

I've got a Prof of music working in an American university, so I think a "real" teaching person is a possibility.

At a similar time period, Sue?

Jay

[grumpy]

I always understood a professor to be a teacher of a particular discipline at a university, not a degree per se. Therefore a professor of music
as used in the 19th century would be what we would call these days as a music teacher.
Ergo the former chief minister (premier if you like) of the Australian Capital Territory, who is a lawyer, recently resigned and took up a
position at the university of Canberra and he is styled professor of (forgot the correct discipline).

[Jill on the A272]

I've got 3 in my tree, one is William Henry Monk who wrote the music to Abide With Me and compiled the first Hymns Ancient & Modern (his wife was my husband's relation), another was an organist and the third is listed in 1851 as a profssor of music at Windsor Castle but was only 16 at the time though he went on to be a composer.