If music is your calling, just imagine the different instruments you can specialize in. Erin Barbour, 25, chose percussion. She obtained a dual major from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in percussion performance and history. Though she studied primarily classical music, she was surprised to discover the variations in drumming styles during her travels to Brazil, Mexico and the Caribbean.

"I felt as if I had been living in a fish bowl my whole life and all of a sudden I was dumped into the ocean," says Barbour.

Now, she's back in school to obtain her master's in ethnomusicology, also known as cultural musicology.

As a percussionist, Barbour has worked as a drum line instructor for a high school marching band. She helped facilitate the warm-up sessions, made herself available to write exercises and cadences, managed all the equipment, traveled with the band to weekend competitions and was a role model for the students in the band.

Currently, Barbour teaches private lessons and also performs in a variety of bands, including a steel drum ensemble, a Latin American popular music group, an Afro-Cuban music group and an all-female women's Samba group.

Barbour says that the university environment has enriched and fostered her talent in many ways. She has had the opportunity to write a score and have it performed and recorded for free. In addition, the university has made becoming a percussionist much more affordable.

"Today's percussionists are expected to be able to play anything from the marimba and drum set to timpani and congas," says Barbour. "Each piece costs anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars. Had it not been for my education, I would not have had access to these instruments."

Barbour recommends taking private lessons in addition to obtaining a college education. She also suggests you establish relationships with more advanced musicians, which could lead to performance opportunities. And don't wait until you've graduated to perform. You can garner tons of chances to perform just by joining your high school band, or creating your own band. These skills will definitely come in handy.