Music Colleges

Don't take this the wrong way, but if you're definitely going to make a go of it in the music business, then you might want to go to any college and major in business. You can go to Berklee or any other music school or even just take private lessons and practice all the time, but you're going to need an education on what the business is all about.

Don't be fooled into thinking that you don't need an education...

Now, as to the music college end of things, I'll look around and see what I can dig up!

Peace

In Holland we have the Rock Academy. You'll not only practice your instrument with some of the best Dutch instructors, but you'll also be learned how all the side things work. It is, as a matter of fact, open to foreign students. Yeah, that's right. When you turn 18, you can visit good ol' rainy Holland :D

We probably have something like that in good ol' everyone-lives-here America too, but I don't know about it.

I'm not so stubborn that I will take things the wrong way and argue with ya'll about it. :)  I'm just asking for advice.  I do have two years to decide.

But Hodge, a major in business?  I am definitely interested in taking a course (or several) on the music industry and all of its evils - that is stuff I need to know.  But colleges involve lots of other things that dont relate directly to what I want to do.

Some people didn't need a college education, like Jamey Andreas and Duane Allman, Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton.  I like to believe that you can do anything that you are completely dedicated to doing, just like my signature says.  I accept the amount of work and pain it will probably involve.  I have already made it my "job" to practice insane amounts every day according to a tough schedule.  My "work" has already begun.

I appreciate any comments and info on colleges.

It all depends on what you want to do.  If you're looking for a performing career, nobody looks at your degree... it's your demo that will get you the gig.  That said, your demo will be better if you have good training.

There are a lot of colleges that offer a sound musical education.  Some, like Berklee, Julliard, and Eastman, are known strictly for music.  Others, like Indiana, DePaul, UCLA, Northwestern, etc., offer a broad range of other courses.  Going to schools in the first category will definately immerse you in music studies... which is sort of like a trapeze artist working without a net.  What if music doesn't work out for you as a career, and you need to look for a 'straight' job 20 years into the future?  If the only writing course you could take was 'The Poetry of the Blues' you'll definately suffer in the options available to you.

On the other hand, ANY music degree will open up some non-performing options for you.  Credentials are important in some areas, like teaching, which can make a nice income stream while you get your career established.

Once you've decided whether to go to a specialty school or a general one, compare the programs and talk to the students and graduates.  There are dozens of music majors available: performance, education, composition, theory, therapy, history, etc., and some programs are stronger in one area than another.

Finally, when you've got the choice narrowed down to a few candidates, look at the playing options that are open to you.  What kind of ensembles do they have?  What sorts of music will you get a chance to be exposed to and play?  You want the chance to stretch yourself, but without being stuck with choices that don't interest you at all.

In the end, you don't NEED a music school education to make it as a performer or session player.  In my opinion, though, it's along the same lines as a sailor not needing to know how to swim.  If the boat works as intended, everything's cool... but sometimes even the best plans (and boats) spring a leak.

A third option is a school like FullSail in Florida which teaches music (and video) production skills, so you can possibly have a career in music other than performing.

One last thing to consider is the off-campus opportunities.  Berklee has good and bad points as a music school, but Boston is great for a musician!  Chicago is also a good place for musicians.  LA is a bit tougher.

You mention some successful musicians who did not go to college.  But be aware that you will never hear about the vast majority who tried it and didn't succeed, and who wish they'd gone to college when they had the chance.

So go to college if you can, play as much music as you can stand, and you may be one of the lucky ones!

Good Luck!
Laz

I'm not so sure how much it has to do with luck.  And I am convinced that the majority of people who try what I want to do fail, and that doesn't bother me.  I'll try harder.  I don't understand when you know that you have failed to make it as a musician.  Is it when you hit complete poverty and have to sell your guitars to survive?  Even then, why give up?

Thanks for the advice, keep it coming.  This is helpful.

Ooh, and are cities the best place for musicians to be?

It would be good to go to a college where there are both (A) a music industry and (B) a flourishing live music scene. That pretty much narrows it down to New York, Los Angeles, Nashville, London, and who knows where else? Some schools, like North Texas State are famous for their jazz programs. If you're into popular music (everything but classical and jazz) it's much harder to find courses appropriate for going in that direction. Belmont University and Middle Tennessee State have really good music programs where you learn the business end of things, too.

There's no way to START as a session guitarist. That's kinda like saying I'm going to start running by being in the Olympics. If your college has a studio, you can get studio experience, but it still isn't the same as the real thing. Look for a place that has experienced studio players on the adjunct faculty. That's most likely to occur in one of the big recording centers mentioned above.

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