hey guys, I am thinking of going to school to major in guitar.
Any ideas? Any suggestions?
If there's anyone who's attended the Musician's institute(in Hollywood), Berklee or any renowned college like that, could you tell me what a typical school day was like and in what ways the experience has benefitted you etc.
Also do you know any other good schools I might consider? (Anywhere in the US, Canada, the UK, Austrailia, NZ etc)
Thanks
If you're interested in Classical and/or Jazz then Brandon University has a well respected graduate and undergraduate program.
I know several former students who have gone on to symphonic careers, and other "working musician" pursuits (recording artists, gigging around the world, playing studio session work, teaching, etc).
I wrapped a newspaper ’round my head
So I looked like I was deep
Berkley School of Music ?
I"m afraid "major in guitar" is too vague.
Classical or plectrum? Performance or luthiery? Jazz or contemporary? Do you want a school that's accredited? One that qualifies for federal student aid? Do you want a school where you can live on campus (and be able to jam with the other students at the drop of a hat)? One with a full music program, so you can explore a minor instrument, or arranging and composition? Do you want one in a big city with nightlife or is one in the sticks ok?
There are literally hundreds of schools that offer guitar or guitar-related majors. Each one has pros and cons... we'd need to know a bit more about your preferences and aspirations, or the advice you get won't be appropriate.
Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL
Contemporary music .I dont need a full music program. Im an international student so I wouldnt get Federal Student Aid anyway.
http://www.mi.edu/ProgramByDegree/Guitar/Bachelor-of-Music/31_1.aspx
the link above seems to show my idea of a pretty comprehensive curriculum for my needs. Please look at it closely and tell me what you think. obviously im gonna apply to that school, im just wondering if theres more options.
I'd love to live on campus and jam with students whenever. A city with a great music scene would be nice- LA, NY, chicago, austin, SF, seattle, athens(GA), boston, chapel hill(NC), portland etc. I know UTexas at austin's good.
i guess what i am looking to acheive by going to school is learn more about the guitar and get a lot of jamming experience, explore the greater depths of guitar playing to gain more tools as a songwriter. From what i heard the grading at the musician's institute is based on how well you jam with other musicians. To me that seems like a very valuable experience because even if you write great songs, the ability to communicate with musicians is another matter.
At this point, i've learned to play some simple lead because I have done some ear training.(so when i hear a lick, i know what notes to play most of the time) What i gotta work on now is articulation- making it sound more like a guitar by making use of the guitar's unique versatility- bending vibrato, sliding, Hammers on pull offs- do all that much better. ( gotta say it' been fulfilling as i feel like im slowly become a big dog hehehe)
I know I also gotta gain better sense of rhythm. I like rock but i do wanna have the tools to play and appreciate any genre.
Anyway, i also feel I gotta grow a lot as a band leader who knows exactly the kind of sound he's looking for and can clearly communicate to his bandmates what he wants. i've written a song or two and jammed before and it felt like i severely lacked the ability to communicate what i want because there's only so much i can express in terms of songwriting. I felt like a 2nd grader who has just learned how to put together some sentences trying to write a college essay or something. I gotta say, trying to make an easy song work in a major key is hard. it ends up sounding so lame and....cheesy. i tried putting in some arpeggios and simple licks but...man...it's hard to play exactly in time. So i gotta a long way to go there.
Obviously im not expecting any program to just magically turn me into a master songwriter overnight.
What i do want is to gain the ability to learn efficiently and effectively. As an analogy i think that's what a good college education provides- the confidence to learn anything by yourself and tackle any challenges that arise. What i personally got out of attending college was I learned how to learn.
In terms of developing technical skills, I know there's so no end to that for any instrument but I do believe it all depends on what you wanna express and how you wanna express it. I think if you can express powerfully your musical thought, then you've arrived at a good point.
I feel that all the reading and writing in college armed me with the necessary tools to communicate clearly my ideas and what i want to others. Technical skills wise, that is an important element that i am looking for in a guitar program.
I hope that clarifies.
