General Music Chat

Can I learn from someone without a degree in music?

You can learn stuff from virtually ANYONE. No need to be all self-important cuz ya have a degreem cuz there's gonna be ppl out there who can still run rings around ya.

Without the same education, however, they might have a harder time explaining it to ya.

And the opposite can be true.
The highly educated often talk in theory above the average learner's head.

Then again there are a lot of dumbasses with Masters & PhD.

Education does not make you intelligent.

It may just provide you with information your are incapable of utilizing in the real world.

Information is useless if you lack the sense to apply it.

HUH?

I guess not!

geez. The only difference between someone with a degree and someone without a degree is 4 years of debt. It's not like you can't learn the same material from the very books the teachers use, or training from experienced musicians that don't work in the university. Educational degrees have been way over-hyped, and the people teaching these classes are generally failures in the real world, which is why they work for the union or run for office, so they can live like they're respected.

Every opportunity is a learning opportunity. I learn from musicians who can't even read music. Likewise the teachers I work with learn a lot from me.

I agree with Mary !!

The last Rockin' Rocket Scientist Musician that I know of disappeared off the face of the earth.


Go Figure.



I think his name was Taylor Kramer

I'm thinkin' about transferring to a school with a real music program and getting myself a music edumication....

A Chinese proverb states that every third person in your life is a teacher.

Would not bear repeating what I learned today.

No matter who/what you learn from, there's always going to be a unique experience that you'll encounter that the books and the old road dogs never went through.

Life has a way of giving you a sucker punch no matter how guarded you think you are...hehe.

A music professor @ Chicago U was nearly fired because he said "the Beatles are Mozart"
They didn't read music yet their arrangements were comparable to Mozart's.

Music is one o those few things that you can do as well as anyone yet not know what your doing!

One of the best degrees can be acquired on the bandstand and during jam sessions. I know a lot of musicians who have theory down pat but they aren't very good when it comes to application. Those who can play. Those who can't teach. Often the case.

+1 Slacker..

Seems like a shame, but absolutely true.

I've met a few college graduates - with degrees in music - who I thought were musically crippled.
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There's a reason why it's called theory (and not practical application).
Experience usually trumps theory.
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There's those who do it (and naturally) and there's those who study how to do it. Sometimes they are one & the same, but not always.
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But neither doing it naturally (playing by ear) - or studying the theory behind doing it - neither of those guarantees that you'll be any good.
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I met those who play by ear who were terrible - and those that were great.
I've those with degrees who were lost trying to join in with a group - unless they had all the music written out in front of them.
Sheeee-it . . . translation - they weren't good enough to play along.
A degree guarantees nothing, musically.
They could tell me the theory behind every chord I play, and the progressions and all - but they couldn't create anything on their own.
They're not all like that, I know, - just the ones I met.
I worked with one guy with a degree, and he came back the next week "to play me a song he wrote."
The S.O.B. copied one of my songs exactly, but he transposed it down from an "A" to an "E," thinking I wouldn't notice. The song was unique enough to be readily identifiable by almost anyone, degree or not . . .
I read him the riot act, and never played with him ever again.
He was surprised i figured it out . . . creep.
Hell - I never use a capo - I can transpose songs up and down 11 notes no problem. I learned that on my own - I didn't need to pay someone else to teach me. Because he had a degree and I didn not, he thought he was smarter.
Not smart - he had more theory,
I have a hell of a lot more experience in playing and compose and creating and transposing and everything else than him and all his theory . . .
Pissed me off to no end when I heard him playing in public, and very badly at that . . . his rhythm was terrible. . . had no soul . . . and he lost the audience . . .
If you want to join an orchestra, though, and be directed by someone, then you'd better get your degree . . .