General Music Chat

Hey,

So I'm a double major at Loyola Marymount University currently studying film and screenwriting. I'm also a second semester sophomore. I've taken the semester off since I have enough credits to be a junior. I made this decision because I want to switch career paths to music. Being home for a semester allows me to focus obsessively on music and get my chops back to where they used to be (or hopefully to a professional/studio level). It would be great to start my own independent music label like the place I've interned for in the past, Clatter & Din.

I've been playing music since I was 10, and I'm a multi-instrumentalist (guitar, piano, drums, vocals, bass). Additionally, I would say that I'm a 6 out of 10 as a recording engineer (having taken two classes at a college level and recording since I was 14). I work with pro tools/Ableton and have few (but nice) recording equipment.

My question for you all is whether finishing off my BFA at a music college is worth the dough or if its better to stay home, get my chops up, and network as much as possible. I've already applied to to transfer into Berklee, Columbia of Chicago, and CalArts because my school doesn't have that good of a music program (however it is in LA). Luckily, I'm blessed to be in a good enough financial situation that I will probably not have to pay for college. So I am really asking whether it's worth my parents spending the money to send me there...

I've heard some mixed reviews on music school, so some help would be nice!

Peace.

Oh! And I live in Seattle, and plan on moving to LA permanently in the future.

Music schools like Berklee and Juliard are really focused on getting students educated in the classical format or in the professional jazz field. You didn't mention what type of music you play. It can be a great foundation of knowledge and can provide valuable experience and contacts, if you're going into those music fields.
Studio engineering work - hard to come by these days, you've got to find some place that will take you on as an assistant and work your way in/up, but all the small studios are hurting for business these days enough that they are 1/2 man operations and the big ones have their share of interns who work for free.

Go back to school, get your degree, put together a band while you're going to school (yeah, I know time is tight, but it doesn't get any better when you're working a regular job 40+ hours a week, either, so get used to it!) making a (good) living playing music is not easy these days - its a great dream, though.

If you want to be set for life, play music around the world and get paid and live for almost free. The military is one of the largest employers of musicians in the world.” The combined budget for the nation’s military bands was projected, at $388 million. Each of the nation’s five service branches has a flagship band, four of them — the Marine Band (“The President’s Own”), the Army Band (“Pershing’s Own”), the Navy Band and the Air Force Band — based in Washington, with annual budgets in the range of $2 million. These budget figures don’t include musicians’ salaries. A musician who wins an audition with one of the premier bands enters the service at the military pay grade of E6, somewhere around $56,000.00 a year.

On top of all that if you join at the age of 18 you will retire at the age of 38, get your pension and never have to work again.

Oh almost forgot..... its a blast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrFY9DdAjcY

My vote is that education never hurts, but success in life depends more on determination than any other factor.


Wish there was a way to message you, because I'd like to introduce you to my son. He wanted to go to school for music, so he enlisted in the military as a drummer to pay for tuition at Musician's Institute in L.A.

But after 4 years in Korea with the band, (where his company of musicians consistently beat the soldiers in war games) they recognized his gift as a commander of men and sent him to be special forces in Afghanistan. Sometime in that period, he decided that he wanted to be a film-maker instead, and spent his tuition money at Academy of the Arts University in San Francisco. He would have succeeded in any field because he's such a faithful kid.

As a lifer musician, I admit to being a little disappointed because he could have easily been one of the best drummers alive. But he quickly showed me that it was a very smart move, and has had steady work with great pay ever since. On February 21, you will be able to see his work as a lead cameraman in the production of Elton John "live from LA" a few weeks ago. He shot the NHL All-Star game last week, Super Bowl this weekend, etc...

Music was devalued when everyone could make it in the bedroom on a computer. The glut of bad "art" has caused the average fan to just turn away. Tech and film are the new rock stars.

So you should go where your heart leads you...but why not combine your love of film with music? You don't have to leave one behind to also do the other.

Hmm yes, I wish there was a way for you to contact me as well. That is very cool what your son is doing. Maybe you could send me an e-mail?

And yes, I think your idea to combine my passion for film and music is great. In fact, I've already started taking scores out of popular film and television scores and replacing them with tracks of my own. I would love to share those on the site once I finish.

Can't wait to speak with your son!

My vote is that education never hurts, but success in life depends more on determination than any other factor.


Wish there was a way to message you, because I'd like to introduce you to my son. He wanted to go to school for music, so he enlisted in the military as a drummer to pay for tuition at Musician's Institute in L.A.

But after 4 years in Korea with the band, (where his company of musicians consistently beat the soldiers in war games) they recognized his gift as a commander of men and sent him to be special forces in Afghanistan. Sometime in that period, he decided that he wanted to be a film-maker instead, and spent his tuition money at Academy of the Arts University in San Francisco. He would have succeeded in any field because he's such a faithful kid.

As a lifer musician, I admit to being a little disappointed because he could have easily been one of the best drummers alive. But he quickly showed me that it was a very smart move, and has had steady work with great pay ever since. On February 21, you will be able to see his work as a lead cameraman in the production of Elton John "live from LA" a few weeks ago. He shot the NHL All-Star game last week, Super Bowl this weekend, etc...

Music was devalued when everyone could make it in the bedroom on a computer. The glut of bad "art" has caused the average fan to just turn away. Tech and film are the new rock stars.

So you should go where your heart leads you...but why not combine your love of film with music? You don't have to leave one behind to also do the other.

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Got it, thanks!

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