Career Advice, I guess ?

[MarkN]

Basically at the moment ive been out of education for just over a year, ive been working basically a pretty crappy job just to keep money coming in etc, however im considering going to university, the only thin im interested in doing is a music techology or similar course ? My question is ....... is it worth studying at a university for something like this ? is anyone doing one or has done one ?
Really i want to be a prodcuer, is it worth doing something like this to gain extra knowledge or would money be better spent on some more equipment and just spend time keeping working at wot im doing ! My hear says to keep working at wot im doing, my head says to go to uni and get a solid degree that i can fall back on/ build on with my music ?

 

[classic]

here is my 2 cents

You dont need to go to school to be a producer period, u dont see dre's or kanyes with degree;s in hip hop production. Being a producer takes skill talent and time, so going to school for it would be a waste.

I think u should go to school in somthing else you enjoy as a backup plan. For example, im currently finishing up my masters degree in comptuer science, Now i dont love it as much as music but its something that i can tolerate and it keeps the lights on.

Basically i think that alot cats today come out thinking that they are going to somehow instantly get discoverd overnight without having a backup plan. Thats why u see guys who are 35 still trying to make it in the music game ,living out there parents basement,with no heath insurance. They are unrealistic.

By no means am i telling u to give up on your music but you have bee realistic and have a plan. This is where you education comes in. yOU DEFINALTY NEED TO GO TO SCHOOL. Major in something that you enjoy and has realivity solid job security. You can use your day job to finance your production .

If u do this no matter what happens with music u will have something to fall back on, also u can , use your degree/speciliztion to help you with your music. Becasue of my knowledge in CS ,learning production concepts(MIDI sequncing etc) has been pretty easy.
Also u can use your degree/job to make connections
(For example when i graduate next year im going to apply for a job at Isanland def jam as a network adminstrator)

good luck

 

[MarkN]

yea appreciate that class, but if i do go to university it will be doing music technology or the like, nothing else really intrests me and i never could stand all the shit you did at school ! But its just a choice really of whether i divide my time between my producing stuff and studying for a music tech degree or i don't go to uni !
I agree its wise to go to have a back up plan, BUT if its not really working towards wot i wanna do then should i do it ? Like you said you don't see people like dre etc coming from college backgrounds, so it definately not something id need to be a producer BUT then you can say dre, kanye whoever were the lucky ones and theres hundreds of ppl who failed where they succeeded ! so you'd have to leave it down to my own hard work and dedication and some luck to make myself good enough !

 

[classic]

yea appreciate that class, but if i do go to university it will be doing music technology or the like, nothing else really intrests me and i never could stand all the shit you did at school ! But its just a choice really of whether i divide my time between my producing stuff and studying for a music tech degree or i don't go to uni !
I agree its wise to go to have a back up plan, BUT if its not really working towards wot i wanna do then should i do it ? Like you said you don't see people like dre etc coming from college backgrounds, so it definately not something id need to be a producer BUT then you can say dre, kanye whoever were the lucky ones and theres hundreds of ppl who failed where they succeeded ! so you'd have to leave it down to my own hard work and dedication and some luck to make myself good enough !

True i feel some of your points

Dont get me wrong i would love to sit and make music all day but thats not gonna happen. Even when ur in the industry that dosent happen. Ask any producer who is makein moves and they will tell u that 75% of there day is spent polticing and handling business. So your gonna have to be ablt to balance music regardless. id u get a music tech degree or not.



of course its gonna take hard work and preservnce to make it in the buniess, but if you happen to be the hundreds that DONT make it. You still want to have something to fall back on. Thats were most cats fail.

If you major in music technology thats cool, but why not something like busniess. That can be appyied directly to your career in music and u can use it as a back up.

When it comes down to it its your decision so i dont want u to think im trying to tell u what to do. Im just playin devils advocate

WHATEVER U DO TAKE YOUR ASS TO UNIVERISTY u will thank yourself later

class....

 

[MarkN]

yea i agree its my decision an wotever but sometimes its nice to ge an different perspective ! thanks for your help !
basically i want to be doing somehting whithin music and also im not very good at sticking to education and keeping at it or woteva with sumthing like music id have an intrest and would be more likely to go through with the course, plus it will be helping me out with my music a bit at the same time !
It seems like students don't do anything half the time anyway so i can spend a lot of time on beats anyway at least for the first year ! and being that i work fulltime now im certainly not gonna have any les time to do my ish !

 

[Producer_GyaL]

you have a good point Classic. It is also a game of luck and contact. Be everywhere you can, so you can have some kind of exposure: Clubs, local hiphop show, website, and someone will notice you. As Class said, better for you to have something else for back up. You guys are happy because you all are living in a country where the hiphop is on demand. Good luck!

 

[benny beatz]

definitely go to school while you still have the opportunity to. graduate from school. the time you spend in school is so little relative to the rest of your life. you got nothin to lose cept for money in the short term, but you will make alot more money with a college degree than without one, if you are working a conventional job.

im at a university right now. often times, i feel like dropping out and makin music all day. i usually get that feeling after i make what i think is like the dopest beat of all time.

you gotta discipline yourself. self-discipline is the most important thing you can do, if you want to reach your dreams.

if you're disciplined, you can achieve just about anything, with or without a college degree...

but go to college... or become truly disciplined... or do both...

 

[Shortaay]

I studied a Music & Audio Tech, up to diploma level, and had the opportunity to go on, but the only real benefit is when your put on a placement and have the opportunity to get your 'foot in the door' and show and prove, some of the guys in my class got into the industry that way, so it can help, but there are a LOT of music audio&tech students, and no where near as many industry places, so i'd say yea go for the Uni education in it, but don't think that this alone will help in you getting a production based job...

 

[Equality 7-2521]

im studiying at sae college. i agree with classic that you dont need formal education to be a producer but it is more help if you want to get into the area of being an audio engineer in a studio or working with live sound and there are other branches which you learn about too. alos, you meet people and make connections and that helps get your foot in the door.

 

[DJ Excellence]

im studiying at sae college. i agree with classic that you dont need formal education to be a producer but it is more help if you want to get into the area of being an audio engineer in a studio or working with live sound and there are other branches which you learn about too. alos, you meet people and make connections and that helps get your foot in the door.

What does SAE stand for? just curious...

 

[MarkN]

mess/equality/ wotever lol - yea i looked at SAE but i can't afford to go there ! : ( so i will just be going to a normal uni i agree with wot u said even if it gets you like an engineers job you can network from there !

 

[MarkN]

SAE - school of audio engineering ?

 

[Ash Holmz]

i know engineers who SUCK ASS at producing and making beats .. two difrent thingz.. cant teach someone rythm and creatvity

 

[djswivel]

i would have to disagree with Classic on one of his points. He is right when he said you dont NEED to go to school to be a producer. But hes wrong when he said it would be a waste. I currently attend Full Sail in Orlando, FL. Now I was producing music way before I started at this school, so creatively I know what I'm doing. But this school teaches you to be an engineer and getting a degree from here opens up 1000 times the opportunities that just sittin at home workin on beats does. The school teaches you the equipment you would use in a studio that you wouldnt necessarily have the opportunity of messin with outside of school, eg, different consoles like the SSL etc. Teaches you how to PROPERLY use different pieces of equipment, how to properly mix, EQ, compress etc etc. A lot of ppl just push buttons and think they know what they're doing. But school will teach you what theat button does to the music/mix etc.

I'm not sayin that you HAVE to go to school to get a job or anything, cuz that's far from the truth, but it doesn't hurt if you do. Look into it, do your research on schools etc, but more than anything, just do what you love to do. If its music, do it, if its computers do it. Don't worry about where your gonna be in 5 years, worry about how you're gonna get there.

if you want to look into Full Sail, just check it out www.fullsail.com

 

[MarkN]

yea i looked at full sail its crazy money to go there though and i ain't got that sorta cash, so if i do go its gonna have to be just to a normal university shame really as places like SAE and Fullsail look dope !