College, Music Major?

[MercTec]

I was a Music Technology major. In addition to the requisite ear training, theory, music history, etc...i had to take electronics, recording technology, audio for video, acoustics, off the top of my head.
They we also needed to be in performace ensembles each year and 1 on 1 training in our main instrument as well.
Its a pretty heavy load. The way the squeeze in all the classes is by making them 1 or 2, and even sometimes 0 credits....yet still required. There were semesters that I had 9 classes. Fun stuff.

[KDawgCometh]

which school did you study at? I studied at Rutgers' Mason Gross under Ralph Bowen(tenor sax was my instrument)

[turnipmonster]

it really depends. if you want to be an actual working musician that can perform in lots of different situations (i.e. club dates, musicals, sideman gigs) then there's really no contest, the way to do that is go to school for it. for jazz and classical music there really aren't too many famous people these days that didn't go to music school.

that said, a lot of them didn't need to go to music school at all. brad mehldau, who's definitely the greatest jazz pianist of his generation, went to school where I went and apparently totally didn't need to be there as he was already incredible at 19.

for singer songwriter and rock type stuff I think it's the opposite, most good bands don't meet in music school, they just write songs and play a lot. being able to make a living as a singer songwriter is a combination of winning the lottery and being the hardest working person ever though, it's not like you can bank on a career. most people who are in rock bands and are trying to "make it" also work random day jobs for years and years and years before they get signed.

for people who know that music is what they want to do with their lives and they won't ever do anything else, music school is almost definitely the way to go.

[turnipmonster]

cool man! I went to the new school (guitar). rutgers has a great program with a lot of history, ted dunbar was a legend. I studied with vic juris for a minute, he teaches at rutgers too I think.

[theBruiser500]

thanks all. music class sounds kind of interesting, i don't think umass amherst allows people to take thos4e classes casually though. it appears i need some sort of music major or minor to get into everyone one of them. maybe i'll just sit in on something and see what it's like.

[KDawgCometh]

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cool man! I went to the new school (guitar). rutgers has a great program with a lot of history, ted dunbar was a legend. I studied with vic juris for a minute, he teaches at rutgers too I think.

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yeah, vic started teaching my freshman year because of Ted sudden death in may before my first semester. I also studied with Bill Fielder and Kenny Barron a bit too [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]. The New School is a great school. I thought about going there, but I didn't want a full conservatory type place when I was choosing schools, but the connections you probably got at the new school were sick

[nothumb]

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So who makes better musicians in the end; previous students or those who just pick up a guitar and start playing?

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One of my majors in college was Music Theory & Composition, so I'm not a particularly well-trained player so much as a decent composer. However I have to say that I'm very glad I explored the instruments I play (bass and guitar) on my own prior to learning music theory. My feel for the instrument and the way I think of it is very natural to me, and the other knowledge and skills I have were laid over that foundation. I feel like having your most basic familiarity with the instrument shaped by someone else leaves you at their mercy in terms of how you relate to it.

Just my $.02, I'm pretty rusty anyway.

NT

[smokingrobot]

it might help to take a beginner's theory and maybe some piano lessons, just to get a feel for reading music etc.