University

[mmjdw]

Hm, so any suggestions for anything else I could do? I'm 17... doing Music Tech at a level already.

[nowaysj]

Did we stomp on your dreams? The more you understand the reality of the current economic environment, the better suited you'll be to address it's challenges.

Try to find a way to do something that can't be done in India or China for a 10th the cost, or can't be done by robots or software. Harder than it sounds, I know.

[Sharmaji]

on the other hand:

i make my living playing music I like OK enough, as a "day job," and build my long-term career around that which matters to ME-- if I'm gonna invest time into turning someone's dreams into reality well then... it'd better be my own.

so with that said:

yes, it's hard. I teach private lessons. Both Starkey & Kode 9 teach varying aspects of music at the University level. No one ever said that, as a musician, you'd get to spend all your time on your own stuff, staring into your own navel waiting for inspiration to strike and then BOOM! $10,000 check for being awesome. You gotta compromise just like in anything else. As you get older, even if you can make this work, the glamour can fade quickly. The first time someone flies you out for a gig, it's great! But when you've got a wife & friends (or even kids) you never see and you're once again in a cab going to the airport on a Friday morning at 4am-- compromise. Provided you've got a clear idea of what it is that you want to accomplish, it's the only way to make things actually progress.

and what does it take to make your compromising worthwhile? working with good, talented, easy to work with people.

so my advice, if you really and truly want to work in music, not just dubstep, not just EDM, not just "the underground:" learn how to communicate as effectively as possible with your peers. That means being able to talk to musicians in the musical language of sharps, flats, scales, keys, harmony, tunings and rhythm; being able to communicate with other producers/engineers in their own technobabble, and being able to tell the tnuc of a manager you now find yourself slamming up against a wall that you're either leaving with what you're owed, or your cutting his balls off with a butterfly knife (note: actually HAVE THE KNIFE WITH YOU).

Communication skills are key.

[setspeed]

go to uni, do a marketing degree. spend your student loan on a macbook, a copy of logic, a midi keyboard and some speakers.

then, when everyone else is going to the pub and getting leathered (this is the hardest bit) stay at home and write beats.

honestly, the hardest thing these days is getting your music heard over the 100000000 other producers out there. the marketing degree will help with that, and once you're a big name you'll be able to go to the pub all you want, while your uni mates have proper jobs.

It worked for Jakwob - he's still at uni now IIRC, and I think Ramadanman only finished this year, but neither were doing music related degrees.

[jaydot]

ucas.com and search music production? But seriously I'd do a degree which is more "worthwhile" while producing in between sleeping with woman and drinking yourself unconscious.

[legend4ry]

Its funny how negetive we all are but its the truth, even though you have a music degree, doesn't mean you're employable.

At least with a more academic degree you can work in an office for £8 a hour instead of HMV for £6.10

[samkablaam]

why would you work in hmv if you had a music degree?

[Basic A]

why would you work in hmv if you had a music degree?

HMV, guitar center,alot of other music specializing stores, hire those with musical background...

[legend4ry]

why would you work in hmv if you had a music degree?

2 mates of mine passed 2 years ago university with the best mark, I dunno what they called it, first or something?

Only job they've both managed to get is at HMV.

Yeah, that kinda put me off pursueing a degree in music engineering/production.

[silentk]

im going to do a music production course in at leeds metropolitan in september

the way i see it, i get to go live somewhere away from london for three years (something ive wanted to do for ages)
i'm gonna be around soo many other people that i can learn from/network with
i get the whole experience of going to uni, the social side i mean
I get to use a load of amazing gear i would never have got any near otherwise

and the government is paying for this!!

[nowaysj]

Take me with you, I could sleep under your bed!

[silentk]

Take me with you, I could sleep under your bed!

10 quid a week and ill set you some hay and a blanket in the corner? ill even let you in my production secrets....

[nowaysj]

Deal, I'm booking a flight.

[back2onett]

I've been doing a fair bit of research into this, I'm in the same position too looking for a music production/engineering type of course, not because I want to make a living off of producing or playing out live I just want to make a living off of music any and all types. Basically no matter what the economic climate may be or even the state of the music industry, a music degree is not pointless but its just not realistic to think you can rely on that alone anymore.

I'm looking at combined media courses now, stuff like music production combined with broadcasting, sound design, visual media all that kind of stuff which really sounds like a useful or at least more versatile degree imo.

This is just based on what I've found out from talking to people, unis etc. feel free to correct me anyone

[silentk]

Yeah i nearly chose a more broadcasting sound design type course at ravensbourne, but instead went for this course at leeds becuase it seems to cover loads of stuff, from sound design, live sound, live recording, synth design, foley sound, all sorts of stuff, so the hope would be i find something more specific to pursue

i would ideally love a job in live sound, helping rig stuff up for festivals, gigs, being that bloke behind the desk at the theatre. that kind of stuff just fascinates me, expecially at festivals, going to reading last year, i spent as much time staring at the audio gear as the bands, i would love to be involved in organising that lot!

[samkablaam]

why would you work in hmv if you had a music degree?

2 mates of mine passed 2 years ago university with the best mark, I dunno what they called it, first or something?

Only job they've both managed to get is at HMV.

Yeah, that kinda put me off pursueing a degree in music engineering/production.

seeeeeeen, i thought it meant a proper music degree. doing one of those will prob end you up being a musician. but having a degree in music production doesnt really land you a job working as a producer, as that stuffs all sort of freelance anyway. its just the knowledge you gain from the degree more than the job at the end.

[setspeed]

i would ideally love a job in live sound, helping rig stuff up for festivals, gigs, being that bloke behind the desk at the theatre. that kind of stuff just fascinates me, expecially at festivals, going to reading last year, i spent as much time staring at the audio gear as the bands, i would love to be involved in organising that lot!

this is a comparatively straightforward angle to go for; when you get to uni you'll find there are a million bands doing gigs at the union bar/local rock pub/club etc. Hassle them, ask them if you can record their live set or something, all that shit. You'll get experience on stuff like miking up a drum kit or whatever which will make (some of) your uni assignments a lot easier, and by the time you've done a few you should have some decent experience on how live desks work and stuff. Which is massively essential if you want to be doing live work, and not really something you can learn from working 'in the box' with VSTs all the time!

good luck

[nowaysj]

This is just based on what I've found out from talking to people, unis etc. feel free to correct me anyone

I wouldn't take the word of anyone who has an economic interest in you attending a program. I would, however, talk to people that have been through the programs you are interested in. Likely a more accurate depiction of the value of the program and the potential economic upside after graduation.

[jackquinox]

im going to do a music production course in at leeds metropolitan in september

the way i see it, i get to go live somewhere away from london for three years (something ive wanted to do for ages)
i'm gonna be around soo many other people that i can learn from/network with
i get the whole experience of going to uni, the social side i mean
I get to use a load of amazing gear i would never have got any near otherwise

and the government is paying for this!!

I take it your doing the Creative Music and Sound Technology course, they may have changed title but there where only two music production courses when I went to Leeds Met but CMST did live sound, synth design, ADR and Foley, music for video games, sound design, acoustics and introduction to music law and copyright. There where alot of people on the CMST and Music Prod courses some nice some pretty much how a previous poster described them. As much as I complain about the fact that I persoanlly feel I wasted my time on the course it did give me a few things, first off it introduced me to Acoustics which I actually really like but thats probably becuase im not a very good musician and I like engineering and also Leeds has to be without a doubt the best place to go as a student, I have studied in Manchester, Brighton and Derby and Leeds was hands down the most fun its cheap, theres loads of students, the people are nice, theres loads of little clubs getting good DJ's and Bands and loads of bars to go to even if the course is shit you will still have 3 years of great cracks and outlandish house partys to go to in Hyde Park.

[silentk]

@setspeed cheers for the advice man. Im sure it is a completley different kettle of fish dealing with live sound,but its something i reckon i could be quite good at (i hope!)

@Jackquinox

as far as i told told up there, they do a music performance and a music production degree,both are pretty similar but i chose the production, there both the inovation north facility. But yeah i wasn't really sure if i wanted to even goto uni but then i went to visit and loved it, the studios there are sooo ice, and the flagship one is just nuts man,such nice gear! Neve racks as far as the eye can see!

@nowaysj
set a PM when you get ur flight info and ill meet ya from the airport homie!