Bass/Music at college....fun, hard or both?

Digo · #1 07-09-2006, 12:57 PM

Im starting college in august doing a music course that focuses on theory, music, bass guitar, music maintenance and music business. will this course be fun and entertaining and something a "hopeful" upcoming musician would like or will it be a non-stop hard working kind of course that you get really sick of

or will it be fun and entertaining kind of education but with hard work to make it all happen?

vindy500 · #2 07-09-2006, 12:59 PM

i think to get the most out of any learning enviroment you should work hard at it.

Aaron Saunders · #3 07-09-2006, 01:00 PM

It will be very difficult, but very rewarding. I'm going into a music program next year at Humber College, and even though I'm fully expecting to have my ass musically kicked on a regular basis, it will STILL happen no matter how much I practice. Which is only just motivation to practice more!

You get out of music what you put into it. Put in the time, get the reward.

Digo · #4 07-09-2006, 01:01 PM

oh sorry, i should have mentioned, its not something like and advanced diploma or HND, its a NQ, this is similar to Higher

scorpionldr · #5 07-09-2006, 03:38 PM

I said "long hard and annoying". The fact of it all is, I came in as a sax major (baritone if that qualifies for anything near a bass) and it's a B!tch. You have to play PERFECTLY in a classically trained environment, and the classes are a waste. Maybe I'm a little more negative because I had to start my college career over, but other than the room, the alcohol, and the parties, I just feel like I'm becoming a tool for classical music so I can end up with a piece of paper. Real Estate I'm considering throwing my future at.

Digo · #6 07-10-2006, 12:53 PM

yeah but im doing bass not baritone

Dr. Cheese · #7 07-10-2006, 01:05 PM

Music of any kind is a very demanding major. It will let you know how much you love the bass for sure.

tplyons · #8 07-10-2006, 01:30 PM

For the record, I entered school as a double major in music and business. Now I'm a business/marketing major and am debating minoring in music.

Why? When I'm forced to do something, it adds a bit of stress. Bass playing is what relieves stress, and once I mix the two, bad things happen.

I still take lessons and take part in ensembles, but am not graded.

Digo · #9 07-10-2006, 04:27 PM

its not really a course about bass but more music in general with bass as main instrument

NQ Guitar Skills

scorpionldr · #10 07-10-2006, 08:20 PM

whatever the instrument, I can tell you if you are playing classical in this ensemble or whatnot, you will be required to be EXACT in notation and rhythm.

Digo · #11 07-11-2006, 08:14 AM

lucy for me, im not playing classical in an ensemble......part of the course is to group perform with a band that you form in class

Ernieballer · #12 07-11-2006, 08:26 AM

I've been in a similar dilema at college. I'm an economics/finance major at Texas Tech, but I just try and take as many music classes as I can. It doesn't really matter to me if they give me a minor in it, or not. A lot of my friends who went to music school or were planning on going to berkly or something like that ended up deciding that they needed to go in a different direction, or just didn't think they would gain from it for what it costs.

Tom Crofts · #13 07-11-2006, 10:09 AM

I didn't vote because I'm in two minds about this. Last year I did a higher diploma in bass at acm. I loved it, and because of the nature of the classes and the structure i felt i was improving massively throughout the whole year. This year is my first of a 2 year degree in music at acm and i'm not enjoying it anywhere near as much.

Last year we had at least 2 hours of practical bass lectures a day. Every week we'd have lectures/classes on pre-production, theory, sight reading, technical development, business, post production, live performance workshop etc.

The degree course, however, involves playing bass for 4 hours a week, with 2 hours extra curricular lesson. Plus 4 hours of another lecture; composition (interesting and useful), research methods (pretty lame) and other stuff. I'm in college for 2 days a week, and the lectures (intense sight reading for instance) start at 9am, not the time that I'm thinking most clearly, especially not after having gigs during the week and your body clock naturally adjusting to this lifestyle.

I feel this year my playing has seriously stagnated because rather than learn a bit of everything each week and being able to apply it to my playing I end up doing a whole term of sightreading. Exciting stuff. I practice outside of class, but it's not the same as learning stuff that a pro bassist deems important enough to tell you. It's a shame as apart from the actual course I love being here in guildford and playing in my bands!

McHack · #14 07-11-2006, 11:06 AM

The answer is relative to YOUR experience, & what YOU'RE willing to put into it. If the courses goals, match what you're interested in, that I suspect you'll love it.

Digo · #15 07-12-2006, 06:58 AM

u have a point, i really wanna do well with myself and will dediate 110% to acheive it

Bruce Lindfield · #16 07-12-2006, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Digo

Im starting college in august doing a music course that focuses on theory, music, bass guitar, music maintenance and music business. will this course be fun and entertaining and something a "hopeful" upcoming musician would like or will it be a non-stop hard working kind of course that you get really sick of

or will it be fun and entertaining kind of education but with hard work to make it all happen?

I didn't tick the poll as my view is that the only person who can answer your question, is YOU!!

Seriously - we don't know the details of the course - but you can research - ask people who are doing it now what its like - ask to talk to the course tutors etc. etc.

Secondly - as people have been saying - with any course like this : you get out of it - what you put in!!

If you're enthusiastic, network with people - students and tutors - get things going yourself - etc. - then it will undoubtedly be a great and rewarding experience!

Opt out, moan about stuff, don't bother practicing and/or talking to anybody or get things going ....and it will undoubtedly be pretty bad!

But hey - it's up to you!!

Digo · #17 07-12-2006, 07:28 AM

my main weakness in music is reading off of the sheet music while playing, i could sit and study the sheet music for a bit and try to work it out, but if music is put in front of me and im asked to play it, i cant just go lalalalalala and play it just by looking at it right away

Bruce Lindfield · #18 07-12-2006, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Digo

my main weakness in music is reading off of the sheet music while playing, i could sit and study the sheet music for a bit and try to work it out, but if music is put in front of me and im asked to play it, i cant just go lalalalalala and play it just by looking at it right away

It just comes with practice - find as much sheet music as you can and then try playing it - lots of books available and websites with free sheet music like www.lucaspickford.com

velvetkevorkian · #19 07-12-2006, 08:05 AM

An NQ won't be anything like as much work as a full diploma; as long as you apply yourself you should have no problems, and should be able to make some new friends with similar interests. Good luck!

addylewis · #20 07-13-2006, 05:26 AM

Its gonna be fun, but don't forget you're there to WORK and gain some kind of qualification out of it...what is is? Degree? BETEC...?

I've done both and they are both real good fun (the BETEC being more fun than the degree, but hell - they were both pretty good).