Music business major?

ExurKun · #1 10-08-2010, 08:09 PM

Hey everyone!
I am a senior in high school and am doing the good ol college search
Letme say first that i absolutely love music, but in all honesty i know my ear and creativity are not good enough to make it in the current hectic music industry as a bassist. I also figured if I'm smart (I had a 36 on the act), I might as well not let that go to waste and earn a decent living haha
So in my search for a good balance, I found NYU and the major they call 'music business' at the Steinhardt college. This sounds like a great fit to me because of the intelligence requirement, music integration, and location in a big city.
Just about everyone I've suggested this idea to has called me crazy and told me the music business is dead, I'd never get a job, etc etc
So I come to you talkbass to hear youre feedback! Now I'm not looking for the same old "piracy means musics dead, give up now". Has anyone had themselves or friends look at this kind of program? (a few other schools offer it) How viable do you guys think this is and what kind of job might i be able to land with it and what kind of pay? I was thinking something with tours or artist relations/manegment, but I'm itching to hear as much feedback as possible!
Cheers!

Tl DR: How good of an idea is it to major in 'music business'?

Stick_Player · #2 10-08-2010, 08:22 PM

The 'Music Business" is over-populated with shysters.

The ONLY avenues that may require an academic background might be contracts, or accounting of royalties. Go to a law or accounting school and intern at a music label or music publishing company, while you are studying - they'll pay you with free tickets, t-shirts and CDs - and see if you like it.

Quote:

Let me say first that i absolutely love music, but in all honesty i know my ear and creativity are not good enough to make it in the current hectic music industry as a bassist

The rest is made up of wannabes, posers, fakers and losers that are enamored with musicians and 'the scene'.

Be wary of these silly schools that offer entertainment degrees.

fdeck · #3 10-08-2010, 08:32 PM

Here's my advice. Enroll as a traditional business major, and take the music business courses as electives. This gives you a solid and widely recognized degree at the end of 4 years, that is versatile enough to expand your job opportunities beyond the music biz. Some schools require a minimum freshman GPA for admission into the business program, but your 36 ACT suggests that you could pull that off.

leegreenman · #4 10-08-2010, 08:38 PM

There's still a music business?

Stick_Player · #5 10-08-2010, 09:01 PM

Quote:

There's still a music business?

Yeah, it's now called da bidness.

ExurKun · #6 10-09-2010, 12:14 PM

Do you guys know anyone directly who has tried this route?
I mean on the one hand as everyone alwayss says, the music business ain't quite thriving
but with a class size of only 150 for the major im thinking between tour managment, recording studios, labels, etc there might be jobs? again has anyone had direct experience with this major and how has it worked out?
I have considered doing the straight business route with classes in music, the way nyus set up puts those in different colleges which i imagine would be difficult

fdeck · #7 10-09-2010, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ExurKun

Do you guys know anyone directly who has tried this route?
I mean on the one hand as everyone alwayss says, the music business ain't quite thriving
but with a class size of only 150 for the major im thinking between tour managment, recording studios, labels, etc there might be jobs? again has anyone had direct experience with this major and how has it worked out?
I have considered doing the straight business route with classes in music, the way nyus set up puts those in different colleges which i imagine would be difficult

In that case, I think that you might as well consider the straight business route at any college with a competitive program. I'm concerned that the entertainment degree will have second-class status, even in the entertainment industry.

The music industry is headed in the wrong direction to be career worthy. Major arena tours are now dominated by a single company that also controls the venues and ticket sales. Recording studios face a stiff challenge from DIY'ers. And labels? The only thriving "label" is Apple Computer.

I don't want to stomp on your ambitions, but I am concerned that for every kid who thinks they can make it as a musician, there are 10 kids who think that they can't make it as musicians, but can make it by placing some kind of side bet on the music business. There's only so much blood that can be squeezed from that turnip.