Should I go to college?

fsf347 · #1 03-29-2011, 06:14 PM

Alright, so I'm seventeen years old and am a junior and highschool and I'm faced with a delema; should I go to college directly after high school? And my reasoning for asking is this:

More than anything, I want to move into NYC and form a band, and gig a ton, and take a real shot at "making it". I would think that school would get in the way of that. Plus I can go to college once I realize that scraping enough money to hardly get by isn't gunna cut it if it doesn't work out.

What do you guys think?

echoSE7EN · #2 03-29-2011, 06:18 PM

"delema" --- college may not be for you.

Just playing.

i_got_a_mohawk · #3 03-29-2011, 06:22 PM

Is there anything, other than "making it big" that you would be interested in doing?

If so, and it requires a college or university education, then get your education.

University didn't get in the way of my gigging (other than exam times, but the other guys in my band were students, so it was all good! Plus students have long holidays, great times for touring).

Grad school, now that, killed my gigging time!

fsf347 · #4 03-29-2011, 06:22 PM

Hahah, may as well correct junior in highschool***, too!

fdeck · #5 03-29-2011, 06:25 PM

Neither "go to college" nor "form a band" is specific enough to know whether either choice is a good one. More needs to be known about your talents, level of self motivation, maturity, and so forth.

KillerNeuron · #6 03-29-2011, 06:26 PM

Go to college.

I was in a gigging band in college and it worked fine. You just have to apply your time management skills. I was also annual major which meant more resources for us.

There are lots more money opportunities for the gigging student too. Most university "battle if the bands" are for students only (atleast one member atleast) and can pay pretty well. ($2,500 for one song? Yes please!). School is also one of the best networking solutions out there.

Not to mention, the sooner you get a degree, the sooner you have job stability. Music business can be finicky and hard to predict at times, especially when you aren't the only person in your band...

echoSE7EN · #7 03-29-2011, 06:27 PM

Move to Austin, TX. They love musicians. Good food. Good people. Much cheaper than NYC.

KillerNeuron · #8 03-29-2011, 06:27 PM

Edit: annual major equals "a music major"

Damn fast typing iPhone skills. (or lack thereof mixed with autocorrect)

wshines1892 · #9 03-29-2011, 06:27 PM

I'd suggest thinking long and hard about it before making a decision. If your parents are offering to pay for college, go to college. Yeah, school will always be there, but so will music. You could go to college later on, but the college experience isn't near the same as doing it while you're young.

Also, think about if you're really innovative/talented enough to make it. I'm not insulting you by any means, but how much of an impact have you had on your local scene? Add to that the fact that to "make it" as a musician, it requires having pretty good business sense. No one can just write music anymore, you are a product as a professional musician. If you aren't good at marketing that product, no one will buy it. If no one buys it, you make no money.

I think the fact that you're asking this question means that you should seriously consider college.

waynobass · #10 03-29-2011, 06:28 PM

Are you really good? If so, play music full-time for awhile. You can always go to college later.

Are you mediocre? If so, then go to college and play music on the side.

lavmonga · #11 03-29-2011, 06:28 PM

+1 for go to college and start a band there. I live in NY and let me tell you, there are thousands of bands, and hundreds of "good bands" who will never make it because the industry just kind of sucks.

SactoBass · #12 03-29-2011, 06:32 PM

Definitely go to college, and don't let anyone talk you out of doing that. Stay focused and just do it. The time spent in college will go by in the blink of an eye. And in the big picture of your life, it is only a very brief snippet, time-wise. Just get it done. Then you can be a rock star.

MysticMichael · #13 03-29-2011, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fsf347

More than anything, I want to move into NYC and form a band, and gig a ton, and take a real shot at "making it". I would think that school would get in the way of that.

It could also help you better prepare for that - particularly if you major in music. Did you ever consider that?

Quote:

Originally Posted by fsf347

Plus I can go to college once I realize that scraping enough money to hardly get by isn't gunna cut it if it doesn't work out.

Easy for you to say that now. Try waiting 'til you're 28, or 29, or 30 years of age or older, sitting in a classroom with a bunch of 18 year-old freshmen, and see how much fun that'll be. Especially if you have a wife and/or children by that point. Ain't gonna happen...

Quote:

Originally Posted by fsf347

What do you guys think?

I think you're exhibiting the typical impatience and lack of perspective of a 17 year-old kid. A four-year commitment probably feels like an eternity to you now. So you see that stretch of time as an impediment to your goals - rather than as providing a strong foundation for your future career - and the remainder of your life - that it truly is.

Besides, you'll learn lots of cool things - like spelling. And punctuation. And proper sentence construction.

Who's to say you couldn't go to a college or university in or near New York City, major in music, and have the best of both worlds?

MM

RhinoBass · #14 03-29-2011, 06:51 PM

If you think education is expensive, try ignorance. ~Attributed to both Andy McIntyre and Derek Bok

KillerNeuron · #15 03-29-2011, 06:56 PM

You might scoff at this, but the military is another option. There are LOTS of smaller unit bands that use bassists, and there is Alot of opportunity to travel while you play (and yes, you can take your bass to war!). You always get a paycheck, so that solves the money issue, and you can literally make it a career sans degree.

You would also be surprised to find all of the talented musicians in the military. I have found many in my time in the Army, and I'm in an aviation unit, not a band unit! There are all KINDS of gig opportunities to include national "talent" tours and the like... Not just unit performances.

Just an extra option.

Stick_Player · #16 03-29-2011, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Are you mediocre?

panama · #17 03-29-2011, 07:01 PM

Moving to NYC to form a band isn't smart. Try a cheaper place like Austin, Detroit, Seattle, Portland, Philly..

lomo · #18 03-29-2011, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SactoBass

Definitely go to college, and don't let anyone talk you out of doing that. Stay focused and just do it. The time spent in college will go by in the blink of an eye. And in the big picture of your life, it is only a very brief snippet, time-wise. Just get it done. Then you can be a rock star.

This. If you don't "make it big", which is the most likely scenario (by faaaaaaaar) you will likely have put yourself at a major disadvantage in life, not only economically, but in other ways as well. Why not do a minor in music and gig in college? I have never heard anyone say he regretted going to college, but the reverse I have heard too many times to count.

dalkowski · #19 03-29-2011, 07:05 PM

+1 to Mystic. College is a win on so many levels. Get your education now, before adulthood gets in the way and you're effed.

Holmes · #20 03-29-2011, 07:06 PM

Go to school. Get involved with the music program. Find the musos and make friends. Get a part time job at music shop. Play in bands. Lots and lots of bands. Learn to be busy and love it. Make 30 hours out of 24. You're young. You don't need to sleep that much.