Doing the band thing while at University?

Noseferatu · #1 10-11-2010, 06:56 PM

I will be going to Youngstown State University next year, and I want to keep with the band thing and I want to record and play with a band regularly. How hard do you university guys find it to juggle all this??

basstotheface · #2 10-11-2010, 06:57 PM

You can play bass in college band?

Noseferatu · #3 10-11-2010, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by basstotheface

You can play bass in college band?

No, a rock band, silly!

mpdd · #4 10-11-2010, 07:07 PM

should be easy there used to be a lot of bands in youngstown, kent, akron, and clevo

go to some shows, talk to people, and have fun

basstotheface · #5 10-11-2010, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Noseferatu

No, a rock band, silly!

My reading comprehension is off right now.

Johnny Crab · #6 10-11-2010, 07:29 PM

"You need to get in with the right kind of fellows" ---BTO

I did 3 of 4 years in college(Electrical Engineering) but they all had day jobs & families so 99% of the gigs were weekends. If everyone is on that same page(love music but require study time or getting-a-paycheck-during-the-day time) it works ok. Some girls get really angry when you tell them you can't see them because you have an exam or lab report the next day...stay focused. My senior year my brother(guitarist) left to go to GIT and I stayed with the new band for another month or few.

It can be done but you need the right folks and time management skills have to be working or you'll screw one or both up.

Good luck....it does break the stress.

hover · #7 10-11-2010, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Noseferatu

No, rock band, silly!

Dude, I hate that game, the bass controller is whack, but I'm sure there are plenty of stoodentz there that play that.

jp58 · #8 10-11-2010, 08:43 PM

I will let you know after "practice" this week.

So far they have been rewarding, but sometimes the late nights kill me.

Sonic_Death · #9 10-11-2010, 08:56 PM

Unless you have a killer major, it should be no problem. Things may get busy at times, especially during finals, but you should have plenty of time for playing with a band.

Unfortunately since I have started my first year of law school, I am finding that it is significantly more demanding than undergrad was for me, so I am not able to play with my bands nearly as often now.

Noseferatu · #10 10-11-2010, 09:03 PM

Well, Pre-Pharmacy pretty much ****s me over.

XigXag · #11 10-11-2010, 09:12 PM

Wouldn't college be one of the BEST places to play in a rock band?
I mean you need to make sure it doesn't interfere w school work, but other than that, its tailor made for rock bands. Tons of kids interested in local rock, tons of parties or bars to play, tons of musicians many of them multi-instrument w time to burn.
I'm having trouble finding the problem here.

jp58 · #12 10-11-2010, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Noseferatu

Well, Pre-Pharmacy pretty much ****s me over.

Pre-pharmacy =/= a major

chemistry = major

You can't get a degree in Pre-pharm...

Yeah your major will be a pain. I'm Bio for pre-med/med-tech/PA and it is extremely time consuming. The band has hit the backburner once in a while, and we've put of playing for a few months at a time, but so far 2 pre-meds and a pre-law have pulled it off. YMMV.

blendermassacre · #13 10-11-2010, 09:20 PM

being married, a full time student, part time worker and bass player in a band is a lot to juggle but somehow it works. I have to use 5hr energy to grease the wheels sometimes, and drink a little less during the week night gigs, but hey, I'm having a blast and wouldn't have it any other way. (I'm a Mech. Engineering student btw)

fdeck · #14 10-11-2010, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jp58

Pre-pharmacy =/= a major

chemistry = major

You can't get a degree in Pre-pharm...

Yeah your major will be a pain. I'm Bio for pre-med/med-tech/PA and it is extremely time consuming. The band has hit the backburner once in a while, and we've put of playing for a few months at a time, but so far 2 pre-meds and a pre-law have pulled it off. YMMV.

Ask and ye shall receive...

http://www.pharmacy.purdue.edu/academics/prepharm/

These programs are relatively new. When I was a student, you majored in a traditional discipline like chemistry, then went to pharm school, law school, med school, etc. Yet, at my college, if you identified yourself as a "pre med," then you had a special advisor who kept you focused on taking the right courses and getting into med school.

Germane to the OP, depending on your skillz, there's nothing like joining a school band. When I went to college, I hung up my rock & roll ambitions, joined the college jazz band, and took classical lessons on upright bass for credit. Granted, it wasn't rock & roll, but the school programs are designed to work for students. The rehearsals are on campus, they provide a backline and instrument lockers, and so forth.

Needless to say, it completely changed my musical direction, but more than 2 decades after graduation, I'm still actively playing and having a blast.

jp58 · #15 10-11-2010, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fdeck

Ask and ye shall receive...

http://www.pharmacy.purdue.edu/academics/prepharm/

These programs are relatively new. When I was a student, you majored in a traditional discipline like chemistry, then went to pharm school, law school, med school, etc. Yet, at my college, if you identified yourself as a "pre med," then you had a special advisor who kept you focused on taking the right courses and getting into med school.

I've never heard of a degree in "pre-med." We have a specialized path and advisors, but I get the same bio degree everyone else does as far as I know.

fdeck · #16 10-12-2010, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jp58

I've never heard of a degree in "pre-med." We have a specialized path and advisors, but I get the same bio degree everyone else does as far as I know.

http://preprofessional.nd.edu/majors/

But I must say that I think majoring in a mainstream field is a better choice. A friend of mine double-majored in business and music, then he went to medical school. He had enough of the core courses, plus he was a really bright and motivated student.

iamlowsound · #17 10-12-2010, 07:42 PM

I don't have the time with course work and finding time to spend with my girlfriend. Although I get all my work done during the week so I have weekends free, but I choose to spend that with my girlfriend, rather than playing in a band.

lowsound

IconBasser · #18 10-12-2010, 08:54 PM

I haven't been able to manage it. Not enough time/conflicting schedules. I just record me own stuff now :/

jrthebassguy · #19 10-12-2010, 10:11 PM

My first few years of college, I stuck with the band I was playing with. However, once my studies started getting progressively more difficult and time consuming, I had to quit - I failed almost an entire semester worth of classes because I would spend my free time practicing rather than studying. Best decision I ever made - my grades improved dramatically. My senior year I rejoined because I felt I had a better grip on my studies, and graduated just a few class rank numbers below Cum Laude.

Moral of the story - if you have time, sure. If you don't - don't.

bigblondeafro87 · #20 10-12-2010, 11:27 PM

Yeah Im a junior mechanical engineering major and its constant crunch time. I still jam once or twice a week with friends and practice 4 or 5 days but no time for gigs or practice every day. Im in the school pep band, which pays, and we play really fun music. No rehearsals just gigs about every other weekend. I was minoring in music the last four semesters but if I want to keep a GPA of about 3, I have to spend more time on school.

So if your grades start slumping, work harder even if it cuts into your music time. It will pay off in the end. If you have a simpler major you should have plenty of free time.