GRADUATE PROGRAMS (MASTERS DEGREES) FOR ELECTRIC BASS PLAYERS

[ManuelR]

Hey there TalkBASS community!
Iam about to finish my Bachelor's degree this year and was open to the possibility to continue my studies abroad (the place does not matter). Does anyone know an institution that offers a JAZZ CONCENTRATED MASTERS PROGRAM for electric bass players? It does not matter how they are called (since most of them have similar names). What does matter is if the institution demands you to know UB to take the totality/partiality of their subjects. THEY CAN BE NON-JAZZ CONCENTRATED PROGRAMS ALSO!!!

I just checked MSM (Manhattan School Of Music) and they let you audition with electric bass, but there whole program is heavily oriented to UB. So that one over there, logically, does not count. The Collective is another amazing choice for electric bass players to have somewhere to study but they do not offer neither Bachelor or Masters degrees (so that ones out of the box also). Ive just said a pair of the ones that first caught my eye in the NY area but i know there are people all over the world watching this so please inform us about stuff going around in your own country/state/region!

For example, I studied in the PONTIFICIA UNIVERSIDAD CATOLICA DEL PERU. They do have electric bass Bachelor programs and elective courses for electric players who are interested in expanding there perspective of music by learning some UB (which is specifically oriented to electric bass players)(it is not obligatory). If you ever want to go into details about that particular institution please PM but I won't make this paragraph any longer! It was only to give you an example of stuff going around MY area.

Please do not debate wether electric bass should learn electric bass or not. Or how is jazz supposed to be something played by UB only. This thread is not about that! I have my own opinions about that so PM or make another thread and knock yourselves out!

Thanks in advance for any answers!

 

[Lee Moses]

Invalid Link Removed

 

[ManuelR]

Hey Lee. I think i never got to thank you for your answer. Thank you very much!

 

[Spin Doctor]

Hey Lee. I think i never got to thank you for your answer. Thank you very much!

So what did you end up doing?

 

[ManuelR]

So what did you end up doing?

Well I actually graduated 1 1/2 years ago from my college and right now I am working for Carnival Cruise Lines. Saving up some money, still seeing some options though.

For me right now it only comes to which of the following will I prioritize: (1) The institutions graduate program (courses/teachers/etc.) and (2) the music scene surrounding that institution. There are some not so well known colleges in the NY city area that offer electric bass programs at really affordable prices but dont have the same 'weight' on paper than Berklee (f.e.).

 

[Spin Doctor]

Well I actually graduated 1 1/2 years ago from my college and right now I am working for Carnival Cruise Lines. Saving up some money, still seeing some options though.

For me right now it only comes to which of the following will I prioritize: (1) The institutions graduate program (courses/teachers/etc.) and (2) the music scene surrounding that institution. There are some not so well known colleges in the NY city area that offer electric bass programs at really affordable prices but dont have the same 'weight' on paper than Berklee (f.e.).

Interesting...

What's your ultimate goal, as far as school goes? I recall Scott from Scott Bass Lessons talking about the need to go to music school and the takeaway from that was, if you can play (I mean REALLY play) and you have drive, you can make it fine without it. Granted most people are not going to have the kind of success he had... Plus there's the idea that the best musicians never graduate from Berklee. They just get hired out of it.

You have a Bachelors degree now, right? What will a Masters get you?

 

[ManuelR]

Interesting...

What's your ultimate goal, as far as school goes? I recall Scott from Scott Bass Lessons talking about the need to go to music school and the takeaway from that was, if you can play (I mean REALLY play) and you have drive, you can make it fine without it. Granted most people are not going to have the kind of success he had... Plus there's the idea that the best musicians never graduate from Berklee. They just get hired out of it.

You have a Bachelors degree now, right? What will a Masters get you?

I think my ultimate goal as far as school goes, right now, is to get a MD in some type of contemporary performance/recording program. Also, I do have a Bachelors completed, yes! The reason I am pushing for the MD is mostly because of my specific background, where I am from, and where/how i plan on living my life: The music industry is not that much big in Peru and the most secure incomes come from teaching jobs. Since I dont particularly like working with kids (unless its a one on one lesson) and colleges here only hire you if you have a MD then i have no choice but to have one to have some sort of stable income. This is also because i do not want to work on a cruise and also because i do not want to build my life on another country where there are more diverse opportunities. Those first reasons are like the 'negative' ones that lead me towards pursuing an MD. On the other hand, studying abroad, meeting new people, play other type of music, learn from new experiences, and lots more are some of the reasons I think anyone would want to do an MD.

I dont know if i can REALLY play hahahaha... But you have to roll with what you got! Hope this helps!

 

[SoCal80s]

So you want a doctorate so you can teach at the universities, right? My experience has been that most schools don't require a doctorate to teach performance on a specific instrument, so I would check on that first. The doctorates are required more for those who teach theory, history, instrumentation, pedagogy, etc. If that's the route you want to take, then you might be well off with a Master's from a school with a good academic reputation, rather than a performance-oriented program that focuses more on performance or recording sessions. It all depends on your specific goal.

 

[ManuelR]

So you want a doctorate so you can teach at the universities, right? My experience has been that most schools don't require a doctorate to teach performance on a specific instrument, so I would check on that first. The doctorates are required more for those who teach theory, history, instrumentation, pedagogy, etc. If that's the route you want to take, then you might be well off with a Master's from a school with a good academic reputation, rather than a performance-oriented program that focuses more on performance or recording sessions. It all depends on your specific goal.

I completely agree with what you just said. I dont see where i mentioned the doctorate degree in my response though.