How to tell my parents?

[singlemalt]

OP,

Why don't you fork over your own cash for a Berklee online course? Get a taste of how they do things.

+1 on the Berklee press books, most of them are excellent, come with CD's and you could get through them with or without a teacher.

Is there a performing arts high school in your area that you might get into and finish your high schooling?

Then save your folks some bucks and go to U of F in Gainesville. They will have a music program.

None of the few guys I've met who went to Berklee are making a living playing.

And if your a hands on guy, who likes to work, you could do well in a trade union apprenticeship, like the electricians or plumber/fitters. One of the licensed trades. College doesn't work for everyone.

 

[bigtiny]

+1 Advance preparation is everything in this case. You want to be the "have you heard this kid?!?!" guy and not just another Freshman wearing an Avenged Sevenfold tee-shirt attending Berklee on their parent's dime.
Connections are everything when you attend a major Music School. Obviously the better you are, the better your connections.
Great observations! The one quibble I have with this is that having a well-rounded musical background will help you whether you are on the career track for Rock Star or not. That way you can still work in the business and not end up as another "Behind the Music" sob story after the Record Deal is gone and the band breaks up.

I agree wholeheartedly with you IF the person in question is willing to do the work. However, sadly, some kids just have stars in theirs eyes and simply want to rely on the old showbiz razzmatazz to get by, and you can't convince them otherwise....I ran into a few of them when I was at Berklee.....they didn't last long in that environment =

bigtiny

 

[Plays_For_Dog]

You don't need college to learn music. Most professional musicians didn't go to college to learn what they do. At most, they took lessons. Go to college to get a good career so you can afford to do all the music you want and still not be a bum in Key West playing for quarters.

Graduate. Land an awesome career. Keep music your passion and hobby. If you make it into a career later, you always have a solid "plan B".

If music was your job all day everyday, what would you do as a hobby?

 

[edwinhurwitz]

There's a lot of good advice here. I went through the same decision making process as you, except I had a couple years of "regular" college under my belt before I went to Berklee (class of '85). It's a different school now. During my first semester, all you heard out of the practice rooms was people practicing Charlie Parker licks. By the time I left, it was all spandex and metal, but I digress.

Berklee is a trade school. If you want to be a side man, a production engineer, composer, etc. it's a great option. If you want to be an artist, I would suggest that you get a great teacher, work hard and then get a degree at a non-music school in something that really fascinates you. As an artist, you must have a certain level of technical ability, but even more, you must have something to say. As such, a degree in philosophy, literature, astrophysics, etc. might serve you more by way of developing your ideas and what you want to say. Many of the great musicians out there went to art school. Some even went to business school.

The best part of my experience at Berklee was being immersed in an atmosphere of being able to play music 24/7 with some cool people. However, that was somewhat in spite of the school. In fact, a drummer and I were responsible for a recital that made them decide they needed to have rules about recitals. I hope it's different now.

The world is also a different place. For a regular working musician, wages haven't really gone up since the mid-80s. I still get $100-250 a night for club gigs, with no benefits, job security, etc. That cash doesn't go nearly as far as it did back then (in 1985, I paid $215 a month rent in Allston for everything except long distance. That included electricity, phone, and food!). The music business has slid pretty far and of all my friends from those days, only a handful have managed to make more than a decent subsistence by performing and recording music. A few of them have gone on to make huge bucks, but the odds were slim back then and they are slimmer now.

After 25 years of being out of school, I've decided to go back and now I'm in the class of 2012 at CU Law. Music will always be a part of my life, but you should realize that there is a lot that you will give up to live the dream. I don't regret my path at all, I've had great times and played with my heroes, but being poor gets old and the prospect of being in my 50s and playing bar gigs because I have to is just not an enticing one. These days I get to play for fun and while I miss playing the big festivals and all my friends on the road, it's really nice to play music because I love it, not because I have to.

 

[groooooove]

your parents are right. if you go to school for music you wont make a living out of it and will end up with a crappy job.

reality is harsh.

 

[gzarruk]

Present him with a plan. Music will be your major, but you'll minor in something "useable" like marketing. Actually marketing can help your band as it will likely show how you to better market your band (or yourself as a bassist) and will help you succeed in music. I find that to be successful in music you have to sell yourself... that you are worthy of getting paid.

Finally, I hate to say it but your dad is partly right. Its very hard to make it in the music business. I am not saying dont do it, but DEFINITELY have a backup plan. Learn a skill that will pay the bills if the money you are making from music isnt enough. For example you could also think of something like electronics. This is something related indirectly to music. If you had a degree/certificate in electronics you could use that skill to fix amps, mixers etc and perhaps get yourself working that way.

The only thing I 100% recommend is to not rely on music by itself. That would be a mistake.

100% true

 

[57pbass]

For what it's worth...I work in the music industry. The people who run my company are bankers, lawyers, IT professionals and CPA's. One of the lawyers plays the drums..aside from him there is not a musician in the group.

 

[Roy Vogt]

You don't need college to learn music. Most professional musicians didn't go to college to learn what they do. At most, they took lessons. Go to college to get a good career so you can afford to do all the music you want and still not be a bum in Key West playing for quarters.

Graduate. Land an awesome career. Keep music your passion and hobby. If you make it into a career later, you always have a solid "plan B".

If music was your job all day everyday, what would you do as a hobby?

Gee, I must live in some weird parallel universe. I rehearsed today with two Berklee alums who own a beautiful house near Nashville (he's a Musser Clinician, she's a working pianist, teacher and composer, they own their own label, publishing company and recording studio and routinely tour as a duo and with a band when they can afford to) and a drummer who graduated from Memphis State in Music and has gigged with Larry Carlton and Take 6. When I go to the studio and do a session most if not all of the musicians there went to music school (even "Nashville cats"). All of my buddies from UNT and U of M are still in the business. Some are writing for Disney (Joel McNeely), some are A & R for Major Labels (Bob Belden), some are still on Major tours, some are Record Producers, a lot of us have gone through gigs with Jethro Tull, Michael McDonald, Sheena Easton, Bruce Hornsby, Dickey Betts, Engelbert Humperdinck, Tom Jones, etc. and are now settling in as College Teachers at various Music Departments. Some are nobodies like Steve Bailey, Mark Egan, Gary Willis and Ric Fierribracci-obviously they are all struggling to get on that street corner in Key West so they can play solo bass versions of Jimmy Buffet tunes for the tourists and get those quarters. <please excuse my sarcasm here>
Let's see, music is my everyday job, so I work in my organic garden, go to the Y and work on staying fit, enjoy the outdoors, have dabbled in yoga, and other things. I don't hate my job. Even if I'm playing "Mustang Sally" at some wedding reception there's a smile on my face if the band is pumping and we're all in the groove together.
I feel totally blessed to make a living as a musician and it makes me happy. I know a lot of miserable Doctors, IT people, accountants and other professionals who would like to do this. Some of them are my adult students. However, you have to really put the time in and get your skills together. The only two bassists I'm aware of who have had the self-discipline to do this outside of Music School and are still with us are Victor Wooten and Alain Caron. There may be more-RIP, Jaco, you were the exception that proved the rule by being "formally self-taught" and attending the University of Wayne Cochran and the C C Riders.

 

[Pacman]

your parents are right. if you go to school for music you wont make a living out of it and will end up with a crappy job.

reality is harsh.

I've only been a musician, and I've made fairly decent money. I've owned two houses (although I don't right now because of where I live), have a retirement check coming in about a year, along with health benefits for the rest of my life. I've played literally all around the world, and feel like I have the best job on the planet.

Yeah, reality sucks

 

[totallyfrozen]

I've already made the decision that I want to have a career in music. It's really the only thing I can say that I am completely passionate about. The problem is my parents... my mom already kinda knows that I want to go to Berklee. I've been working on reading and theory all summer and I'm taking a few music classes to try and relearn everything I learned from my band class. I'm trying to pick up a few more instruments to expand my musical knowledge too... the problem is my dad. He's going to be the one paying my tuition, and he isn't exactly too into the idea of a career in music. He constantly complains that I play my bass too much and that music "isn't gonna take you me anywhere in life". One time I tried to bring up the topic of college and I mentioned Berklee, he said "it's a good college... if you wanna do something in music, but that's a waste of time." I am devoted to music and want to do this for a living, but my dad is pretty discouraging. How do I break it to him that this is what I want to do with my life. And I know, I'm only 16 and a lot of you are probably thinking that I'm gonna go be a teenager and change my mind tomorrow, but music is something I really want to do forever and would love nothing more than making a living out of it. Any advice on how to deal with trying to get my dad to understand?

1) You're dad's probably right.
2) If he's paying, he gets to tell you what to study (or he'll just stop paying). Sucks but that's the real world.
3) Go to Link Removed and pay for your own college education--then you can study what you want.
4) Reality is that you don't need a college degree in music to be a professional musician.
5) Once music stops paying your bills (you're not popular anymore, etc.) you'll need something lucrative to fall back on.
6) It's one of the most competitive careers fields in existence. Expect to need something to fall back on.

Good luck.

 

[totallyfrozen]

I've only been a musician, and I've made fairly decent money. I've owned two houses (although I don't right now because of where I live), have a retirement check coming in about a year, along with health benefits for the rest of my life. I've played literally all around the world, and feel like I have the best job on the planet.

Yeah, reality sucks

Yeah, well...you've been in the military. You know that it's different than trying to do what you've done in the civilian world. Kind of an apples to oranges comparison.

 

[totallyfrozen]

There's a lot of good advice here. I went through the same decision making process as you, except I had a couple years of "regular" college under my belt before I went to Berklee (class of '85). It's a different school now. During my first semester, all you heard out of the practice rooms was people practicing Charlie Parker licks. By the time I left, it was all spandex and metal, but I digress.

Berklee is a trade school. If you want to be a side man, a production engineer, composer, etc. it's a great option. If you want to be an artist, I would suggest that you get a great teacher, work hard and then get a degree at a non-music school in something that really fascinates you. As an artist, you must have a certain level of technical ability, but even more, you must have something to say. As such, a degree in philosophy, literature, astrophysics, etc. might serve you more by way of developing your ideas and what you want to say. Many of the great musicians out there went to art school. Some even went to business school.

The best part of my experience at Berklee was being immersed in an atmosphere of being able to play music 24/7 with some cool people. However, that was somewhat in spite of the school. In fact, a drummer and I were responsible for a recital that made them decide they needed to have rules about recitals. I hope it's different now.

The world is also a different place. For a regular working musician, wages haven't really gone up since the mid-80s. I still get $100-250 a night for club gigs, with no benefits, job security, etc. That cash doesn't go nearly as far as it did back then (in 1985, I paid $215 a month rent in Allston for everything except long distance. That included electricity, phone, and food!). The music business has slid pretty far and of all my friends from those days, only a handful have managed to make more than a decent subsistence by performing and recording music. A few of them have gone on to make huge bucks, but the odds were slim back then and they are slimmer now.

After 25 years of being out of school, I've decided to go back and now I'm in the class of 2012 at CU Law. Music will always be a part of my life, but you should realize that there is a lot that you will give up to live the dream. I don't regret my path at all, I've had great times and played with my heroes, but being poor gets old and the prospect of being in my 50s and playing bar gigs because I have to is just not an enticing one. These days I get to play for fun and while I miss playing the big festivals and all my friends on the road, it's really nice to play music because I love it, not because I have to.

+1 quintillion! This is the winner of the Best Post in this Thread Award.

[/thread]

 

[Pacman]

Yeah, well...you've been in the military. You know that it's different than trying to do what you've done in the civilian world. Kind of an apples to oranges comparison.

No, it's what I've been saying all along. There are MANY ways to make a living as a musician, and the way I've done it is one of them. The whole "redefine your success" is exactly what I've been getting at.



edit - and, just FYI to anyone thinking about this, the Federal Government is the biggest single employer of musicians in the US, possibly the world.

 

[Roy Vogt]

No, it's what I've been saying all along. There are MANY ways to make a living as a musician, and the way I've done it is one of them. The whole "redefine your success" is exactly what I've been getting at.



edit - and, just FYI to anyone thinking about this, the Federal Government is the biggest single employer of musicians in the US, possibly the world.

I've been doing some random looking at profiles, Jon, and I believe you're one of the few posters on here who can answer "yes" to all of the 6 questions I posited in my earlier post. That means you'll not just be relying on that retirement pension but will likely be making more as a civillian when you retire.
I'm not kidding here, folks. The guys I know in Nashville who can do all of the 6 things on the list are working all the time. They have nice houses, nice cars and have paid for their kid's college educations (Mr. and Mrs. Berklee have a daughter that just graduated from NYU Film School which was not cheap). It's a whole lot harder to get that wide of a skill set together than to mimic the Flavor of the Month in Slap/Speed Metal/Classic Rock/Whatever but from my observations in Nashville these guys are in the top 5% of the food chain in one of the most competitive cities in the country with thousands of bassists. They're doing all right. They don't have to work club gigs unless they want to. Some of them run Schools like the Nashville Jazz Workshop, some of them are transitioning into the Record Producer's seat, some of them are in Academia, some of them are entrepenuers with their own bands and booking agencies, some arrange music for cruse ships. Notice that "Rock Star" is not in their job title, BTW.

 

[ggunn]

I've only been a musician, and I've made fairly decent money. I've owned two houses (although I don't right now because of where I live), have a retirement check coming in about a year, along with health benefits for the rest of my life. I've played literally all around the world, and feel like I have the best job on the planet.

Yeah, reality sucks

I mean no offense, but if you interview only lottery winners, it will look as though all you have to do to get on Easy Street is to go down to the corner convenience store and buy some Lotto tix. I am happy for your success, but statistically speaking you are atypical.

 

[NineSpine]

I've only been a musician, and I've made fairly decent money. I've owned two houses (although I don't right now because of where I live), have a retirement check coming in about a year, along with health benefits for the rest of my life. I've played literally all around the world, and feel like I have the best job on the planet.

Yeah, reality sucks

No offense, but you aren't a sixteen year old trying to make it in the music industry of tomorrow. You are an adult who made it in the music industry of yesterday. Hey, more power to you! I'm not trying to besmirch your achievements or anything like that. I would have loved to do what you've done, but let's be realistic: If this was a thread about acting, I have a hard time imagining you'd be saying "Go to school for theater! You'll make it if you really want to!"

 

[ridgeback]

No, it's what I've been saying all along. There are MANY ways to make a living as a musician, and the way I've done it is one of them. The whole "redefine your success" is exactly what I've been getting at.



edit - and, just FYI to anyone thinking about this, the Federal Government is the biggest single employer of musicians in the US, possibly the world.

just went throught this all again..i think maybe some people (i definitely did)maybe took it the wrong way,its not about being a rockstar or being famous(apologies) you can earn money but you have to smart about it..and i still stand by having something else under your belt that you can use should things not go your way..anyhow i also forget that we are all not on the same side of the planet and what works for the us might not work here in europe. luck hard work and good karma..the life i have now was more or less payed for with music but i grew to hate it so much i quit for a long time.i worked ****** jobs and some nasty people but it payed the bills at the time.i am not saying dont do it but i would have a strong back up plan..good luck with whatever you decide(and your parents are always right...lol..)

 

[Roy Vogt]

Reading some of the back and forth on this post reminds me of this:
When I was a small boy in Texas we used to go crabbing on the Gulf Coast. When you got the second crab, you didn't have to watch the bucket anymore, because if one crab tried to climb out the other would pull him back down. If there was only on crab you had to worry but when you had 2 everything was cool.
The Occupational Outlook Handbook in 1974 (when I graduated from High School) said that being a Professional Musician was a lousy career choice. I've seen several posters say it's worse now. I'm not so sure about that. I'm around 20 somethings all the time who have just graduated from Belmont. Here's who they're working with or have worked with:
Lady Antebellum
Michael W. Smith
Billy Currington
Bo Bice
Big Kenny
Elmwood
Big Blue Hearts
Well, you get the idea. If you get training, work really hard, are incredibly versatile and really want it, you'll do fine. You may find that 30 years on you don't want to have a bass hanging around your neck every night and being a trained Muso you will find something else to do with music.
Playing Journey/Sevendust/Garth Brooks/Korn covers by ear will not get you a career. TAB won't get you a career. Bass Player magazine won't get you a career. TB won't get you a career. If you really have a talent, get the best training, work very hard, have no bad or self-destructive habits, and never stop learning and improving you'll do fine.
It's totally OK to love this and do this for a hobby. Many TBers do and that's totally OK. It's totally OK to want this and dedicate yourself to it, be smart and get educated and become a professional musician. There are many of us on here too.

 

[LiquidMidnight]

He constantly complains that I play my bass too much and that music "isn't gonna take you me anywhere in life".

That's funny. Music helped put me through both college and grad school. I'd say that music helped "take me somewhere in life." Why is that everyone's an expert on everything that they don't know anything about?

 

[alexwittscheck]

Reading some of the back and forth on this post reminds me of this:
When I was a small boy in Texas we used to go crabbing on the Gulf Coast. When you got the second crab, you didn't have to watch the bucket anymore, because if one crab tried to climb out the other would pull him back down. If there was only on crab you had to worry but when you had 2 everything was cool.
The Occupational Outlook Handbook in 1974 (when I graduated from High School) said that being a Professional Musician was a lousy career choice. I've seen several posters say it's worse now. I'm not so sure about that. I'm around 20 somethings all the time who have just graduated from Belmont. Here's who they're working with or have worked with:
Lady Antebellum
Michael W. Smith
Billy Currington
Bo Bice
Big Kenny
Elmwood
Big Blue Hearts
Well, you get the idea. If you get training, work really hard, are incredibly versatile and really want it, you'll do fine. You may find that 30 years on you don't want to have a bass hanging around your neck every night and being a trained Muso you will find something else to do with music.
Playing Journey/Sevendust/Garth Brooks/Korn covers by ear will not get you a career. TAB won't get you a career. Bass Player magazine won't get you a career. TB won't get you a career. If you really have a talent, get the best training, work very hard, have no bad or self-destructive habits, and never stop learning and improving you'll do fine.
It's totally OK to love this and do this for a hobby. Many TBers do and that's totally OK. It's totally OK to want this and dedicate yourself to it, be smart and get educated and become a professional musician. There are many of us on here too.

+1