What Should I Do With My Life?

[Noah Shankool]

I know this sounds like an extremely in-depth question to put on these forums but I really don't know who else to go to. I obviously love to play bass and just create art in general. But I have no idea what to do after high school. I would love to work in a recording studio, maybe even be a producer. I was looking into studying audio production and music but all art schools are extremely expensive. If I were to continue my schooling I'd only want to go to an art school. Even if I wanted to go to a regular college I don't have the grades to get into anything worth it. My questions for you are: Are there any affordable art schools? Are there better ways to study audio production than college? Should I skip schooling altogether? How does a bassist go pro? Are there any plans/ways that you know of that would get me successful through music? PLEASE SHARE!

 

[Mattster]

All this old man can can tell you is never stop doing what you're passionate about. Refine your craft. BUT . . . at the same time pursue your plan B, that which will feed you, your significant other, and any potential little otherlings.
P.S. - DON'T skip school.

 

[PortlandBass77]

I have a friend who was in an eerily similar position to you, except he had no interest in any college at all. He got a job at GC, worked his way up to be head of the drum department, started a couple of bands, and now he is happy.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

Not sure what the requirements are for joining the military as a band member, but that might be an option.
There are a lot of educational benefits that go along with being in the military, both while you're in and after your term is served.

 

[Mattster]

Not sure what the requirements are for joining the military as a band member, but that might be an option.
There are a lot of educational benefits that go along with being in the military, both while you're in and after your term is served.

Good advice. Once out, prepare to get your a$$ kissed in anything civil service related.

 

[pacojas]

i went through a trade school after high school. conquered that. fell back on my childhood music lessons, after i worked off my loans, and JOINED A BAND. started a small business to supplement my meager band earnings. started a family. quit the band. raised my wolf pack. when they grew up & left i JOINED A BAND!
nowadays, i enjoy solitude and jam sessions with friends and family. i'll be 60 in a few months hoping to find a mountain cabin to live out my sentence here on Earth.
imo,.. Earth is a slave planet, but there's fun to be had as well.
whatever you do, try to enjoy it, son. that's my only advice

 

[AL_BASS]

I was headed to art school and hit a detour. Spent too much time playing in bands and not focused on college. I didn't make it through. I am very lucky I got a really good job to support my family and my every growing collection of gear. I regret not finishing college and may go back one day. It is a tough decision and you have to do what is right for you. I know every time I get away from music I always end up coming back to it.

 

[bwoodman]

Regarding the questions: How does a bassist go pro? Are there any plans/ways that you know of that would get me successful through music?

I read a lot of bios for this very reason - to find out how cats went pro. Besides being able to play well in all styles and knowing how to read notation (not just charts), most guys got their start very early on. Ricky Minor joined the union at age 18 and I believe he ended up meeting Quincy Jones through a union session gig. Nathan East - same deal - still in high school when he met Barry White and went on the road with that gig. Lee Sklar did a gig with James Taylor before JT was anybody - and when that album hit and did well, all of a sudden Lee was doing everybody's records. A lot of cats go to Berklee Music School and meet cats that lead to pro level gigs. Here's a recent story I just heard - met a guy named Marty Tryon who posted something right here on TB about what bass was used for the TV show Rockford Files. I sent him a message 3 years ago. He recently logged in and found my message and emailed me - gave me details about all the cats on those TV dates for Universal and here's the best part - he had stopped playing for a few years prior to getting the Rockford gig - went to a local music store in Hollywood and grabbed a slip of paper off the bulletin board that said something about "rehearsal band looking for bass player" - he called the number and it turns out that Mike Post is in this band - Mike Post (born Leland Michael Postil, September 29, 1944 in Berkeley, California) is an American multi-Grammy- and Emmy Award-winning composer best known for his TV theme songs for such primetime series as Law & Order, Law & Order SVU, The A-Team, NYPD Blue, The Rockford Files, L.A. Law, Quantum Leap, [Invalid or Expired Link Removed], and Hill Street Blues. Mike told Marty if he'd get his reading together, he'd have a ton of work for him. He started out doing Rockford, then did Magnum PI, then got a road gig with Mac Davis - long story longer - had a very nice career - made great bread - not a household name, but who cares. I think this is the type of gig that most cats on TB would love, BUT as with anything else - it's all who you know or who you meet along the way. I never made the right connections, didn't pursue music with 100% effort, and music became a paid hobby for me. I think I'm a solid player, but just never made the right connections. For example, I'll watch The Voice and I know I could get though ALL the music played on there. I don't know anything about the cat in the bass chair, but I bet he knew a producer or musical director or somebody that helped him secure that gig.

And I'm not even talking about players like Hadrien Feraud, who totally blows my mind. I'll never be anywhere near his level. If you're on that level, you will be discovered - just go play some basses at NAMM show or post some youtube vids and you'll be on your way!

Here's something worth looking at. Randall Fulmer's story - the builder of Wyn Basses. He built some guitars while in high school and was good at it, but didn't think he could do it for a living. He played in bands too early on. He went to Cal Arts and worked for Disney for almost 20 years as an animator, then quit and started building basses. Check out his video. I thought it was a pretty cool story - and you can relate - the guy is an artist AND musician.



Oh yeah - do NOT "skip your schooling altogether" - bad idea. Yes, you need a backup plan. My parents told me this, but I did not believe them. Start out by going to a junior college and get all the general education over with - then transfer to a 4 year for the last 2. You can take art and music classes along the way - this is another place where you might meet someone who will be able to help you get a career going in music or art.

Just my $0.03.....

 

[Mattster]

 

[Mattster]

 

[old spice]

Carefully consider community college, city college for art education. In Denver, CO that's Metro State.
Many artists (not me) support themselves by teaching.
Like the person above said, Join a Band.
If you take care of the music it will return the care amply, but maybe not in money. In other ways.

 

[vanderbrook]

I can tell you what NOT to do.

Do NOT pursue what seems easiest at the moment (unless you are also truly passionate about it).

Do NOT assume that your calling will come to you eventually. Go out TODAY and find it. If you think you're serious about audio production and music, set up informational interviews with people working in the industry. Find out what their days (and nights?) are really like. Do some serious research, and be SURE that's what you really want to do. And if you discover it's not, find out what is. NOW. If at all possible, figure out what you want to do with your life BEFORE you graduate. (And know that you will probably switch careers multiple times during your working years.)

Do NOT wait until you're in your 50s to discover your calling. It will be too late. DAMHIK.

 

[Pdaddy1978]

Do you want a wife, kids and a place of your own?... Get a job....make music when you can. Ive been playing,recording and performing for 40 years like that. ... Want to chase your "bliss" full time?... Stay fluid and unattached. Don't try to drag a family through a rigors of broken promises, bad checks, constant moving, and hard sacrifices that come with the life of a full time musician. It isn't fair to them and usually crashes eventually.

 

[Mattster]

I'm fully aware that at 17 years of age this all seems like like a bunch of grumpy old men replying to your post, but listen! We've been there, done that, have the t-shirt. We want to help you.

 

[callofcthulhu]

 

[sketch]

Sorry for the lengthy reply...

I would love to work in a recording studio, maybe even be a producer.

You can contact local studios and ask to intern. See if you actually like being in that environment for the hours they do, get a feel for what type of bland, horrible stuff actually gets recorded on the regular. Take time to check out the equipment - how it works, how much it costs. See what is really involved in that career.

I was looking into studying audio production and music but all art schools are extremely expensive.

Check out average salaries for the jobs you want, not worth it in my view.
Subscribe to TapeOp (it's free) and read Sound On Sound or other such mags. You will learn a TON if you read carefully. Combine with a few pieces of home recording gear & a few hours of experimentation, you can teach yourself most of the standard techniques.

Even if I wanted to go to a regular college I don't have the grades to get into anything worth it.

Community college. Get your math skills up, then get into electronics. The most successful studio guys also repair, modify, build, and even design studio gear and electronics equipment. If you can do that, you exponentially increase your job prospects (in and out of the studio).

Should I skip schooling altogether?

After ~5 years as a "professional musician", I finally took a "real job" making four or five times more money; couldn't have landed that without my BA or a higher degree. Definitely have a fall-back, you can always play music on your own time (and I still do, for money!). I would actually recommend a trade school, universities are not worth it anymore. I don't know any welders who are out of work...

Are there any plans/ways that you know of that would get me successful through music?

Set yourself up for success...
- be punctual, and easygoing, but hardworking
- bring some extra skills to the table (a driver's license and car, when no else has one, as example)
- learn how to get good sounds on ANY equipment given you
- learn to play songs/artists/genres you hate, expand your musicianship
- meet tons of people, know how to be in the "right place at the right time"
- never talk sh!t about people you deal with
- be available at the drop of a hat

Basically, spend your days learning something that'll make you money. Evenings, nights, and weekends - practice at home, play music with anyone/everyone, go to shows, meet other musicians, record demos for friends, anything to gain experience and get you into the community.

Cheers.

 

[Mattster]

- meet tons of people, know how to be in the "right place at the right time"
- never talk sh!t about people you deal with

Word

 

[svlilioukalani]

I highly recommend listening to Frank Zappa's Joe's Garage part 1-3. It may help you understand what could happen to you if you choose a career in music.

Most full time players I work with teach part time, work in a music store or recording studio part time, and gig at night.

 

[ashtray]

I will applaud your first step in this thought process is correct - the decisions you make will affect your entire life. Your thread title is very telling that you understand the major crossroads that you are at.

The good news is that much like a highway system in a major city, there's always exits so you can turn around or get off the path you've chosen. You might have lost some time in the process, but you can apply the tongue in cheek saying "we might be lost, but at least we're making good time!".

Point is that life isn't a race. And making the right decisions is better than making the easy ones - though sometimes in your life you have to just take the easy route until other aspects in life are controlled and then you can venture off road.

Notice I haven't weighed in on what path you should take. Each person's journey is different. Even if you try to stay on the main paths, you'll hit your own speed bumps and discover your own express lane.

And all these guys here - they've been down their path, up until the present, but their roads are always changing too. As you get older you learn to prepare more for the unexpected - and to expect it.

What have I done? In short went to college, then took a break from that bc life was too much of a temptation. Learned some lessons being on my own, working two minimum wage jobs, etc about how things worked and what direction I wanted to head. Back to college, got a degree, got a thankless 60hr/wk job from h3ll and worked it 5 years. Learned everything I could from the work experience and did what I could to move up - until I was ready to work elsewhere.

The career path has been bumpy at times, but in the good times has taken care of me and my family. I know the road ahead won't always be easy, and certainly the job isn't easy or fun at times - but the ability to work through it while giving it your 100% while working but then leaving it all at your office when its the end of the day so you can go about enjoying life. That, and taking pride in your work. Those have been important life lessons.

No one is perfect. You will make mistakes along the way. We all do. That business man driving the new Mercedes down the road? Yeah - he's made mistakes too. The professional musician who have "made it big" - I bet they could write a book about all the mistakes they made. (and some do!). Point is not to worry about making the wrong choice, but knowing when to recognize it afterwards and what to do about fixing it.

That's the journey of life!

 

[hrodbert696]

A few thoughts:

First, bear in mind that your passion may not be, and doesn't have to be, the way you pay your bills. It's long odds to be able to support oneself in the music business (or any creative business), and there are many writers working as librarians, many actors waiting tables, etc., to cover their expenses and then pursuing their passion when they go home from work. If you CAN get your passion to pay, that's great, but remember it may not be your path.

Second, I would be a little cautious about laying plans based on the careers of successful musicians of an older generation. There are a lot of "how did the pros make it" threads on TB, and they generally wind up with descriptions of the careers of guys who are now in their 50s or older who got into the business back in the 70s or 80s. I'm not in the music business myself, but by all accounts the internet changed everything from bands to labels to studios to session work and what might have been typical in the 80s may not be so typical now.

Third, in your shoes, +1 to the community college idea or possibly trade school. You can work and pick up a course or two at a time as you can afford it, and often your credits will transfer to a 4-year college if you get to the point you actually want the bachelor's degree.