4 answers
jordyn
Student
Rock Hill, South Carolina
1
Question
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can I be a professional musician without college or no?
is there a way without college to be a professional musician and have my own brand? I'm in the 11th grade and thought changing to an art or music school would be good, should I wait until college?
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4 answers
Daniel Cantor
Music Producer/Composer and studio owner at NOTABLE PRODUCTIONS. Music Educator
7
Answers
Weston, Massachusetts
Updated
Daniel’s Answer
First off…I think choosing to be a musician requires more commitment and effort than many professions. So many people think its a fun choice…and it is… but your competition is massive AND your chances of success are much much smaller. I teach at a major music college and see very talented and accomplished musicians struggle to have careers that are life sustaining or economically robust. Only a tiny percentage make good money. Lets put this in real numbers. Doctors and Lawyers commonly make $150,000 to $600,000 a year. Most of them.
Most musicians make no where near that and many are dependent on erratic short term jobs that require constant travel or playing the same kind of non-original music gigs repeatedly or having multiple sources of income to keep life a float at a much lower pay rate than our professional friends. We as musicians have to find our audience and maintain it or support our creative work with more consistent, and usually less creative work. So I like to say to my students, “Pick the music path because you can’t see yourself happy doing anything else, and always remember if someone else wants your gig more and is willing to work harder, smarter and more joyfully than you…they will take it” …Not because they are mean or evil. It is just because they are also talented, maybe easier to work with AND they just want it more and are ready to work for it.
I know lots of musicians who had extraordinary opportunities. They got on TV and were loved for a few months on a major music shows or had a song that a few million people downloaded. Sadly, they never had that professional income or regular sustaining situation that lets them relax. It is always a situation of chasing and securing the next job or opportunity. That’s one reason so many musicians teach or play weddings or have other lucrative side gigs to keep a steady income until their creative work can sustain them (let alone support a family).
So back to your question… at a minimum, a college degree helps you get in the door to teach at an institution or become a lecturer or get a job with a business that wants to hire a musician as an expert. I know many musicians who were successful for a few years or have lots of experience running choirs or music directing shows or writing music for tv or multimedia or touring semi successfully as an inde solo artist but never finished college. Frustratingly, they can not get jobs teaching junior high, high school or college music at reputable schools. The undergraduate degree helps prove to the non-musician world you can work through a major challenge. Does it have to be a very expensive school… No. Can you play music and do your 10,000 hours of practicing and performing and writing during your college time? Absolutely. If your talents and efforts during college bring you to a major opportunity then you can decide to put it aside and come back to it. Most schools don’t mind you taking a year off to perform or tour and welcome you back to finish up. Many schools do online courses at a cheaper rate to keep your school progress moving along while you tour or gig on broadway. Yes its hard to do both but I have seen it done.
I want to wish you well, and hope you are sustained by smart choices. I hope you find a path that honors your artistic drive and also affords you a thriving lifestyle.
Most musicians make no where near that and many are dependent on erratic short term jobs that require constant travel or playing the same kind of non-original music gigs repeatedly or having multiple sources of income to keep life a float at a much lower pay rate than our professional friends. We as musicians have to find our audience and maintain it or support our creative work with more consistent, and usually less creative work. So I like to say to my students, “Pick the music path because you can’t see yourself happy doing anything else, and always remember if someone else wants your gig more and is willing to work harder, smarter and more joyfully than you…they will take it” …Not because they are mean or evil. It is just because they are also talented, maybe easier to work with AND they just want it more and are ready to work for it.
I know lots of musicians who had extraordinary opportunities. They got on TV and were loved for a few months on a major music shows or had a song that a few million people downloaded. Sadly, they never had that professional income or regular sustaining situation that lets them relax. It is always a situation of chasing and securing the next job or opportunity. That’s one reason so many musicians teach or play weddings or have other lucrative side gigs to keep a steady income until their creative work can sustain them (let alone support a family).
So back to your question… at a minimum, a college degree helps you get in the door to teach at an institution or become a lecturer or get a job with a business that wants to hire a musician as an expert. I know many musicians who were successful for a few years or have lots of experience running choirs or music directing shows or writing music for tv or multimedia or touring semi successfully as an inde solo artist but never finished college. Frustratingly, they can not get jobs teaching junior high, high school or college music at reputable schools. The undergraduate degree helps prove to the non-musician world you can work through a major challenge. Does it have to be a very expensive school… No. Can you play music and do your 10,000 hours of practicing and performing and writing during your college time? Absolutely. If your talents and efforts during college bring you to a major opportunity then you can decide to put it aside and come back to it. Most schools don’t mind you taking a year off to perform or tour and welcome you back to finish up. Many schools do online courses at a cheaper rate to keep your school progress moving along while you tour or gig on broadway. Yes its hard to do both but I have seen it done.
I want to wish you well, and hope you are sustained by smart choices. I hope you find a path that honors your artistic drive and also affords you a thriving lifestyle.
Michael Esposito
Director, Financial Reporting
22
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Michael’s Answer
While a degree is not required, the path towards a degree is something I'd recommend based on your natural musical strength. What I mean was, when I was in high school I was in a band but I had to work VERY hard at it. I did not have precise hearing (just enough to stay on pitch), and it took me a long time to come up with my own horn lines. Taking music classes in university helped strengthen that knowledge layer for me.
If you're blessed with natural talent, perfect pitch etc, then I'd just get out there as others have suggested. Join as many bands as you can just to keep playing and your name out there.
If you're blessed with natural talent, perfect pitch etc, then I'd just get out there as others have suggested. Join as many bands as you can just to keep playing and your name out there.
Crystal Smith
Executive Assistant
5
Answers
Fort Lee, New Jersey
Updated
Crystal’s Answer
Hi! You don't need a degree to become a professional musician but it would definitely be helpful to take some courses in musical theory. Also, whether you are a singer or play an instrument it's also important to find a good coach/teacher, practice frequently and try to gain some exposure by joining a band or finding some groups in your community that can connect you with local musicians. Good luck!
Brandon Dang
214
Answers
Seattle, Washington
Updated
Brandon’s Answer
You don't need a degree to be a professional musician. There are a many people that are pro musicians that don't have a degree. Most of the time it takes a lot of time and effort in order to make your way to the top.
Having a degree can help. It can give you the experience that might be difficult to obtain by yourself, and having a degree can help show your credibility. You can achieve similar results if you don't have the degree, but you would need to find out all the ins and outs of the professional musician industry on your own while trying to obtain your degree you can get help from other peers easily.
Having a degree can help. It can give you the experience that might be difficult to obtain by yourself, and having a degree can help show your credibility. You can achieve similar results if you don't have the degree, but you would need to find out all the ins and outs of the professional musician industry on your own while trying to obtain your degree you can get help from other peers easily.