What kind of preparation do people have before going into the music industry?

Hi there - I work at a major record label in a business related position (as opposed to a creative position) so I figured I would offer some thoughts on how I got here personally.

With regards to schooling, I didn't take any particular classes related to the music or media industry. In college however, I did major in business and took several finance and management classes, all which are partially relevant in what I do today. In hindsight, I wish I would have taken more marketing classes, as this is extremely important in music. I also wish I had taken a basic audio engineering class, more for my own personal knowledge than for business.

I played several instruments (and sang a little) when I was younger, so the other thing I did which helped me was I joined a music group - specifically an a capella group - in college. There are many of these at almost any college across the country. I was not only a singer and arranger but actually focused a lot on the business aspect of the group (keep in mind even if you don't sing, many groups have a dedicated "business manager"). I eventually was president of the group and learned so much about how you ultimately market and sell music, especially in the digital space. Three big things came out of this (among others). 1) I realized that I did enjoy the business side of music. Many people make the mistake of going into the industry just because they love listening or playing. 2) I had a lot of knowledge about how artists and managers work and thing, which helps me in my job today as I make decisions that affect our whole roster. 3) I had demonstrated interest and a good story line to tell my interviewers why I was interested in the industry coming out of being a consultant.

Finally, one last thought - it is always good to keep up on the latest news developments in any industry you're interested in.

The answer to this question really depends on the sort of career one wants within the music industry. There are a number of unique jobs in the music industry, among them musician, audio engineer, producer, promoter, etc. Each requires a very unique skill set. Further, there are a number of paths to each job. That is, there is no single route to any of the aforementioned careers. However, I'll go ahead and share some general advice.

The best preparation for the music industry is practical, hands-on experience. Unless you intend to go into classical music (a field about which I know very little), your qualifications are not very important. People get jobs because they have chops and they know the right person. It doesn't matter how you got your chops nor how you met the right person - you simply have to find a way to be good enough and sufficiently connected. Take every interaction seriously, as you never know who you are meeting.

Location is critical. It is very hard to "make it" in a small market. You don't necessarily need to be in LA, Nashville, or New York (in some ways, you might benefit from avoiding those places), but you need to be somewhere with an active music industry. That may be somewhere obvious like Austin, Nashville, or New York. However, great bands also come out of less glamorous places like Omaha and Louisville. Thus, the location of your college will be somewhat important. If you go to a rural liberal arts college, you won't have many opportunities to gig, and gigging is critical. Which brings me to the next point...

Gig as often as possible. Gig with anyone, anywhere, anytime. Whether you're an audio engineer, a guitarist, or a singer, learn to perform. Many people have good chops in their bedroom but they can't perform. Don't be one of those people. Learn to play in front of people. Be the person that plays better with an audience than without one. You'll be judged by your ability to perform under pressure, so learn to do just that.

Play many different styles. It's hard to succeed in music. Increase your chances at success by preparing for a number of different roles. If you play the drums, learn to play jazz. Pick up some brushes and attend some jams. If you sing, learn to sing harmony, classical, and pop. If you are interested in audio, learn recording as well as live sound. You want to be qualified for as many jobs as possible.

Finally, be curious. The people that make it are very interested in learning everything they can learn. They are always seeking new music, always learning, and always listening.