School vs. Music

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pxavier

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I'm in college and I've been in a band with a friend of mine for a couple of years. We have been writing music, but can not perform too often because we go to separate schools. As of now we can not transfer. I am wondering whether it is a wise idea to leave school. I am only here to secure a day job and support my passion/future career. Although I do love learning, being here has become frustrating because I do get ideas for compositions, but class or homework gets in the way. This also gives me and my friend less time to practice throughout the day. There are many opportunities dealing with networking and music at our schools, but we are beginning to feel like we are wasting time. This is the one and only thing we can picture ourselves doing, making and playing music as a form of entertainment for others.
 
Well man, you can be sure you're not the only one in this position.

I'm pretty much the same. I love music, and for the most part, I hate studying, exams, getting up early, etc..

But I chose school anyway. The way I see it, I rather suck it up now and have a good job later on, and make of music my hobby, instead of being 40 and working as a salesman on the local music store "waiting to be discovered".

But hey, I admire those who have the courage to give it all for their art. Unfortunately though, most of them end up pretty bad. :/

Cheers!
 
Well man, you can be sure you're not the only one in this position.

I'm pretty much the same. I love music, and for the most part, I hate studying, exams, getting up early, etc..

But I chose school anyway. The way I see it, I rather suck it up now and have a good job later on, and make of music my hobby, instead of being 40 and working as a salesman on the local music store "waiting to be discovered".

But hey, I admire those who have the courage to give it all for their art. Unfortunately though, most of them end up pretty bad. :/

Cheers!

I agree. Most people would say making a living playing music will be nonexistent. The ones who pursue their passion regardless aren't interested in hearing anybody else's opinions anyway. So the question you must ask yourself, is which one are you?

The people who are relentlessly pursuing their dreams are not willing to settle for a day job to support their music habit. The ones who stay in school to get a degree so they can make a living think the ones who are single-minded about their music careers are idiots.

And then again, you must realize that staying in school to get a degree doesn't necessarily mean you'll make a living in that field either. And with more and more people with degrees losing jobs or just not able to get jobs, those prospects don't look good either. So it's really your call, none of us can give you advice because you're the one who has to live with whatever you decide. Not us.
 
What is your current major? As was said, neither career is guaranteed but depending on your major you could be wasting your time. Not getting the degree, but not finding a job once you graduate.
 
What is your current major? As was said, neither career is guaranteed but depending on your major you could be wasting your time. Not getting the degree, but not finding a job once you graduate.

I was a mechanical engineer. I opted out for two reasons: more financial aid, more time to drum with bands and practice, and more time for myself. Now I'm an environmental science major. But as was said and just realised, I don't really care for opinions. I can finish up my degree any time, but music comes first. Only have one life to live.
 
I was a mechanical engineer. I opted out for two reasons: more financial aid, more time to drum with bands and practice, and more time for myself. Now I'm an environmental science major. But as was said and just realised, I don't really care for opinions. I can finish up my degree any time, but music comes first. Only have one life to live.

Can I call it or what? ;)
 
I think you need to strike while the iron's hot. I dropped out high school to play drums because the parents wouldn't let me play when they were home. But I quickly realized that I needed to support myself while playing music so I joined the Navy with the sole purpose of learning some skill that could help me pay the bills once I got out - and that's just what happened. So after getting out and playing in a dozen different bands for several years, and having chased down the dream of becoming a "pro" and concluding that it wasn't to be, I came to the realization that school was where it was at. I started at 28 and it took me 7-1/2 years to do it, but I graduated with a degree in electrical engineering.

At no point during my little odyssey did I ever have to completely stop drumming, so I'd say I went about it the right way - for me.

Bottom line is that you can go back to school at anytime in your life, but to really chase down the dream of playing for a living has to be done while the passion and the time are still there.
 
Well, try not to believe that you're having an original idea here. If I had a dollar everytime I had this discussion I wouldn't have had to gig as much as I have!

Good luck out there ;)

Haha, nice one Bo. Yeah, I wish I hand;t prayed to get back into school when i almost got kicked out twice... I think it was meant for me to leave. But this time I'm leaving on my own. I hate being 20. I miss the teen years...

I think you need to strike while the iron's hot. I dropped out high school to play drums because the parents wouldn't let me play when they were home. But I quickly realized that I needed to support myself while playing music so I joined the Navy with the sole purpose of learning some skill that could help me pay the bills once I got out - and that's just what happened. So after getting out and playing in a dozen different bands for several years, and having chased down the dream of becoming a "pro" and concluding that it wasn't to be, I came to the realization that school was where it was at. I started at 28 and it took me 7-1/2 years to do it, but I graduated with a degree in electrical engineering.

At no point during my little odyssey did I ever have to completely stop drumming, so I'd say I went about it the right way - for me.

Bottom line is that you can go back to school at anytime in your life, but to really chase down the dream of playing for a living has to be done while the passion and the time are still there.

Why do people always make it seem like I won't go back once I leave anyway? Does it become unaffordable? Is it really that easy to go back to school (not that I want to)?
 
Why do people always make it seem like I won't go back once I leave anyway? Does it become unaffordable? Is it really that easy to go back to school (not that I want to)?
I think it's simply because most people don't.

Of course school is expensive, but if later you become serious about it, you can work it into the schedule and budget using financial aid, loans, rich in-laws, or whatever. And if down the road you do decide you want to go back, it's not terribly hard. There were tons of other 30-somethings at the school I went to (University of Washington). It's totally fine if you don't think you want to now - when I got out of the navy, I was so sure I'd never go to college that I cashed in my college fund and spent it all on a new drumkit! It's just good to keep in the back of your mind that someday you might actually want to back, so you don't need to feel like you're closing the door on that option forever (nothing's forever).
 
I think it's simply because most people don't.

Of course school is expensive, but if later you become serious about it, you can work it into the schedule and budget (using financial aid, loans, rich in-laws, or whatever). And if down the road you decide you want to go back, it's not terribly hard. There were tons of other 30-somethings at the school I went to (University of Washington). It's totally fine if you don't think you want to now - when I got out of the navy, I was so sure I'd never go to college that I cashed in my college fund and spent it all on a new drumkit! It's just good to keep in the back of your mind that someday you might actually want to back, so you don't need to feel like you're closing the door on that option forever (nothing's forever).

Yeah I agree. It just intrigues me as to why people say most don't go back
 
It just intrigues me as to why people say most don't go back
Why do they say that? Because it's true, I'd imagine (haven't actually looked up the stats on it though). College isn't for everybody. Just look at Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Vinnie Colaiuta, ... ;)
 
Why do they say that? Because it's true, I'd imagine (haven't actually looked up the stats on it though). College isn't for everybody. Just look at Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Vinnie Colaiuta, ... ;)

True, true... I never thought I'd be someone dropping out of college, it never occurred to me all my life... Then again, I never thought about college until I had to in high school.
 
One thing to consider...a BS degree is now required for a zillion kind of jobs just because
there are so many people with them. I'm in my 60's and while I play a lot of gigs I do
work part-time jobs from time to time. Many companies are now requiring a BS degree.
Supply and demand at work. (I don't agree with it either...but I don't make up the rules)

If you can finish a degree and have the sheet of paper...I would say do it. It will help you
later on. A BS degree today is what a high school diploma was in the 1940's.
 
If you feel overwhelmed by having to balance schoolwork and your passions, pxavier: don't get married or have kids...
Oooooh, there it is right there! Ditto for balancing work life and your passions.

Truer words were never spoken.
 
One thing to consider...a BS degree is now required for a zillion kind of jobs just because
there are so many people with them. I'm in my 60's and while I play a lot of gigs I do
work part-time jobs from time to time. Many companies are now requiring a BS degree.
Supply and demand at work. (I don't agree with it either...but I don't make up the rules)

If you can finish a degree and have the sheet of paper...I would say do it. It will help you
later on. A BS degree today is what a high school diploma was in the 1940's.

Yeah, a lot of career jobs require them. You are very right about that Also, if I need to, I can go back for 2 years and get my masters in Engineering. I'm happy I completed two years of it... I dunno, it didn't seem necessary for a lot of people to even go to high school, especially the greatest of the great. Personal, but do you have a BS? How did it help you? No need to answer, just wondering.

That's true.

If you feel overwhelmed by having to balance schoolwork and your passions, pxavier: don't get married or have kids...

Hey caddy, awesome point, but this is NOT always the case. Not too many, but plenty of examples in history of this ideology being thwarted.

Oooooh, there it is right there! Ditto for balancing work life and your passions.

Truer words were never spoken.

Yeah, work like and passion is usually only seen as separable within the sphere of capitalism (or more radically, feudalism), but there are ways around that.
 
A BS degree today is what a high school diploma was in the 1940's.

I've got to agree with that. Unfortunately university these days is just a joke. Someone in my class (2nd year, Mechanical Engineering degree) today (after turning up 1/4 h late) didn't know whether "ambient temperature" meant 20°C or 100°C. Given that we don't tend to do tutorial classes in saunas I thought it would have been pretty obvious for someone who somehow managed to pass the first year of a degree course in something as technical as mechanical engineering. How the hell half the people in my yeargroup even manged to get onto a degree course, let alone make it into the second year, i just do not know. No wonder one of the other lecturers has to give us classes in how to get a job, or rather he tells us how bloody difficult it is to get a job these days. It's not about being capable any more, it's about how well you can write a piece of paper and bullshit your way through countless numbers of applications, tests, screenings and interviews.

Good that you want to do something different mate. Personally I don't know what I want to do once I'm finished my degree. I don't feel as if I want to spend all that time and effort just to become another small cog in the corporate machine. I think you should keep at it though, as this poster above me has explained, at least having a degree gives you more of a choice if you ever decide to hang up the professional sticks.
 
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I've got to agree with that. Unfortunately university these days is just a joke. Someone in my class (2nd year, Mechanical Engineering degree) didn't know whether "ambient temperature" meant 20°C or 100°C. Given that we don't tend to do tutorial classes in saunas I thought it would have been pretty obvious for someone who may have lives depending on his technical expertese in future. How the hell half the people in my yeargroup even manged to get onto a degree course, let alone make it into the second year, i just do not know. No wonder one of the other lecturers has to give us classes in how to get a job. It's not about being capable any more, it's about how well you can write a piece of paper and bullshit your way through countless numbers of applications, tests, screenings and interviews.

... I don't know what ambient temperature is either... I'm sorry I'm a drummer and not a scientist? I think you should stop judging people based off one instance. Before I studied Environmental Science (Biology BS), I was a mechanical engineer because I wanted to learn about cars and the operations within and without them. I didn't choose the major because I already knew a lot about "ambient temperatures". I wanted to learn about them... Not everyone is built the same.

Otherwise, I agree as well. This is why I hate college. It's a load of bullshit. The other day I failed a test so I complained to the teacher and made my point, which was that the definitions on the test were not the same as in the textbook, and my test was covered in terms the professor did not emphasize in lecture. The professor knows I study hard and well and am at tentative in class, so the professor gave me another version of the test to do (four versions so people won't cheat), and I literally finished it in 5 minutes, and got 100%. THIS IS A TRUE STORY. HAPPENED TWO WEEKS AGO. Now, with that in mind, think of how many kids could have aced their tests, but failed because they had the "wrong version"... I don't see why they don't give professors the elementary school jobs and vice versa. It seems that teachers get worse and worse the higher your level of education...

I've got to agree with that. Unfortunately university these days is just a joke. Someone in my class (2nd year, Mechanical Engineering degree) today (after turning up 1/4 h late) didn't know whether "ambient temperature" meant 20°C or 100°C. Given that we don't tend to do tutorial classes in saunas I thought it would have been pretty obvious for someone who somehow managed to pass the first year of a degree course in something as technical as mechanical engineering. How the hell half the people in my yeargroup even manged to get onto a degree course, let alone make it into the second year, i just do not know. No wonder one of the other lecturers has to give us classes in how to get a job, or rather he tells us how bloody difficult it is to get a job these days. It's not about being capable any more, it's about how well you can write a piece of paper and bullshit your way through countless numbers of applications, tests, screenings and interviews.

Good that you want to do something different mate. Personally I don't know what I want to do once I'm finished my degree. I don't feel as if I want to spend all that time and effort just to become another small cog in the corporate machine. I think you should keep at it though, as this poster above me has explained, at least having a degree gives you more of a choice if you ever decide to hang up the professional sticks.

This edit makes A LOT more sense. I view engineering as cog-school central... I thought it would be more hands on, but no, it's Dilbirt with the maybe-quirk of getting to see your design built, for the needs of a corporation. At least you have the right mind man. I'm a junior now, I stopped cause I couldn't pass Thermodynamics, and neither could about 3/8 of my class... That, and it depressed me. I only got to see one gear at school. And it was wonderful 20 second moment.
 
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