What if you want to work in a top military band, or on broadway, or audition for a symphony orchestra, or at a major theme park or teach for a DCI drum corps? If you don't have a degree from an institution you'll never have a chance at any of the above situations. There is a lot more to the music world then being in the right place at the right time and playing with a popular band. I know several full time professional players. All have degrees and advanced degrees from colleges.
This is always such a semi-heated topic. I don't think Bermuda and I are poo-poo-ing the argument that you should go to college. All I said was that you should look to the working successful players and find out what they did to get where they are. If you're really convinced that you need to go to college and have that degree, then don't let what I say stop you, go get one! But I think there are too many young people who automatically go from high school to music school blindly, accrue the debt it takes to do so, and then find out later that being a 'business' is much different from being a good player. I'm just saying I think everyone should have an open mind and open their eyes. College tuition is expensive in case you haven't noticed. And as I recall, it was in the news last year that 100,000 law school graduates could not find a job as a lawyer - so if it's tough for them, what do you think it'll be like for the music school graduate? There are people with J.D. degrees working as baristas at Starbucks.
Yes, people in orchestras, or playing shows, and even in the military, will most likely have a degree. But have you looked at the number of jobs available compared to the number of music school students? The last show I auditioned for at Disney had two drummer spots open - over 150 drummers showed up! Many had college degrees, alot more didn't. I didn't make the the second call-back, and I'm already in there, with a comfortable life of my own.
College is expensive (like any worthwhile endeavour). But what gets me is that people continue to take on the debt to do it, without a clear plan of getting to do what they studied for. Granted, doctors and lawyers study for that one thing and up until now, many of them get to do what they want, but alot of that is changing too. I've always looked at it like this: if I give someone $75,000 for a music degree, then that must mean I get to make my living as a musician. If it doesn't end up that way, I'd be really pissed off. It would be interesting to see some class action lawsuit against universities that sold people on music degrees, and these people sued for their money back because they aren't doing what they paid for, eh?
And before someone counters with "I can teach" - I'll say that's great. But that's not why you went to music school. You went because you wanted to be a player, right? We all want to be the next Dave Weckl, or Steve Gadd, or Michael Brecker, or.... right? Playing is what attracted us in the first place. I didn't enroll in music school because I wanted to teach. When it was suggested that I begin working on things for a music education degree, that's when I went somewhere else academically. I came to play.
I know, I shouldn't sound so angry about it. Just talk to those who are doing it and successful at it, and see if that's the way you want to go. Apparently, there's no guarantee in
anything.