big problem

superbatmat

Pioneer Member
hi,
I have a big problem.
I am in a professional music school and I played the drums of course.
The drums class are really good, but the problem is that the theory of music only talking about classical music: counterpoint, history (classical), music theory, harmony and many other things.
All this could be great, but the problem is that we have so much work that I haven't time to work my instrument !
I do not know what to do, I still have two years to finish the school, but if I do not have time to work the drums waht this will serve me ?

Does anyone could advise me?

Thank you

PS sorry for my bad english...
 
I think studying 'classical music: counterpoint, history (classical), music theory, harmony and many other things' will serve you well. Do your homework and then you can work on drums the rest of your life.
 
I think that what you are studying will serve you well, however, when I was in college (I was not a drummer then) I found the same problem in not being able to do a lot of things due to the work load. I first had to conclude...college was/is WORK and at times a lot of work. Second, I noticed I was falling behind because I had so much material to read and NOT the abilty to read it all fast enough...the fix--a speed reading course in the middle of my studies! Learning to speed read helped me tremendously...my reading picked up, my comprehesion, retention and all kept up. Funny thing is after college I let that practice slide and with practice I can speed read again.

I wish you well, your drums are not going anywhere...college will be shorter than you drumming career so hang in there, you will be fine. At least you know how to play the kit, you can work off the rust quick enough!

Cheers!
 
I think it depends on what you want to do with the rest of your life. If your plan is to get out of college and make it as a professional drummer, then you need to be practicing right now, as often as you can. If you are looking to do something else with music (teach band, something like that), while playing on the side, then what you are doing is just fine.

There is NOTHING more important, when trying to make it as a professional performance-based musician, than talent. No one gives a crap if you have a degree, you get hired for gigs and sessions based on your playing.
 
I think it depends on what you want to do with the rest of your life. If your plan is to get out of college and make it as a professional drummer, then you need to be practicing right now, as often as you can. If you are looking to do something else with music (teach band, something like that), while playing on the side, then what you are doing is just fine.

There is NOTHING more important, when trying to make it as a professional performance-based musician, than talent. No one gives a crap if you have a degree, you get hired for gigs and sessions based on your playing.

You're right...no one does give a crap if you have a dregree, but as long as he's in school, paying tuition, he should get the most out of it. I recomend getting the most out of the classes, practice drums when you can, and move on from there.
 
There are far more similarities between classical harmony, form, counterpoint, etc., and pop/rock/jazz/etc. versions of the same than there are differences. Those courses will do you no harm.

Even when I was going to conservatory (when dinosaurs roamed the earth) there were jazz courses--got any at your school? Take 'em.
 
I'm not sure that nobody gives a crap about degrees. One can surely get along without one, but if you want to teach somewhere for instance, having a degree can help. Or if you want to teach privately it can justify charging higher fees.

Also, I don't really agree about talent being the most important thing. It is very important of course, but these days you especially need guts and a certain sense of business affairs. Only being talented is not enough.

All in all, BatMat, only you can make the choice out of what you want to do with this, but those lessons will give you some very interesting and most probably helpful knowledge as a musician.

All the best,
C.J.
 
I`m in a similar situation. There about two years left with school and in music class wer`re talking about theory, history and music from a classical standpoint very much.
I think that this serves you very well.
Playing a musical instrument in general is also about developing other skills than just practical ones.
When attending university that`s an important part of your day. A friend of mine told me that there`s almost no time for him to actually play and practice things which he would personally really like to do (he attends uni).
His day is filled with different classes, music history as well as theory is an important focal point.

I would not worry so much about it. What you`re doing now helps surely and has its benefits. While learning about classical music, theory you`ll draw awesome conclusions and I`m sure that you`ll be thankful in the end.

It`s broadening your musical ken.

Karl
 
I'm not sure that nobody gives a crap about degrees. One can surely get along without one, but if you want to teach somewhere for instance, having a degree can help. Or if you want to teach privately it can justify charging higher fees.
Obviously, that's true about teaching at a school, but the highest paid teachers in my area are the professional drummers who play out a lot, and have lots of teaching experience...not the guys with degrees.

Also, I don't really agree about talent being the most important thing. It is very important of course, but these days you especially need guts and a certain sense of business affairs. Only being talented is not enough.

Talent is the most important thing. Period. Now, I agree that talent alone won't get you where you need to be to make it professionally. God knows there are more talented drummers than me who haven't made a career out of drumming like I have. Business skills are HUGE, as are guts. Attitude is also extremely important, as I have spoken about at great length in my posts in theads about auditions. However, if you have all the business savvy in the world, and all the guts of the entire Marine Corps combined, and are cooler than an ice cube, you still won't be able to make a living as a professional musician if you don't have the talent level to do it. Most people who make a living as a musician don't manage to do it by being in just one band. I actually did a study on this once, and while I forget the exact percentage of pro musicians who do, it's in the single digits. Most of us who make our livings this way do it by being in multiple groups, and also doing a lot of pick-up gigs, theatre work, teaching, studio gigs, etc. All of those gigs are landed through word-of-mouth, and the reputation that you establish by playing well with other people.

All in all, BatMat, only you can make the choice out of what you want to do with this, but those lessons will give you some very interesting and most probably helpful knowledge as a musician.

All the best,
C.J.

I agree that studying this stuff is extremely important. I have spent years on theory, taken courses, etc. However, with that said, if someone spends so much time studying music that they are unable to practice their primary instrument, and are hoping to make it as a performing musician (as opposed to making their main living off of teaching, etc), they are hurting themselves. You have to practice, and get as good as you can be, to make it as a pro. If someone said they wanted to be a welder, you wouldn't suggest that they step away from welding for four years to study how flames work. The most important thing that a drummer can do to make it as a professional is to play the drums.
 
I think studying 'classical music: counterpoint, history (classical), music theory, harmony and many other things' will serve you well. Do your homework and then you can work on drums the rest of your life.

Simplistic and dead on! Its only for a short period of time SBM! Focus on your studies, I'm positive you will find use for them later, drum when you can. The future will prove the simple wisdom in slingerland's words.
 
Thanks a lot fr your help everybody !
I think I have to finish these studies ! I can play the drums for all my life... It's just a "bad" moment in my musical life...
 
College DOES get in the way of playing, but it doesn't have too.

When I was a college music major, I practiced a LOT on drums, and screwed OFF in piano, music theory, and any other class I didn't like. Of course I didn't graduate, but heh, I got in a lot of practice on drums.

All I did really was play drums, do my band on the side, college stage band, individual lessons, reading, and rhythm technique. I practiced 4 - 6 hours a day, and did that for the year I was in school. I earned 'A's in these courses, but barely pulled through with 'C's in music theory, which was ok for me, I hated it to be truthful, it sucked, and so did piano too.

My advise, to make room for drum practice and still not flunk out on music theory, give up these things.

TV
Video Games
Girls
Drinking
Football games (unless you are in pep band)
Partying (unless you are playing there)
Lunch, Recess, and PE
And what ever you do, do not smoke weed, it makes music theory last forever.
 
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