Do you as a singer need to go attend college? Should a random author of a blog decide your fate if you want to go to college or not?
The decision for you to attend college to major in singing will depend on many variables which will decide for you whether or not you should or shouldn’t attend a music college. Knowing what colleges can and can’t do will be beneficial for you to know as well.
Take this article on a light note, this is meant to serve ‘most of us’, the most students who have to take a loan to attend a decent college. If a certain situation or variable doesn’t apply to you then feel free to deviate from my knowledge.
Knowing Your End Goal is Important
It’s like walking without a direction. It might serve you well if you intended to see the world and wanted to take it all in. But, you wouldn’t trust your blind driver to drive you from anywhere to anywhere regardless of the good intentions they have of keeping you safe.
So, will your life after four years of college aid you in your life? See, it’s all fun going to a fancy college. Berklee had unlimited hot dogs and quite tasty ones too. Their education is no doubt top-notch too.
You also can’t take one aspect of something and expect it to hold firm four years later. For example, people who start with music might not even end up working in the music industry. The statistics for music colleges are pretty bad.
1 out of 4 students who graduate from Berklee. Out of the people who graduate, ½ don’t work in the music industry. ½ of the students who graduate, ½ of them work in the music industry part-time. That leaves ¼ of graduates working in the music industry full-time. $60,000 a year for education (for four years, mind you) to get sidelined?
Those are some pretty bad odds to go against. Don’t believe me? Call the college you’re applying to and ask to talk to the student counselor and see if they help you out with these numbers. If you’re willing to fight for it then good, otherwise your money and time are better spent somewhere else.
Who Are You?
I am not asking you to ‘know thyself’ but who are you? Are you someone who can sit in classes and enjoy lectures? Are you someone who gets good grades? Are you someone who wants to work on deadlines and submit assignments?
That’s what college is. If you’re free-spirited in that sense and would like to enjoy a more casual approach to understanding music theory, arrangements, and other things. Then wouldn’t it be best to do it by yourself?
Colleges are also highly social. If you’re not the one to network and take seven semesters to find friends then you know what your outcome is going to be.
Know yourself and you will be able to answer this yourself! If you’d like to attend a music college at all.
You have to realize that graduating college isn’t going to mean anything. At all. The work required of you to be put into networking, just like any other job is necessary. Read ahead about ‘What Colleges Can’t Do’.
Where Are You Headed?
What is your end goal as a musician? Do you just want to get good at composing your own songs? Then going to four years of college isn’t going to guarantee you that.
Always remember that you have an obligation of courses to fulfill, and the number of credits to be met to graduate. All of these things are necessary and you should be a model student. But, to what end?
What are you going to get out of it? If you’re self-disciplined then there is nothing you can’t learn in this day and age that would require you to depend on a music college.
What Colleges Can’t Do
You can pass your classes but you can’t fake singing all the way. The only real improvement that you can expect yourself to have is going to be where you know you wake up every day and have a solid habit of practicing.
There is really no other way to get better, without college you must develop a way to practice consistently and have the discernment to know what to practice next.
Colleges aren’t going to spoon-feed you about what you should be doing and expect you to perform and show up regardless of whether you’ve practiced or not.
What Colleges Can Do
They can provide you with great guidance. Really great guidance. They can also give you a really big network.
My only gripe with these two advantages is that they’re replaceable. Want guidance? Find someone better than you. Not in your city? Move. Heck, with the internet, you won’t even have to do that these days.
Want a big network? You must work for it. Regardless of whether you’re in a college or not.
Don’ts
You can get through this alone but given that you’re probably between a teen and someone who’s an adult, you’re going to need some friends. Being ‘introverted’ isn’t going to hurt anything but your network. If you’re not outgoing then that means you’re not going to get gigs. And that, at a music college is going to be the death of you.
If you’re someone who has to take a loan for music education for college then don’t go. I am not a big advocate for music colleges to begin with but going to college won’t change your life. Moving to another city with a hustling and bustling music scene will.
Go there, take your time. Get to know people. Get better, find mentors and pay people to teach you. Get yourself known for something but always remember and ask yourself this.
What else can you do with $60,000 in your life? Or $20,000 if that’s how much it’s going to cost you. You just need one good enough reason to not go.
Buy an Online Course
If you had to spend money on anything wouldn’t it be best to spend it on something that would educate and make you a better singer?
You see, I created this website to help people, and when I tell you it’s to benefit you. Read this article on why I believe that buying an online course is the way to go.
If you’re like to read about my recommended courses and others like them, you can read all about them here. The prices are told so you are not surprised at the checkout.
No wrong choices there, enjoy your day and I hope you keep on learning how to sing!