How Did/Do You Receive Music Education?

How Did/Do You Get Music Education?

  • Private Solo Formal Instruction

    Votes: 2 25.0%
  • Private Group Formal Instruction

    Votes: 2 25.0%
  • Private Solo Non Formal Instruction

    Votes: 3 37.5%
  • Private Group Non Formal Instruction

    Votes: 1 12.5%
  • Other (e.g. Church, Grade School, University, College, the Internet e.g. YouTube, etc.)

    Votes: 6 75.0%

  • Total voters
    8

OGBama

Moderator
How did/do you receive Music Education, and is music education elitist (or any other "ist") or not, depending on genre(s)?
 
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When I say elitist, think of what the stereotype of music education is to many people: the idea was/is that making music was/is for those of a certain "class" to know how to do.
 
I've always had an interest in music. i got my first guitar when i was four. i didn't start lessons until i was six tho. i stopped taking lessons for a little while last year and i will go back to lessons in april. I've been figuring out many things by ear. i have always loved to sing and now i do a lot of heavy metal after taking screaming lessons. I've just started playing drums tho and i don't know yet how i feel about it. songwriting for me is a major escape from reality and it came to me the idea of song writing after i heard the song Blvd Of Broken Dreams by Green Day.
 
Unlike most members of this forum, music production is only a distant secondary interest of mine. I am primarily a musician who comes from family-tree of C.O.G.I.C. and Baptist Gospel musicians and singers. Today, I am still active in the Gospel music community via my home church choir that performs often at other venues and two mass choirs (a GMWA chapter choir and regional National Baptist Convention choir), but I also take advantage of Jazz and R&B/Soul opportunities when time permits.

With that said, although all of the above options have contributed to my development as a musician over the past 35 years, the three that had the most impact are "Private Solo Formal Instruction", "Private Group Formal Instruction" and "Other"; which includes playing in church with other musicians and dedicated self-study through various music books.
 
all of the above? haha. I don't think music education is elitist at all. I do think that expense can be a big issue when it comes to private lessons but it is possible for kids to get hooked up with lessons for cheap from college students and even high school students when they're up and coming
 
College (I took Music theory, Classical Piano, Jazz Theory, Jazz Combo and Choir) and private instruction once a week which I have been doing for the past 6 years. I also play at various jams around the city. Music education is more about desire+opportunity than flat-out "elitism", though to be honest, classism does have a small part in how one receives education and exposure to the musical arts.
 
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Unlike most members of this forum, music production is only a distant secondary interest of mine. I am primarily a musician who comes from family-tree of C.O.G.I.C. and Baptist Gospel musicians and singers. Today, I am still active in the Gospel music community via my home church choir that performs often at other venues and two mass choirs (a GMWA chapter choir and regional National Baptist Convention choir), but I also take advantage of Jazz and R&B/Soul opportunities when time permits.

With that said, although all of the above options have contributed to my development as a musician over the past 35 years, the three that had the most impact are "Private Solo Formal Instruction", "Private Group Formal Instruction" and "Other"; which includes playing in church with other musicians and dedicated self-study through various music books.

Some of the sickest young jazz players in my city come from worship and praise music backgrounds. Respect.
 
Education is like anything else, Some people can pick up a basketball for the first time and score 15 points in the game. Some people have to practice for years to score 10. Some people have to be coached on how to score. People should use what ever methods they need to achieve their goals. If music is something you take serious and google, youtube, studying is not enough. Find what does work (even if that means higher education), because you bets believe the untalented opportunist of the world are out there doing everything to keep overcrowding the spectrum.... They know no guidelines, limits or rules.
On the other hand, The most beneficial thing about any Higher Education is the different perspectives and insight you will gain.. Not to mention a piece of paper that says you are worth a little more than before. Before considering in path of schooling, study the cost vs cash flows you can expect to generate within a 5-10yr time-frame. I'm a musician of over 25 years, some formal training form my father who is a Jazz Pianist and Music Professor.
 
me and my sister picked up the guitar and keyboards when we were kids and played by ear.. well, the keyboard by ear and the only assistance I ever had was looking up guitar tabs to my favorite songs and learning guitar chords that way. It was very intuitive for me. Nowadays, I am actually enrolled in an organization that is heavily advertised on this forum and I must say that everything that I have covered so far can be learned on youtube and my opinions stands that the only real benefit of attending a formal establishment is for any "connects" and networking opportunities that you may acquire along the way, in your industry.
 
no, it's not at all. I think our music is getting worse because we're adopting that mentality of pushing aside true theory, because it's elitist? What the heck, ...no way. Tupac wrote beautifully and was highly educated in poetry including shakespeare, ...yet of course he never wore a suit and drank with his pinky out.

Education is very very important but how you use it up to you...

To answer the question, yes, I've been educated in music formally and informally since 1st grade, idk how old. But I study it because i love it. Music is a very big part of my life.
 
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