Does anyone have a degree in music? And if so how does it help your career?.

[mguz11]

So I am debating switching my area of study from business to my true love of recording and music. The college that is nearby offers an associates degree in recording technology.

I guess my question is, if anyone has a degree in any music related field How did it help your career?

The college only offers an associates which I would want to transfer that to complete a bachelors and eventually a masters degree. Just wondering if it is actually worth it to take the schooling as far as job placement in concerned. Because if there is no real difference I would save the money and continue learning myself and going from there.

 

[Cyko]

It hasn't. What's helped me most is having direct connections.

 

[bandcoach]

Quite seriously, stay with your business degree and see if you can pick up some units in music as credit fo the business degree.

A business degree whilst not quite a license to print money, is going to allow you to apply for a wider range of jobs than a music and related arts degree/associates would do.

Learn the ins and outs of accounting, management, marketing and so on and apply these ideas to your own career and maybe to that of others (i.e. become an agent/manager/A&R/etc.)

My degree in music was a great help in getting me a level of knowledge and understanding of the process of composition and orchestration and arranging - my studio skills were honed working as an engineer in the music department whilst studying - recording/producing for myself and other students and faculty. It did nothing for a career beyond qualifying me for a teaching program. As a teacher, I have been freed from the worries of how do I find the money to eat/clothe myself/etc. I also have limited time to apply to my composing/writing/engineering, but I certainly have more time than if I were working any other 9-5.

 

[Seandonjuan]

At my school there are two music degrees. Music Industry and Music. Music Industry has to do with he recording arts as well as the business aspect that goes along with that. The music side has to do with theory and performance, and when I say performance I mean being proficient at an instrument. My professors have told me multiple times that a degree in music does not always pay the bills. You may have the degree, however, music jobs are hard to come by even when they are music education. In music you need to be very talented and what you are doing and your skill will get you paid. Even then though it depends on what you do and well you do it. That said it is possible to get a job with your music degrees and make money, however, degrees mean nothing without skill. My professors say practice every day, 8 hours a day would be sufficient they say. My professors and I do not know everything though maybe in your case it will help.
My school does have a program though that while completing your degree you can be an intern in studios that the school has connections with. These internships are mostly based around fetching coffee though. I do know of people getting internships that have can actually go somewhere though by going to conferences and meeting people. If you sign up for ASCAP and go to their conventions and meeting and meet the right people and tell them what you do you could possibly land a job like that. But that won't last if you do not have the skills. The classes can teach you, however, practice hones the skills.
Search yourself for the right answer because everyone is different. You know what you got to do.

 

[ProducerJC]

So I am debating switching my area of study from business to my true love of recording and music. The college that is nearby offers an associates degree in recording technology.

I guess my question is, if anyone has a degree in any music related field How did it help your career?

The college only offers an associates which I would want to transfer that to complete a bachelors and eventually a masters degree. Just wondering if it is actually worth it to take the schooling as far as job placement in concerned. Because if there is no real difference I would save the money and continue learning myself and going from there.

The obvious answer to your question is, yes. It's always a good idea to get professional training from mentors, regardless if it's from schools or entry level positions. You can always find work when you know where to look; however, there's very little job placement. We mostly collaborate with others to get placement unlike a "job" where there's an employee, employer business relationship. As producers, we work as contractors, writers, publishers and/or work for hires. We're responsible for paying our own taxes, as where most employers withdraw taxes from our payrolls for us.

At the end of the day, getting paid is getting paid no matter which career you choose to follow. I suggest finding a doing something you enjoy, adjusting your lifestyle accordingly and getting paid for it. There's nothing like getting paid to do what we're good at or enjoy.