Music school?.. IS THERE A POINT???
- Thread starter JaxBeats
- Start date
RhyanCrisis
New member
personally i don't think it is, everything i learned from there i could have learned off youtube or this forum... And much answers to questions i had was "go with what you feel" cause technically nothing is wrong in music far as mixing and stuff... "if thats the effect yoru going for its correct" as i was told... for example = distortion is known as a very very bad thing... But some people use it to enhance bass or sub bass etc... therefore, someone can't tell you distortion is bad... basically there's no set rules... so they couldn't answer any questions i had, and i am in debt student loans 15k, so imo its not worth it... Althought i did have fun meeting fellow people into the same thing...and i guess the certificate helps?.... i guess... just my two cents
bandcoach
Zukatoku - Mod Scientist
FullSail is not a music school but an audio engineering school - huge difference. A music school will have instrumental instruction and theory as the core of its teaching with maybe a side serving of engineering. An audio engineering school on the other hand will be the exact opposite focusing mostly on engineering topics and maybe a side serve of theory and if you are very lucky some instrumental instruction.
That said, going to school to learn how stuff should be done is a pathway for some folks and not for others. In some disciplines you do not even have the option of saying I do not need/want to go to school - you must do it if you wish to be a doctor/lawyer/construction|civil|mechanical engineer/etc.
When it comes to music, you need to find the school that caters to your needs: this does not mean that you should reject a school if it does not exclusively focus on what you want to learn, as the programs are usually well thought out and interlinked so that your learning is maximised.
If you go to a school where the response to any question is "go with what you feel" then I highly doubt that you will learn anything and and doubt that the instructors know much - however, we need to remember that the we are getting thee reports through a lens that may well distort the information transmitted due to other biases.
I had it said to me early in my learning "One man's great sound is another man's distortion", highlighting that depending on what you know about the craft means that you may not recognise some issues in your work until much later. Put more bluntly: what you know will determine what you think about the quality of the work around you - if you don't know sh1t or have never heard a great mix then you won't be able to produce one yourself.
Going to school to learn these things - what a great mix sounds like, how to achieve it without accidental distortion, etc - should be considered a must. For this reason, more than any other, shopping around a little may be in order so that you find the best possible program and teachers - quality costs, as Steve Jobs used to say......
That said, going to school to learn how stuff should be done is a pathway for some folks and not for others. In some disciplines you do not even have the option of saying I do not need/want to go to school - you must do it if you wish to be a doctor/lawyer/construction|civil|mechanical engineer/etc.
When it comes to music, you need to find the school that caters to your needs: this does not mean that you should reject a school if it does not exclusively focus on what you want to learn, as the programs are usually well thought out and interlinked so that your learning is maximised.
If you go to a school where the response to any question is "go with what you feel" then I highly doubt that you will learn anything and and doubt that the instructors know much - however, we need to remember that the we are getting thee reports through a lens that may well distort the information transmitted due to other biases.
I had it said to me early in my learning "One man's great sound is another man's distortion", highlighting that depending on what you know about the craft means that you may not recognise some issues in your work until much later. Put more bluntly: what you know will determine what you think about the quality of the work around you - if you don't know sh1t or have never heard a great mix then you won't be able to produce one yourself.
Going to school to learn these things - what a great mix sounds like, how to achieve it without accidental distortion, etc - should be considered a must. For this reason, more than any other, shopping around a little may be in order so that you find the best possible program and teachers - quality costs, as Steve Jobs used to say......
Pumpthrust
New member
Based on what, exactly?
It has been a total waist of time for me. I'm just finishing up my music degree at York U in Toronto. You can learn just as much on youtube as you can with your entire degree and you end up counting the days till the semester is over so that you can actually start making the music you want to make rather than the bullshit they make you do.
Terrible. Isn't that school like 70 grand? PLUS living expenses smh.
bandcoach
Zukatoku - Mod Scientist
A lot of folks on-line have said similar things about Full Sail - but just remember that their experience may be coloured by what their expectations were before starting and not having them met as the semesters progressed.
Not everyone who does a course gets what they expected - they might have believed the hype or they might have had outrageously high expectations of themselves and came crashing back to earth when they realised they weren't as good as they thought.
My 1st cousin's daughter (still my 1st cousin which is just one of those strange quirks of genealogy) has attended AIM for the last 3 years as a production major and has had nothing but high praise for the courses and the institute. I've even had conversations with guys on the train here in Sydney who were also students at AIM - they all have nothing but good things to say about the place.
Not everyone who does a course gets what they expected - they might have believed the hype or they might have had outrageously high expectations of themselves and came crashing back to earth when they realised they weren't as good as they thought.
My 1st cousin's daughter (still my 1st cousin which is just one of those strange quirks of genealogy) has attended AIM for the last 3 years as a production major and has had nothing but high praise for the courses and the institute. I've even had conversations with guys on the train here in Sydney who were also students at AIM - they all have nothing but good things to say about the place.
Last edited:
It's about 7 grand per year for 4 years. Complete rip off
GrizzlySquad
New member
I lived with several students at full sail (Orlando) and I lived within walking distance of campus , this is my take on it ;
Overpriced. Hot air. Smoke and mirrors , and fostering a feeling without rewarding that feeling with knowledge.
The school has people like soulja boy come for seminars...
(Terrible quality {Not voicing my opinion on the style of music , just the quality} songs , but celebrity endorsement)
Selling dreams ,perhaps. I was living there selling beats and living off of beats as fast as I could sell them , and they all sat around and never made music. But if someone walked up into the room and asked who has the work they all want to act like they're just blaze - with their construction kits , and quarter-note drum rhythmic limitation.
If you have confidence problems that are really bad ,and your ego needs to be fed to live ; This school might provide that for you , if you can afford it.
Overpriced. Hot air. Smoke and mirrors , and fostering a feeling without rewarding that feeling with knowledge.
The school has people like soulja boy come for seminars...
(Terrible quality {Not voicing my opinion on the style of music , just the quality} songs , but celebrity endorsement)
Selling dreams ,perhaps. I was living there selling beats and living off of beats as fast as I could sell them , and they all sat around and never made music. But if someone walked up into the room and asked who has the work they all want to act like they're just blaze - with their construction kits , and quarter-note drum rhythmic limitation.
If you have confidence problems that are really bad ,and your ego needs to be fed to live ; This school might provide that for you , if you can afford it.
Last edited:
I was about to study music at university.
But I took a look at their program and spoke to quite a few students and realized, everything you learn there can be self taught aswell.
Of course it's different when you've got well trained teachers that watch your progress and give professional tips, and you're forced to do something music related every day, that'll boost your learning progress. Also having so much other musicians around you is very inspiring (one of my neighbours is brilliant at the cello).
But after all, every knowledge they'll give to you is written down in books and showed in online courses. What you really need is the communication with other musicians (e.g. through this forum?
) and everyday musicrelated practice for your ear and your brain.
And if you really love music than that's just as easy as it sounds.
But I took a look at their program and spoke to quite a few students and realized, everything you learn there can be self taught aswell.
Of course it's different when you've got well trained teachers that watch your progress and give professional tips, and you're forced to do something music related every day, that'll boost your learning progress. Also having so much other musicians around you is very inspiring (one of my neighbours is brilliant at the cello).
But after all, every knowledge they'll give to you is written down in books and showed in online courses. What you really need is the communication with other musicians (e.g. through this forum?
) and everyday musicrelated practice for your ear and your brain.And if you really love music than that's just as easy as it sounds.
deepfryguy
New member
Never underestimate the value of a solid education... Aside from the knowledge gained from those with more experience, there's also the connections you make with both like minded students and potentially instructors who may already be well established within the industry..
This forum is no substitute for hands on collaborations with people who actually give a sh_t about what you're doing...
You could simply take out the loans so that you could take the time to fully dedicate to your music production biz, basically living on your own debt..... But why not pay the same amount and have access to a grip of motivated peers great equipment, and people who can help you to avoid pitfalls..
I say this as someone who is self taught in a number of fields over a lifetime.... When I finally went to take some classes at a great school it was like warp speed.... I blasted through so many hurdles... Some of these hurdles I wasn't even aware of but with competent instruction I was able to avoid these pitfalls entirely.
This forum is no substitute for hands on collaborations with people who actually give a sh_t about what you're doing...
You could simply take out the loans so that you could take the time to fully dedicate to your music production biz, basically living on your own debt..... But why not pay the same amount and have access to a grip of motivated peers great equipment, and people who can help you to avoid pitfalls..
I say this as someone who is self taught in a number of fields over a lifetime.... When I finally went to take some classes at a great school it was like warp speed.... I blasted through so many hurdles... Some of these hurdles I wasn't even aware of but with competent instruction I was able to avoid these pitfalls entirely.
Last edited:
GrizzlySquad
New member
I agree ^ Never underestimate the education itself.
However , I think that there are much better places to invest your money.
However , I think that there are much better places to invest your money.
comfortlanding
New member
I used to think I needed to go to a school to learn producing basics, but since I have a natural love for music I can recognize patterns and rythms in music that they probably teach at music schools. There are so many cheap production tools (DAWS, boards, etc.) to learn on in additon to youtube that you can really teach yourself the basics. You'll get better based on how much you put into this...I'm just waiting for my skills to catch up to what I want to do musically!
julioelgenio
Julio El Genio
WASTE OF YOUR TIME, and money, invest the money into better equipment, and your time into learning, everything I've learned has been from a simple google search, youtube, and hours of learning. If you really feel you need some type of education, go to coursera.org and they have an introduction to music production, this is the future of learning!
Skyin Soulz
New member
intresting