By the time I was in the twelfth grade I had some idea of what I wanted to do… but no idea how I wanted to get there.
If I was aiming for a doctor, an office job, or a lawyer it would have been a no-brainer that I would go to university. However here I am on SoundGirls, so as you can imagine I was aiming for a path a little unconventional.
Now, not to say that those jobs are bad careers, by no means. However, when it comes to wanting to have your profession in the arts? Getting a degree from an educational institution may or may not be the way to go.
If you are aiming to become the next Beyonce for instance. You could go to NYU and major in vocal arts, network, and meet some people that can help you record an EP, and BOOM! Instant success! Unfortunately, however, while this scenario is possible it isn’t always subject to replication. Not everyone that majors in NYU’s vocal arts program are going to be the next world sensation, some might not get the opportunities or work with others that would elevate them to that megastar status.
The entertainment business is surely creative, but it is also still a business. It needs a lot of people to keep the machine well oiled. So the people factor is extremely important, who you impress and who you don’t can change where you might be months or years into the future.
So the question I posed is, choosing the right university? Well, I’m pretty sure you can predict what I’m going to say. What are you roughly aiming for? Want to be an engineer? Want to be an entertainment lawyer? Or maybe a music journalist? Which path to follow, university, tech school, or a hands-on mentorship? University is an option but not the only one. So this September when you are pouring over state and private universities, think about where you roughly want to go and then what options you can look into.
One last quick tip. If you are not sure where you want to go but know you want a career in the music business, you can always take quick courses online. Coursera and Berklee Online have free and paid-for options on a number of different classes that you could take. While you could go to university undeclared, it still will charge you tuition which could be pricey depending on where you are and if you are receiving scholarships or some kind of financial aid. With online classes, you can get a taste of what you might be in for in your profession and for way less than college tuition.
Find more educational programs from online to four-year universities