Why I’m Glad I Didn’t Get Into Music School
It’s all over. I lay in the middle of a winding beach road at dusk waiting for a car to hit me. My sweet boyfriend’s worried eyes blocked my view of the sky as he tried to gently but swiftly convince me to move my melodramatic performance to the side of the road. The poor guy - we had been on about two dates so far, but it’s best he knows what he’s signing up for sooner rather than later.
I was 18, at schoolies, and drunk for the very first time. I had just received news that I didn’t get into any of the two university music degrees I applied for. My parents would be happy at least, I’d have to get a “real” degree now. But I had no idea what the fuck I wanted to do other than play drums for Kylie Minogue in a big stadium. Hence, lying in the middle of the road.
Almost 15 years later, I finally got the opportunity to play an arena show - I turned it down, but that’s not the point. I’m living proof that you don’t need a music degree to work in the music industry. You don’t have to be one of the best musicians either. You just have to practice, keep playing, and be prepared for when the “lucky” breaks come.
Don’t just take my word for it, I’m just an average session drummer that could easily be replaced by a thousand other drummers, and no one would notice or care (except for me). Take a look at today’s top 10 artists in the Billboard charts and see how many of them completed a degree in music. It’s 23 September 2022 at the time I’m writing this and only one artist on the top ten Billboard artists list has studied music. NAV is a Canadian rapper sitting at number five on the charts and has a diploma in Audio Production and Engineering.
I’ve played the drums alongside some pretty great artists and I’ve noticed this trend to ring true. Often the artist hasn’t gone to study music at college, they’ve just knuckled down and pursued their passion from the get-go. I played for one incredible artist who got great by taping herself singing and playing along to Blink 182 songs over and over and over again. You don’t need a massive college debt to motivate or teach you - if there’s will there’s a way. There’s also Google and YouTube. No excuses. Just write (or play) the damn songs!
It’s usually the session musicians, music directors, audio engineers and producers supporting the “star” who have degrees in music, but again, it’s not essential. There are no CVs in this line of work. You’ll rely on your reputation and word of mouth. I think the key thing I missed out on by not going to music college is the networking opportunity you get by being surrounded by up-and-coming musicians. You can learn all the other stuff by just practicing, gigging, and Googling.
I’m glad I didn’t get into music school because it meant I learned so many other things that allow me to explore my love of music in other ways, other than just playing drums. My marketing degree has helped me to manage other music artists, run events, build websites, advertise music releases, and earn a decent wage while I wait for my ‘big break’ in the music industry. There have been many times when I’ve needed a break from playing the drums and it’s great to have other passions and skills to fall back on.
