# I'm "close" to finishing college, and scared to death. What advice would you give me?



## newbycomposer (Aug 24, 2014)

Alright, so I'm 21 years old, been involved in music somewhat since I was in kindergarten. k-8th grade I took classical piano lessons, did band in 7-9th grade. Then did nothing till my senior year in highschool when I started writing. I'm entering my 4th year of college but have a year and a half extra added on because I failed some theory courses. Theory is a weak spot of mine, especially ear training, I'm working on it though, 12 tone rows will be conquered this year. About 4 months ago I got a slew of Virtual instruments from eastwest and have been using them in cuebase 7.5. I bought them (Which was expensive) because this is what I want to do with my life, and my school isn't really giving me any instruction on the producing side, just the writing of the music. I go to Arkansas state university, a school with a small music department. I don't know if I'll get my masters or not, I'm not sure if I need it, or more importantly, if I can afford it. I'm not sure what exactly to get a masters in or where to get it.(which is kinda the point of this post) 

Anyway, I'm not sure where to go when I get out of college, where to send my work, what work to send, or even what I want to do. I originally wanted to media scoring, mainly tv/video games. However while I still want to do that Ive been experiment with different sounds and stuff in the past year and am less sold on that direction, which made me realize, I'm not entirely sure what direction to go. I'm not going to lie, I'm worried about money, I don't desire to be rich, I mean I'm majoring in MUSIC for Christ sake, but I would really like to get the hell out of my parents house when I graduate. 

What advice would you give me , both on direction and just in getting the skills needed on the productions side when it comes to using Virtual instruments, i feel like there is only so much I can learn blindly fumbling around and reading the manuals. I can't figure out how to mix/master things for the life of me, or even get a good chain on say, a guitar sound.


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## Jimbo 88 (Aug 24, 2014)

Work hard!

Hard work always pays off in the long run. That is all I can tell you.


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## RiffWraith (Aug 24, 2014)

newbycomposer @ Mon Aug 25 said:


> What advice would you give me....



*STAY IN YOUR PARENTS HOUSE*

Nothing - and I mean NOTHING beats a free place to live while you are trying to hone your craft and find work. Especially in this biz. Count on at it being least several years before you can say that you are earning a living making music. Until then, the free place to live is a god send. Take advantage of it.

Good luck!


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## Allegro (Aug 24, 2014)

Be prepared to get knocked down on the floor. Choose what you love doing rather than letting us decide.


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## newbycomposer (Aug 24, 2014)

RiffWraith @ Sun Aug 24 said:


> newbycomposer @ Mon Aug 25 said:
> 
> 
> > What advice would you give me....
> ...




What about moving, I'll be honest I don't know much about the industry now in days, I would rather not have to move all the way across the country to LA or New york, I will if I have to, but I would rather not. How do I get an "in", How do I find work, How do I even get to know people in the industry?


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## José Herring (Aug 24, 2014)

No matter what happens be comforted in the fact that almost anything is better than school


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## The Darris (Aug 24, 2014)

You need to start getting yourself out there. Find something that you can give to the community that other's aren't. This will help set you a part from the pack. School can only teach you so much but they don't teach you how to actually get work or make contacts. That comes from you just pursuing it. 

You need to figure out the area you want to excel in. For me it is film scoring. I've spent the last two years learning what I can about the technical side of composition like mock-ups as well as getting small gigs writing music for short films. The best way to get those gigs is to find directors who are in film school. (Research film schools). I can tell you that every start of the term, Occidental College seniors start the pre-production of their senior thesis film and this includes getting a crew together. Network, get in touch with the schools and have them share your current work with their students in hopes for one or two to email you. 

Other go the route of library music. This is a tough world to get started in as so many libraries are packed with music now, you really need to be on your game to get those gigs. You can also try to become a demo composer for developers. This is hard to get into and usually pays in software (depending on the dev). However, it is free publicity and can lead down the right path to meet the right people.

It is who you know but it is also who you ARE. People want to work with someone they can distinguish from the pack, who has their own voice, and is willing to work hard. I am far from a distinguished composer but I can say that the few professional relationships I have started this year have really set me down the path of my overall goal. 

There are many ways to go about getting work but again, you have to ask yourself, 'What work do I want?" and then start networking. That is the best advice I can give you. Good luck.

Cheers,

Chris


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## José Herring (Aug 24, 2014)

newbycomposer @ Sun Aug 24 said:


> Alright, so I'm 21 years old, been involved in music somewhat since I was in kindergarten. k-8th grade I took classical piano lessons, did band in 7-9th grade. Then did nothing till my senior year in highschool when I started writing. I'm entering my 4th year of college but have a year and a half extra added on because I failed some theory courses. Theory is a weak spot of mine, especially ear training, I'm working on it though, 12 tone rows will be conquered this year. About 4 months ago I got a slew of Virtual instruments from eastwest and have been using them in cuebase 7.5. I bought them (Which was expensive) because this is what I want to do with my life, and my school isn't really giving me any instruction on the producing side, just the writing of the music. I go to Arkansas state university, a school with a small music department. I don't know if I'll get my masters or not, I'm not sure if I need it, or more importantly, if I can afford it. I'm not sure what exactly to get a masters in or where to get it.(which is kinda the point of this post)
> 
> Anyway, I'm not sure where to go when I get out of college, where to send my work, what work to send, or even what I want to do. I originally wanted to media scoring, mainly tv/video games. However while I still want to do that Ive been experiment with different sounds and stuff in the past year and am less sold on that direction, which made me realize, I'm not entirely sure what direction to go. I'm not going to lie, I'm worried about money, I don't desire to be rich, I mean I'm majoring in MUSIC for Christ sake, but I would really like to get the hell out of my parents house when I graduate.
> 
> What advice would you give me , both on direction and just in getting the skills needed on the productions side when it comes to using Virtual instruments, i feel like there is only so much I can learn blindly fumbling around and reading the manuals. I can't figure out how to mix/master things for the life of me, or even get a good chain on say, a guitar sound.



Sounds to me that school has you pretty messed up on music. 

My advice is to not worry yet about hustling and just take a few months and really find out what you need to know about music and not what your school taught you.


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## choc0thrax (Aug 24, 2014)

newbycomposer @ Sun Aug 24 said:


> I would rather not have to move all the way across the country to LA or New york, I will if I have to, but I would rather not. How do I get an "in", How do I find work, How do I even get to know people in the industry?



By... by moving.

If I were you I'd choose LA because if you end up homeless you can just lounge around Venice beach in the sun.


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## rgames (Aug 24, 2014)

There's nothing wrong with not knowing what you want to do at age 21. Most people don't, even those who think they do.

Start networking, do some library work and keep a day job. Do that for 5-6 years and see what happens. If you're still struggling after 5-6 years then you need to think hard about a different career.

Whatever you do DON'T GO INTO DEBT. It can take decades to recover.

rgames


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## newbycomposer (Aug 24, 2014)

josejherring @ Sun Aug 24 said:


> newbycomposer @ Sun Aug 24 said:
> 
> 
> > Alright, so I'm 21 years old, been involved in music somewhat since I was in kindergarten. k-8th grade I took classical piano lessons, did band in 7-9th grade. Then did nothing till my senior year in highschool when I started writing. I'm entering my 4th year of college but have a year and a half extra added on because I failed some theory courses. Theory is a weak spot of mine, especially ear training, I'm working on it though, 12 tone rows will be conquered this year. About 4 months ago I got a slew of Virtual instruments from eastwest and have been using them in cuebase 7.5. I bought them (Which was expensive) because this is what I want to do with my life, and my school isn't really giving me any instruction on the producing side, just the writing of the music. I go to Arkansas state university, a school with a small music department. I don't know if I'll get my masters or not, I'm not sure if I need it, or more importantly, if I can afford it. I'm not sure what exactly to get a masters in or where to get it.(which is kinda the point of this post)
> ...



How so?


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## KEnK (Aug 24, 2014)

josejherring @ Sun Aug 24 said:


> ...My advice is to not worry yet about hustling and just take a few months and really find out what you need to know about music and not what your school taught you...


Towards that end-
Travel- Bum around Europe for a few months.
Then you'll know more. 
It can be very freeing and inspirational.
It will change you in a positive and empowering way.

k


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## newbycomposer (Aug 24, 2014)

josejherring @ Sun Aug 24 said:


> newbycomposer @ Sun Aug 24 said:
> 
> 
> > josejherring @ Sun Aug 24 said:
> ...



haha I won't argue there, though I think some of the stuff I learned that you wouldn't THINK would be useful, would be, such as pitch class sets, I really need to brush up on those.

I'm HORRIBLE with theory, Best way to describe it is somewhere in the back of my mind I remember stuff when composing, but if you ask me what it actually is I have no idea. Like pedal tone, Re learnt what that was a few days ago, turns out Ive been doing it off and on for a while but just forgot the name.


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## José Herring (Aug 24, 2014)

In a creative endeavor like music composition, I find that one really needs to develop his own ideas on music theory and its application. Some of the stuff in school can aid that, but a lot of it is there to insure that you can really never be effective in music due to an obsessive compulsion to follow formal rules.


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## The Darris (Aug 24, 2014)

Always good to know the rules so you can be effective when you break them. :D


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## José Herring (Aug 24, 2014)

The Darris @ Sun Aug 24 said:


> Always good to know the rules so you can be effective when you break them. :D



I hear you. And I use to think that. But, then I realized that what you're doing then is pitting your music either in alignment with arbitrary rules set down by monks or untalented music theorist or in contrary to the same set of rules. But, if you realize that the rules are arbitrary then you can move beyond them and actually get at the useful theory which are a set of general principles all of which can be summed up in less than a paragraph. Learned in a few hours, practiced a lifetime, and yield music that might actually be personal to you.

I think the biggest mistakes schools make is to separate out music theory and music history into different subjects. When in truth they belong together.

Take the rules of counterpoint, if prefaced with the historical data that some people use to write using these rules until about 1750 when Mozart disregarded almost all of them, then it would make sense. Instead counterpoint is taught as if it's currently relevant, when in actually fact a) nobody writes from a fixed bass and b) Nobody writing 17 century church music.

Then we could actually take from counterpoint what is actually useful (voice leading and part independence) and chuck all the rest of the rules which to most people read like the rules of Fizzbin from the old Star Trek episode...


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## Mike Marino (Aug 24, 2014)

> Whatever you do DON'T GO INTO DEBT. It can take decades to recover.



+1


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## doctornine (Aug 25, 2014)

newbycomposer @ Sun Aug 24 said:


> What advice would you give me , both on direction and just in getting the skills needed on the productions side when it comes to using Virtual instruments, i feel like there is only so much I can learn blindly fumbling around and reading the manuals. I can't figure out how to mix/master things for the life of me, or even get a good chain on say, a guitar sound.



Well, I'm going to be un-popular for saying this but…… if you only picked up cubase and some Vi's 12 months ago, you are so far behind the game it's not true……

If you're course isn't covering that, get onto youtube, start watching tutorials on production, programming etc etc…
Post some example of you're work on here and ask for feedback. This is a great place to get comments and advice on where' you're going wrong. Be it in terms of writing or producing.

You're' also going to need to invest in a lot more virtual instruments and figure out how best to use them. Honestly I'd say you have a lot of ground to make up. Take a look and listen at the links in people's signatures on here, go to their soundloud's and spend a few hours listening to it all. Thats you're competition and thats the level you need to be at.

I'd agree with a lot of other posts here, when you graduate, absolutely you will probably need to be living at you're parents. You'll probably also need some non-music part time job. It won't always be that way if you're tenacious, talented and lucky……

~o)


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## Waywyn (Aug 25, 2014)

First of all realize that it may be the hardest time of your life ... to establish everything!
You simply HAVE to realize this and keep going. There will be times you will crawl on the floor, there will be times you sit in the corner and weep ... 

... simply accept it and try everything you can. Seriously EVERYTHING!

The time of cherry picking stuff like: Oh, I make a career in games or trailer music is over!

If you open one door to a specific industry path it may close faster than you think, so always be happy if you have opened three or four more! Of course you may be lucky, find a great job and be set from within the first moment. However, I wouldn't rely on it!

Make intelligent use of social media, meaning not fuckin' slam together a track in one hour and plaster the digital world with it. Mostly share credits!
I've seen enough shit like: My most awesome track will be online in three hours!!!
Avoid mass mailings to other composers or self advertising posts to other composers posts or messages!

Be yourself ... and read the 48 laws of Power! Good luck!


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## AC986 (Aug 25, 2014)

I would stay at the parents and take a course in plumbing or something like that. Landscape gardening is a good one.


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## AlexandreSafi (Aug 25, 2014)

Newbycomposer,

1st of all, congrats on making that 1st step of telling a whole community you're not sure of anything, that in itself shows a great deal of courage...Your age tells me that the key-rule you should set for yourself is to "value learning over money", so yes remain at the house, no shame in that as far as i'm concerned...
-Set priorities: What do you love the most, what do you feel you "have" to do, think of it in reverse: where would you have regrets if you hadn't done it in the end, use your own mortality and the law of "time" to guide you...
-Use your time to organize your priorities: I.e. -- Will a MASTER's degree help (and speed up?) on what you really want to learn or not? Only you can answer for yourself...
-As far as being afraid of money, here's some unusual training for this fear, and having the right mindset about it, but also the right mindset of a true apprentice and a future pro, get these books:
http://www.amazon.com/Think-Grow-Rich-Napoleon-Hill/dp/1604591870 (http://www.amazon.com/Think-Grow-Rich-N ... 1604591870)
http://www.amazon.com/Power-Your-Subconscious-Mind/dp/1614270198 (http://www.amazon.com/Power-Your-Subcon ... 1614270198)
http://www.amazon.com/The-War-Art-Through-Creative/dp/1936891026 (http://www.amazon.com/The-War-Art-Throu ... 1936891026)
http://www.amazon.com/Mastery-Robert-Gr ... 014312417X
Get them and practice them, for your own psychology's sake, which is all what all 4 of them are really about when you come out of it...

Advice from the pros:
Here's what John Powell had to say about breaking in: _*"My best advice is - try and be better than everyone else.... and if you are not, then write more, learn more, listen to more, study more, think more, stay up later than anyone else until you are. I'm not being flippant - it's a hard business to get into and there are a lot of great composers out there. "*_
No shame in that too, as far as i'm concerned... 
Here's the rest of his Q&A:
http://www.soundsonline-forums.com/foru ... y.php?f=32
Jeff Rona's:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7zqUFSxXzI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1dWhUyMYeY
Tobb Brabec's:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JNhHUr-SyI
Brian Tyler's:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbl2oq086As
James Newton Howard's:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bxZWgsnyIE
Hans Zimmer's:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzN1FeVflJo

Film music books important to read with "lots" of advice from the pros too:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Reel-World-Scoring-Pictures-Updated/dp/1423434838 (http://www.amazon.com/The-Reel-World-Sc ... 1423434838)
http://www.amazon.com/On-Track-Guide-Contemporary-Scoring/dp/0415941369 (http://www.amazon.com/On-Track-Guide-Co ... 0415941369)
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Film-Scoring-Business/dp/0876391099 (http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Fi ... 0876391099)
-My own very personal bonus advice is: FOCUS ON MELODY. (And intelligent motifs)--Don't compromise--"Otherwise you have nothing"--I truly believe that in the end, no matter what tools & VI's, this is the greatest and most noble skill one could ever strive towards as a composer and this is the one where people can truly hear and remember your voice as a musician...

The details are yours to fill...
My sincere Best, 
Alexandre


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## Ozymandias (Aug 25, 2014)

doctornine @ Mon Aug 25 said:


> Well, I'm going to be un-popular for saying this but…… if you only picked up cubase and some Vi's 12 months ago, you are so far behind the game it's not true……



Is 21 really considered "behind the game"? :shock: 

That seems like all the time in the world to me (and probably some of the others here, too :lol.


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## AlexandreSafi (Aug 25, 2014)

And... just to bounce off more stuff, i would also recommend this video for ind-depth information from author Robert Greene, as a creative artist entrepreneur: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJeoyckQn3A


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## Simplesly (Aug 25, 2014)

+1 on staying with the parents. Seems like most kids your age are doing that until they're 25 anyway :D plus it's really reeally hard to work a full time job and do composing on the side.

+10000 on staying out of debt. I had just a few thousand worth of debt for years but even that small amount hung over my head like a dark thundercloud. It sucks. That especially means don't go in the hole buying sample libraries - work with what you have. There is a understandably lot of gear lust on VI control, but many composers here are way more established than you and actually need the stuff for their work. You don't at your level, and don't be convinced that you do. 

I would say if you're serious about this career, get yourself in a master's program that actually teaches you the relevant skills of a film/media composer, and also audio engineering. Explore sound design - in this age where professional scoring tools are available to almost anyone, it'll help set your 'sound' apart from other and it's definitely a skill you want to have right now.

Just a sobering thought for you - I'm in my mid thirties and I still don't make a full living from writing music. When it finally happens, it happens at different times for different people.

And p.p.s., for god's sake improve your ear training!!!!


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## Markus S (Aug 25, 2014)

It's good to ask others for advice, but actually, also be aware of the limits of it.

What may be good for others and may have worked for others will not necessarily work for you.

You are in a unique position and will make unique experiences.

Of course you have the "by the book advice" - go to meetings and the like, but this actually never really worked for me. In addition I indebted myself when starting out to invest in professional material and moved out of my parents home a long time before. I learned about sequencers only with 23 or something and couldn't read a note until I was past 20. Still I managed to work full time for 10 years now.

So the only advice I can give is: make up your own mind, don't follow the path of others, but discover your own.


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## clarkus (Aug 25, 2014)

Landscape architecture is in fact a career that is struggling. Be careful what you recommend. 

Can I give my 2 cents here? You may have to hole up and spend 6 - 8 months to get it together, but if you can start making demos that sound like what you are hearing on "television," you will then have something to show for yourself. In your spare time, make friends anywhere you can who you might collaborate with (film students for example) so you can show you have set sound to picture. 

THEN look into the wonderful world of marketing yourself.

As to "finding your own" voice, you likely have one, even if it's a bit quiet right now. Who knows? You could be writing brilliant stuff already. No-one here has heard your music.

The point is you need to demonstrate that you can write down the middle of whatever genre and kind of work you are interested in. I gather that's commercial music (loosely speaking) or you wouldn't be here.

I've had some luck doing what I am recommending here, otherwise I wouldn't be putting my oar in the water.

Dont get discouraged. You're 21! You could own your own island in a decade or two, or at least be making a living doing something you like. Keep at it. Keep asking questions. Prevail.

As for music theory, it has its place.


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## newbycomposer (Aug 25, 2014)

I really appropriate all the replies. I think some of you were wondering about where I'm at so below is a short little thing I wrote a couple days after starting to mess around with the Eastwest stuff. Its super simple, just the 5 string sections and a flute, super simple because I wanted to focus more on using the vst's. I posted this probably 2-3 months ago right after I have gotten them. I'm still learning a lot about just general midi processing, and thats going to be fun because my professor hates them with a burning passion. So I'm pretty much going to be doing all my schoolwork+all my own stuff I don't bring to lessons. 

Anyway, this is it, like I said, nothing special, didn't put much thought onto it, absolutely no eq, or anything. I'm like a freaking baby when it comes to audio engineering stuff. 

https://soundcloud.com/john-agnew/string-thing-1

(btw most of the stuff on there is bull, a lot of it is simply stuff I post for critique, or I'm having a problem and need to post an example somewhere, when I get further along and start putting together a profolio then I will make a real soundcloud with just the good stuff)


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## The Darris (Aug 25, 2014)

newbycomposer @ Mon Aug 25 said:


> (btw most of the stuff on there is bull, a lot of it is simply stuff I post for critique, or I'm having a problem and need to post an example somewhere, when I get further along and start putting together a profolio then I will make a real soundcloud with just the good stuff)



If you are serious about trying to get work, I would encourage you to set most of your works in progress or pieces that are just drafts and ideas to private so the public can't listen. Try to make sure your "good" stuff is present on your sites as this is what you will be judged on. I've learned that the hard way. Sure, I have some goofy stuff on my site but I've promoted it as such (re; 50 Shades of Batman). Sharing work with a "this is just something I've worked on briefly and isn't that great.....etc," isn't the best way to promote yourself. 

Like Clarkus said, get your music sounding the best you can and start sharing with people you want to work with or at least those who you want to write music for. Make sure your site represents your best work whether it is a professional website or simply soundcloud. This is by far one of the biggest things I would recommend to you because it is ultimately your first impression when trying to get a gig.

o-[][]-o 
-Chris


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## G.E. (Aug 25, 2014)

RiffWraith @ Mon Aug 25 said:


> newbycomposer @ Mon Aug 25 said:
> 
> 
> > What advice would you give me....
> ...



As good as this sounds, I would disagree. The security of your parents home makes you complacent. Nothing motivates you to work hard more than a diet of instant noodles and not knowing how you'll be able to make your next rent payment. :lol:

Also, I don't know if this applies to you. But stop hanging out with your bum friends who have nothing going for themselves and no aspirations. They will bring you down with them.


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## Peter Alexander (Aug 26, 2014)

The Darris @ Sun Aug 24 said:


> Always good to know the rules so you can be effective when you break them. :D



The "rules" were created by academia not composers.


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## Peter Alexander (Aug 26, 2014)

newbycomposer @ Sun Aug 24 said:


> Anyway, I'm not sure where to go when I get out of college, where to send my work, what work to send, or even what I want to do.



You're handle is newbycomposer. You're attending a school with a small music dept. You don't know what you want. 

For the next 18 months, take advantage of being in a small music dept and start writing original pieces for live players. Then, record your works on an iPhone or something simple. Write solo pieces, duets, and so on. Gain as much writing experience as you can. Learn to copy parts by hand away from the computer so that your music is entirely legible.

For 18 months you have a singular opportunity to have whatever you write (within reason) performed and simply recorded. Don't waste this time. Post college, unless you go to grad school, you will rarely have the opportunity to get musicians to run down your comps either for free or for pizza. 

School does not teach you how to compose. YOU teach YOU how to compose by composing! Contrary to what professors and some on this forum say, you will do yourself a world of favor learning how to write and arrange songs. 

What you must determine is how much you really are driven to compose, because by what you've written in your post, I'm unconvinced how serious you are. 

Philip Glass drove a New York City cab by day to have money to compose by night. Alex North worked 8 hours as a telegrapher, then class, then writing. For years, he rarely got more than 3-5 hours of sleep a night. 

But each knew that there was music inside them and they invested in themselves to develop it and get it out. 

Do you love music enough to risk to write it full time? How sold out are you really about the music inside yourself?

Only you can answer those questions.


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## clarkus (Aug 26, 2014)

Peter's point - or the one I would take to heart - has to do with having a passion for what you're doing. Passion is essential, and if it is faltering, or was not strong to begin with, that is not a problem as long as you find your way to what you DO want to do. And dedicate yourself, in due time, to that. Even this advice could be flawed (I mean, who says we have to work hard at anything?) except that most of us seem happiest when we get good at something & then are able to execute on our promise. Perhaps it has to do with being of use in the world.

Thanks for giving us a chance to step up, by the way. Some of us here have been around the block a few times (I'm 57) and we really don't mind handing out advice, in case you hadn't noticed.

I may have more sympathy than Peter for the idea of study & of having - at least for a little while - a mentor. I often hear ringing in my head bits of information and advice from teachers I've had, and of my colleagues, and the stuff I remember at those moments is often valuable. Philip Glass, before he got that job driving a cab, was living in Paris and studying with Nadia Boulanger. I can hear it.


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## Peter Alexander (Aug 28, 2014)

clarkus @ Tue Aug 26 said:


> \I may have more sympathy than Peter for the idea of study & of having - at least for a little while - a mentor.



Oh no! We're in total agreement. But he's in school right now which is why I'm suggesting write, write, write! And record what he writes! If he's genuinely serious, the absolute next step is finding a capable mentor. Alex North studied (post-school) 3 years with Copland and 3 years with Ernest Toch. John Williams (post-school) studied with Ernst Krenek and Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (as did Mancini and Goldsmith).

I just think that before you look for a mentor you should first be certain you're motivated to compose full time, and that you don't ask of the mentor to give you kick-in-the-butt assignments to keep you motivated. Anyone who needs that kind of motivation should look for a career elsewhere.


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## AlexandreSafi (Aug 29, 2014)

Peter Alexander @ Wed Aug 27 said:


> newbycomposer @ Sun Aug 24 said:
> 
> 
> > Anyway, I'm not sure where to go when I get out of college, where to send my work, what work to send, or even what I want to do.
> ...



This sounds or would sound just like me still in 50 years, i'm sure... This can only come from a man who "knows" and understands *passion * on a day-to-day basis! Excellent advice and a privilege to have you here on this forum sir!


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## Peter Alexander (Aug 29, 2014)

Thank you!


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## chibear (Aug 30, 2014)

You've received lots of good career advice, but you also have to eat and have a roof over your head. I'll try to fill in some of the blanks from the perspective of someone who has just retired from a long career in the music business as a performer and is now trying to decide whether or not to begin again as a composer. 

I do have one thing you don't: financial security and that is as important as having the career of your choice. I have a 54yo stepson who fancies himself a management consultant and is quite willing to live on the street until he achieves his goal not realizing what his lifestyle is doing to his personal brand and the possibility of achieving that goal; so while you should definitely go for it also know when to pack it in.

SO my advice:

1. Have a plan B (and C and D if possible). While focusing on your career you'll also need down time. Use that time to explore different 'hobbies' which interest you. You will find that a lot of the trades, for instance, are incredibly easy compared to what you have chosen as a career.I spent my career as a horn player. I also designed, built, plumbed, and wired my own house. WHY?? because Architects, Plumbers, Carpenters, and Electricians all make a lot more money than even well-paid musicians, so why should I work 30 hours to pay someone for 5 hrs of work that I am quite capable of doing myself in my spare time? PLUS I have control over the product.

2. Yes, stay at home while you need to, BUT don't get too comfortable. No matter what your parents say, they've had enough of you in the last 21 or so years and would like to get on with their lives too.

3. I know it's been stated often above, but make contacts, network, get yourself invited to parties and receptions. Anywhere in the freelance music business, be it composer, conductor, musician, etc., who you know is as if not more important than your product quality.


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## pkm (Aug 30, 2014)

A plan B (or C or D) means that when your back is against the wall, you have a chance to give up and try something else. Don't let giving up be an option.


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## clarkus (Aug 30, 2014)

I see your point, Peter. Good thoughts, good observations.


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## jaredcowing (Aug 30, 2014)

pkm @ Sat Aug 30 said:


> A plan B (or C or D) means that when your back is against the wall, you have a chance to give up and try something else. Don't let giving up be an option.


While this is true, and once you're in a different industry it's an uphill battle to find the time & energy to work your way back into music, I'm going to disagree that doing something else means giving up. If the cost of not doing something else is destroying your financial future, your health and your family relationships (with little or nothing to show for it), then I'd say it's a smart move to choose your battles and switch to plan B.
Sometimes it helps your music to diversify your skills- imagine two composers who just moved to LA, one who is living off savings and putting their full time into music and the other who has spent some time on plan B and has a day job to support their music. One burns out after a year and goes home, bruised, jaded and loaded with debt. The other can still pay rent and stay in LA indefinitely. Sure, their music might not have gotten as much time to develop/grow in the way that the first composer's music did, but nevertheless which composer would you argue is in the better position?
In most industries, being able to diversify and learn new skills is a plus- even in music (imagine a game studio hiring a salaried composer, do they want someone who can only do music, or a musician who can code and wear different hats depending on the studio's needs?) Focusing exclusively on music with no other plans or skills is a dangerous game to play!


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