dexterjettser
Member
Hello all, figured I’d ask for some advice. I’ve been studying composition at an east coast university for a while. While it’s a great school with lots of opportunities I get this sinking feeling it’s not worth it for all the debt. I’m fortunate to have one scholarship, a pell grant, and some very generous help from my parents, but I’m still taking on a good chunk of debt to pay for my degree. Coupled with how expensive the city I’m studying in and taking as many credits as I can to get through my degree as fast as possible, I’m not working and haven’t had a ‘real’ job in a while. Needless to say the debt keeps rising, the income from music is laughable, the optimism from parents is still there but there’s no guarantees for me. Obviously don’t want to disappoint my parents or waste their financial support.
I feel like the responsible thing to do here is drop out, move back home, get a job to support myself and work on music on the side.
I used to take private skype lessons with a fantastic composer and a prolific orchestrator and honestly feel their instruction was just as good if not better than my teachers at university. And their prices were 96% cheaper. I also learn better from studying books by myself than from a classroom.
I guess I’d be giving up the opportunities to collaborate with my fellow musicians but I feel like if I had a job I could just find players easily and pay them to record my work. It would be unfortunate to give up the sample library deals but with a full time job and just supporting myself I think I’d be fine. I’d perhaps also be giving up opportunities to collaborate with film and game developer students, but I don’t need to be at the same university to reach out for collaboration.
Who knows, I’m sure there are a lot of people that would kill to be my age at the university I’m at, but when academic credentials mean nothing and all that matters is a portfolio, why spend six figures to get the thing that doesn’t matter. Maybe the contacts are important but I’m genuinely not sure how much my university would get my foot in the door to be an assistant for someone else. I feel like just knowing DAWS and Kontakt and being helpful is really all a composer would want from me.
So who knows, I don’t think I’m too good for school, I definitely need education. But the only guarantee here is the debt. Not my music career.
Would love some advice
I feel like the responsible thing to do here is drop out, move back home, get a job to support myself and work on music on the side.
I used to take private skype lessons with a fantastic composer and a prolific orchestrator and honestly feel their instruction was just as good if not better than my teachers at university. And their prices were 96% cheaper. I also learn better from studying books by myself than from a classroom.
I guess I’d be giving up the opportunities to collaborate with my fellow musicians but I feel like if I had a job I could just find players easily and pay them to record my work. It would be unfortunate to give up the sample library deals but with a full time job and just supporting myself I think I’d be fine. I’d perhaps also be giving up opportunities to collaborate with film and game developer students, but I don’t need to be at the same university to reach out for collaboration.
Who knows, I’m sure there are a lot of people that would kill to be my age at the university I’m at, but when academic credentials mean nothing and all that matters is a portfolio, why spend six figures to get the thing that doesn’t matter. Maybe the contacts are important but I’m genuinely not sure how much my university would get my foot in the door to be an assistant for someone else. I feel like just knowing DAWS and Kontakt and being helpful is really all a composer would want from me.
So who knows, I don’t think I’m too good for school, I definitely need education. But the only guarantee here is the debt. Not my music career.
Would love some advice