Music colleges are different from other colleges in as such that they study an art form. This means it isn’t just about memorizing information and understanding it, but about feeling, history, science, soul and much more. This is why you may find top music college online, it may still not be quite right for you. This is about more than just learning to play an instrument really well, after all. Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of music college if you do decide to go.
Look the Part
First of all, you have to look the part. No, all musicians are not beach dwelling hippies with dreadlocks and sandals. Music is a serious business. So, try to get rid of the stereotype, look presentable and take good care of your personal hygiene. At music college, fresh talent is discovered and members of the next great bands start to come together. There is only so much market for the next Kurt Cobain lookalike, unfortunately. If you want a career in music, you need to develop your own look that is based on you, not on stereotypes. Traditionally, the students that end up doing the best share three basic things:
- They look like musicians (make of that what you will).
- They are excellent players.
- They don’t have an ego the size of Mount Everest on their shoulders.
Point three is incredibly important. People only do well if they understand that they can learn from others and from each other. If you want to be professional in terms of your music, you have to accept that some people know better than you and that their input can be incredibly valuable.
Get into a Few Bands
Next, you need to also get out of college and take your music into the real world. Join a band or two and take on different roles within those bands. This will allow you to focus on both rhythm and lead, and it will give you practical experience of what it really means to be a musician. Choose a band because of the musical experience and not because you’re friends with the other band members. Look around you to see how many bands split up, ending up with members never speaking to each other again. Is that what you want for you and your friends?
Music Is Business
Finally, you have to get to grips with the business of music. You may set out to be the next great pianist and focus mainly on that in terms of your classes, you should always also have a focus on business. You must understand where the money comes from in the industry and how you can access this. Being an excellent player isn’t enough, because that would mean that you would have to hope for sheer luck in terms of being discovered by someone who is willing to invest their time in you.