Would you trade fame/endorsements to improve your talent?

  • Thread starter Thread starter ACShreds
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Yeah i totally get where you guys are coming from as far as why to stay in the band and stuff but, what really got me wanting to go and study in the first place is that my heroes like steve vai, chris broderick, reb beach, paul gilbert, john petrucci, andy timmons, and a ton of others all went to music school and im sure they were very well off enough on their own to be in any band they wanted but still chose to go to music school and im sure it helped make them into the gods they are today. Do yall think that those guys would be on the same level they are now had they skipped going to music school, and just went out and tried to make it big with whatever natural talent they had? And im sure in most cases the answer is a resounding yes, but if they knew that they didnt really need it to better their careers then why did they even bother in the first place.
 
ACShreds":t99fz8jm said:
Yeah i totally get where you guys are coming from as far as why to stay in the band and stuff but, what really got me wanting to go and study in the first place is that my heroes like steve vai, chris broderick, reb beach, paul gilbert, john petrucci, andy timmons, and a ton of others all went to music school and im sure they were very well off enough on their own to be in any band they wanted but still chose to go to music school and im sure it helped make them into the gods they are today. Do yall think that those guys would be on the same level they are now had they skipped going to music school, and just went out and tried to make it big with whatever natural talent they had? And im sure in most cases the answer is a resounding yes, but if they knew that they didnt really need it to better their careers then why did they even bother in the first place.
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petrucci dropped out first year. dunno bout the other cats ;)

A Wood
 
van hellion":3a2uv2k3 said:
connections are the key to road/session work. trust me. i did 2 years getting a jazz degree, opportunity happens so i bailed i feel like i made the right decision. practice your ass off, there isnt anything you cant learn online for free that they teach in any music program, you just gotta sit down and look for it.

A Wood
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THAT.. RIGHT THERE

but I think it's safe to say you're in for one helluvan experience and we wish you the best either way. best of luck to you, man. Let the face meltage commence!

P.S.

speaking of face meltage, looking forward to your colossus, Mr. wood!
 
I know a half dozen Berklee grads. 4 went on to get degrees in other fields after graduating since they couldn't make any money and the other 2 are barely making enough money to pay for rent, food and gas by playing any gig they can get. I was very close to starting up at Berklee this year after being accepted for fall admission but after seeing so many people spend $140k in tuition for their degrees and then not having anything to show for it other than being great players, I couldn't do it. Maybe it'd be worth it with a scholarship but other than that, honestly, fuck it. If you want to go to music school, there are tons of schools with great jazz programs for a hell of a lot less money that will make you just as good of a musician in the end.

EDIT: Dude, you're a Texas resident and in Dallas nonetheless. UNT in Denton is one of the top jazz schools in the country for $3k a semester in state.
 
Q. Would you trade fame/endorsements to improve your talent?

A. "Fame" does not always equate to money. Same for "endorsements".

Now, if the question is "would you trade $10,000,000 annually to improve your talent?" my answer is fuck no :lol: :LOL:
 
jcj":21ov17ks said:
Q. Would you trade fame/endorsements to improve your talent?

A. "Fame" does not always equate to money. Same for "endorsements".

Now, if the question is "would you trade $10,000,000 annually to improve your talent?" my answer is fuck no :lol: :LOL:
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lol well if someone stuck that kinda cash in my face right now i'd give the same answer :lol: :LOL:
 
Thats a tough question. You gotta do what works for you. Your guitar heroes may have went to music school but that worked for them. It might not work for you. If you are in a semi successful band with potential to get even more successful i would say stick with the band

The way i see it is just like your idol's guitar preferences may not work for you, his choice of musical education may not suit you either. You have your entire life to learn theory and all that good stuff. You have a small window of time to have a commercially successful band.
 
Vai dropped out as well as far as I am aware to go on the road with Zappa.
He chose the band route, and I would too as school is just a big debt that doesn't matter in the real world. Because I decided to go to school to get my degree I am now 4 years behind my colleagues in work experience, as well as making less than they were when they were at my level due to having to pay my tuition fees back out of my wage.
I guess the point I am making is I could still have the job I have now without my degree, and would probably be higher up still. I don't know if it is the same as in the United States as it is in Australia, but our degrees are now worthless due to Asian kids coming over here and buying degrees that are taught in a language they can't even speak or understand (English).
Overall, go the band route or you will regret it for the rest of your life.
 
ACShreds":1lke12lp said:
Yeah i totally get where you guys are coming from as far as why to stay in the band and stuff but, what really got me wanting to go and study in the first place is that my heroes like steve vai, chris broderick, reb beach, paul gilbert, john petrucci, andy timmons, and a ton of others all went to music school and im sure they were very well off enough on their own to be in any band they wanted but still chose to go to music school and im sure it helped make them into the gods they are today. Do yall think that those guys would be on the same level they are now had they skipped going to music school, and just went out and tried to make it big with whatever natural talent they had? And im sure in most cases the answer is a resounding yes, but if they knew that they didnt really need it to better their careers then why did they even bother in the first place.
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I think those players you mentioned were all great before they went to school and just didn't have anything going on at the time and went to mostly meet other players and get their name out there and look for a band situation.
 
Rezamatix":1urn0zvs said:
Fuck School. It will be there when you are done with your band. Go an rock the fuck out NOW. while the opportunity exists to be IN a band that IS doing well.
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That pretty much sums it up IMO. A good band that gets along and works well together is a VERY hard thing to find IMO...you could potentially go the rest of your life without experiencing that type of chemistry again. Plus there's nothing to stop you from self-study while working with the band...Randy Rhoads taking classical lessons while on tour comes to mind.
 
danyeo":1zzcah6p said:
Stay in the band. There's Berklee Grads who work at Guitar Center. I remember in the 80's and early 90's when guys rushed off for GIT then when Grunge hit there were ads from bands looking for guitar players that specified, NO GIT or Berklee, or NO Pointy Headstocks. :lol: :LOL: I'm dead serious though.
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:lol: :LOL:

I remember reading "no pointy headstocks" classified ads in the 90's as well. :lol: :LOL:
 
Like most things in life, experience > degrees.

Or to put it another way, school semesters start on a rigid schedule. Fame does not. I'd see where the current band goes.
 
ACShreds":1ly99vtj said:
Yeah i totally get where you guys are coming from as far as why to stay in the band and stuff but, what really got me wanting to go and study in the first place is that my heroes like steve vai, chris broderick, reb beach, paul gilbert, john petrucci, andy timmons, and a ton of others all went to music school and im sure they were very well off enough on their own to be in any band they wanted but still chose to go to music school and im sure it helped make them into the gods they are today. Do yall think that those guys would be on the same level they are now had they skipped going to music school, and just went out and tried to make it big with whatever natural talent they had? And im sure in most cases the answer is a resounding yes, but if they knew that they didnt really need it to better their careers then why did they even bother in the first place.
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School had VERY LITTLE to do with these guys being great players or successful......DRIVE, TALENT, and SELF MOTIVATION made them great players....a LUCKY BREAK at some point in their career made them successful and famous. The band you are currently in is more than likely your best shot at the successful and famous part....and no school on the planet will make you a great player without the drive,talent and motivation part that I also mentioned....

I would bet everything I have that the guys you are mentioning were going to be killer guitar players whether they went to school or not....it was in their blood...the school just refines your focus....and if all the tools that are available to us right now via the internet and what not were available back in the 80's when guitar RULED THE AIRWAVES I think you would have seen even more crazy good players, back then you really didnt have access to even 10% of the information thats out there now......I dont really see the need for a school...you more just need the drive to learn it all and do the work (Both of which I am totally lacking in!! LOL Wish I had the drive and the TIME). Playing guitar is not being a doctor or an engineer....actually playing and practicing gets you WAY FARTHER than someone teaching you...
 
I'd stay with the band thing as well. Although, I wouldn't expect any real money and/or fame with whatever path you decide on anyhow.
 
Interesting read, this whole thread... Honestly, the notion of school is cool, meaning you're getting more and more into the 'craft' of guitar. Theory allows you to expand on your originality and the bag of tricks you can source from for all different kinds of goodies. But the deal is, personally, I think the music schooling industry isn't all that it may seem to be. I think a lot of it has gone sideways in the last few years. Sure, there are remarkable guitarists that have come from structured educational programs, but there's also been an army who haven't gone to school - and still impress us to no end.

Ride the band thing out, and start getting lessons from the top people in different cities. The old Randy Rhoads trick. If you're going to be moving city to city, find out who's the top gun in the world of classical instruction, flamenco, jazz, etc and get a lesson here or there. Add this to your repertoire as you move forward with your band. Band fails? You're still a good guitarist and can get into another one. School fails? You're out of the loop...having to get stage cred all over again.

Just my 2 cents,
Mo
 
After high school, I went to a 4 year college and got a degree in business. After graduation I was going to go to GIT. A band opportunity came up so I pursued that. I was a pretty good guitar player at that time and took lessons here and there with guys that graduated from GIT back in the heyday. They were all very good players. So I rode the band thing till it wasn't really going anywhere, then ended up going to GIT.

One year program and it was awesome! I learned a ton and had some gig opportunities come up, but I wasn't interested in doing that. No interest in touring and all that, just enjoy playing guitar and writing stuff. I was a pretty good player before going and am a much better player now. The best thing about it was that for a solid year I could focus on nothing but playing guitar. That was totally worth it to me.

I guess I'd try the band thing while planning on college when it fails.
 
Berkley will be there to take your money when you have rode the band to the end. Stick with it. As someone stated earlier, UNT is the place to go for jazz studies. If you truly believe in the band, then keep doing it. Being is a successful band is a rare opportunity.

With that said, you need to define what you consider successful. I have a friend that makes $60k a year playing guitar is a killer cover band. That's his only job. They play all over the region five nights a week. You've never heard his name, and probably never will. But he makes his living doing what he loves to do. I consider him to be a successful musician.

Music school will be there when you are ready to go. A chance to be a working musician will not. Good luck with whatever you decide.
 
Your only young once! Schools will all ways be there, and opportunity doesn't all ways knock twice. I agree that any thing you need to learn you can find with out going to school. Follow your heart and commit to what ever you decide and you'll be fine. Twenty five years from know when your looking back, will you ask your self what if???
 
Music like most things in life are about who you know ... not what you know.
 
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