Monday, September 27, 2010

EDUCATION: GOING BEYOND MUSIC

I came across this post through a tweet from Reverb Nation ( www.twitter.com/ReverbNation ). The link is http://miccontrol.com/#/micschool/rethinking-college-non-music-courses-for-musicians/ and it discusses some options that would greatly benefit musicians on their journey to success. Please give it a read and see if it inspires you in a direction that you hadn't thought about before. You may want to click the link now before reading the rest of my blog.

I think it's always important to stay on top of all the different issues and trends within the music industry and to keep educating yourself on an ongoing basis to accomplish this, but what about approaching things from a different angle and looking at other educational options outside of the obvious ones that are within the music realm?

The more you know and the more skills you possess in areas that relate directly or indirectly to what you do, the better prepared you're going to be to make good decisions regarding your career. It's no secret that things are vastly changing and more and more the change is leaning toward the DIY approach which is a good thing, because it puts you in control. But it's only a good thing if you're in a position where you know how to take control and get things done.

http://miccontrol.com/

For anyone who is still holding out hope that one day a major label A&R rep is going to swing into your life with a cape and save the day, here's a short video to check out for a little dose of reality. Don't let the message in this video discourage you though, allow it to empower you instead because the truth is you can do it yourself if you really want it!



2 comments:

  1. I've been playing and writing songs for a long time now, and i am still learning more and more....no one has ever teached me or have i ever looked to be. I learned about the industry and writing just by doing it and believe me,
    it's a small percentage of knowledge i hold.
    Now I use myself as a guide and it's not always an answer...the fact of being a human would mean i have a lot of elements others have.
    I use this to put into play the same things i would want from other entertainers and I question why i lost interest or got interested and use this to my advantage. This has taken me a long time to develop and to sustain, but knowing this, I wish i was educated earlier on the subject of my passion. Some of the element of educating teaches confidence and planning. Experience earns you strength and ability.
    One way or another you will need to earn these.
    My philosophy, your taught with a lot of broken puzzle pieces, you're experience will give you the means to put those puzzle pieces together to form your over all picture.
    I had the picture visualized, but i had a hard time finding the puzzle pieces to connect it...now that i have taken the time to teach myself i now know that everything i have experienced either makes sense or made me realize the mistake i have traveled.

    Thanks Sean for you time to blog, i would love to pick your brain.

    CeeDee

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  2. I hear ya Bro, I think we're in the same boat. How often have we said or heard other people say, "if only I knew then what I know now?" I've never had a music business mentor either and that's why I try to help out however I can with the experience that I've gained because I know I would've accomplished things a lot quicker if I had. I still learn everyday and I want to continue doing so, so I can continue to offer advice and some insight and hopefully help someone get where they want to go. Thanks CeeDee for taking the time to read, it's always appreciated!

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