Self-Taught or Learn at an institute?

[Driv3r]

The subject headline speaks for itself. But im geniunly curious which do I pick, im going to be going off to college very soon and am really wondering what do I do in my aspirations to be a music engineer. On one hand you are paying tens of thousands of dollars for free information but you get to network and get a mentor based education (based off the school I was viewing).

But on another hand you don't need a school to network and you can find mentors online though through zoom or other forms of video. And of course whatever DAW you choose you can easily learn through youtube, it just takes some discipline.

I've seen posts talk about schooling just teaching you about the basics of music theory which would be good for me, though im getting into playing the piano and learning about chord progression already so I just run in circles with questions in my head.

I've seen alot of users on here who have been here as long as I've been physically alive. So, any advice?

[Bombadil]

Look for earlier threads on the topic?

[cryophonik]

I’m confused. Do you want to study audio engineering or music theory? Regardless, two major reasons to get a formal education off the top of my head are: (1) learning in a structured manner, and (2) access to resources that you may not own. I guess you have to decide if those are important to you, so I didn’t vote in the poll.

[jancivil]

Well, IMO something like this is more junior college/trade school than university kind of depth, I wouldn't recommend getting sold a 4 years degree program unless the degree is as important. Because it prob'ly costs significantly.
Also school can be, might not be, a great networking situation on more than one level. Also your chances at getting your hands on proper gear are almost surely improved 'inside'.

Unless it's really a crap school, the theory situation is easily superior with a program than catch as catch can on the 'net. I benefited majorly from it. I'm not a very scholastic-oriented person either.

[Hink]

it wouldnt hurt though to see if there are some classes you might take as an elective. What are you majoring in?

Remember that what you go to college for does not lock you into to anything, it opens more doors and more experiences for a better taste of where your niche may be. It often isnt what we thought was our niche growing up

[jancivil]

it depends on the school and the personal goals. If it's "I'm going off to school" anyway, a general liberal arts college education and school for audio engineering are rather two different things. I wouldn't advise anything particular without knowing an individual well.
I went to school to get things I wasn't going to get for free or in the home town, and my focus was the same as it was when I was 15 and the same it is now. I didn't go to university for anything past music. Other people are not at all like that.
I would say that a 4-year commitment to that kind of, well, debt is not trivial. But if you're attending a school in state, IDK. You could have parents that insist on a proper well-rounded education and you may well want a well-rounded liberal arts education, and a degree, and then graduate school.
Audio engineering school is learning a trade; here, versus an elective in university... intensive vs not.

I met the people that I fit in with at SFCM in one semester, it was a huge part of my life experience, while I didn't meet anybody in Cinci in 2 yrs that meant anything to me, who knows what a future holds.

[Hink]

my advice is the same advice I gave to my children and will give to any kids I work with...

[Erisian]

I chose Other because I learned to play the flute in Junior School but with all other instruments and production, I am self-taught.

[jancivil]

again, I'd have to know an individual well to know to advise and I might eschew advice at all accordingly, as some will know what they're about more than others. One size does not fit all. "shrug"

[Hink]

but I didnt give such advise (particular)...I gave him general advise, without mentioning his aspirations because it is solid general advice for anyone going to college, ime people change as they develop as does their interests and strengths. Also note, particular advice? I am the only one who actually asked what he was majoring in

[Uncle E]

I've seen alot of users on here who have been here as long as I've been physically alive. So, any advice?

I went to music school and also taught a college music and computers class. It's only worth going to school if it's a reputable institution. If you go to Berklee or USC, your chance of getting a job out of school (sometimes before you even finish) will be higher than if you don't go to school at all. However, in my 10 years of teaching at a community college, I only ever saw one student go on to continue working and that happened out of his own sheer willpower, not from anything I or the program provided to him.

[unkow]

My opinion: avoid music school. The profession is overcrowded, as Noel Coward would say, and you will be spending a lot of money with little expectation of return.

Not sure if my account is allowed to post YouTube videos, but this Rick Beato episode is worth considering: "Rick's Rant Ep. 3 - Is It Worth It To Go To Music School?"

Let me see if I can link to it:



(EDIT: looks like I can! Unless I'm being shadow-banned )

MAYBE a short-ish course focused on mixing and mastering would be worth it. A multi-year diploma? Forget about it, waste of money. And these days, with all/most of the classes being taught via Zoom, there's even less opportunities to network.

[Driv3r]

it wouldnt hurt though to see if there are some classes you might take as an elective. What are you majoring in?

Remember that what you go to college for does not lock you into to anything, it opens more doors and more experiences for a better taste of where your niche may be. It often isnt what we thought was our niche growing up

I haven't chosen a major yet, its either going to be a business route or music route, either one I would devote full time to learn all about. I don't know if it's fair to say im obsessed with music and want to produce fulltime, since everyone who goes into it probably is and your point about peoples interest changes. But I am obsessed for now.

[Driv3r]

I’m confused. Do you want to study audio engineering or music theory? Regardless, two major reasons to get a formal education off the top of my head are: (1) learning in a structured manner, and (2) access to resources that you may not own. I guess you have to decide if those are important to you, so I didn’t vote in the poll.

Audio engineering. I can learn off of whatever forms, especially since school after covid is giving off videos to teach nowadays anyway. But a teacher is always nice, especially one who will correct me. Resources is a debatable one, either way I'd be working part time to pay off whatever I purchase/get myself into.

[Hink]

it wouldnt hurt though to see if there are some classes you might take as an elective. What are you majoring in?

Remember that what you go to college for does not lock you into to anything, it opens more doors and more experiences for a better taste of where your niche may be. It often isnt what we thought was our niche growing up

I haven't chosen a major yet, its either going to be a business route or music route, either one I would devote full time to learn all about. I don't know if it's fair to say im obsessed with music and want to produce fulltime, since everyone who goes into it probably is and your point about peoples interest changes. But I am obsessed for now.

when I got out of the service I had similar aspirations...I'm 62 now so obviously equally obsessed because I am here . I went to a community college in Central Mass, I chose the closest thing to what I wanted public communications, as an elective I took basic music theory which turned out to be the only relevant class to what I wanted, PC was being a DJ and not today's def aof a DJ...a radio station DJ...no thank you. But I did take other classes and found something I was tremendously interested in, that was 1984/85...from there I moved back closer to home and went to my local Community College and pursued my interest, no regrets.

My late sister from the day she started first grade wanted to be a teacher, as she graduated high school she decided to go to the same local Community College and take liberal arts to get the required courses done on the cheap, she then went to Simmons College in Boston for 3 more years, she got her BA in Biology, her BA in Chemistry and her Masters in education. Was she to be a teacher?

She went back to the same community college for 2 more years and became a registered nurse, did she work as a nurse, maybe teach nursing?

During these 7 years of school my sister worked for a real estate agency in Lexington Mass, they had an office on Martha's Vineyard (resort island favored by some recent dem presidents as a vacation place), her boss asked her if she would be interested in managing their island office. During this time she got her contractor's license.

After about 3 or 4 years she opened her own Office American Real Estate of Martha's Vineyard (she passed in 02, we sold her to the employees she hand picked but I see now covid claimed them too), when Bill Clinton was there she was invited to meet him, she had 100's of rentals on the island, ten employees, her house she designed we sold for a fortune to the editor of the Martha's Vineyard Gazette.

She never taught and the only nursing she did was self diagnosing and then realizing she had breast cancer. (believe it or not she went 100% holistic in her approach)

I promise yu, not a cent was wasted on her education...knowledge is power.

My simple point is like many others, you're off to college, dont close any doors plz...you're young, open your mind and experience it all if you have the chance and you should find the answers that are best for you.

Not to influence you but I will say, 50 years ago I got my first guitar, my passion has never dwindled and I have said before if I could go back in time and tell a young Hink one thing, my music never left...cant speak for anyone else but for me I do not regret my choice at all