The Benefits Of Attending Music School
Is Music School Worth It?
At some point or another, many young often musicians ask themselves whether or not they should study music in college. Believe it or not, music school is a very polarizing subject for a number of reasons amongst musicians. For one thing, tuition rates can be astronomical these days depending on where you choose to study. This alone can be a deal breaker for many music students, as a career in music is not always the most lucrative, and can make paying back student loans that much more challenging. Another argument many musicians have is that music school can add a layer of blandness to you playing as the school environment can be very academic. Although I do have some of my own complaints regarding music school, over all attending music school was a very impactful and positive point in my life. I can say without question that my career in music thus far probably would not have developed the way it has if it were not for music school. The point of this post is to share the many benefits music school has to offer, as well as share some of my own personal experiences with it in hopes to help you make your own conclusions regarding the subject.
Musicianship
Musicianship is described as ones knowledge and ability of concepts such as ear training, music reading, writing, transcribing, and improvisation etc. For many drummers, this subject is greatly overlooked. However, for those drummers who are serious about becoming more competent musicians, these are arguably some of the most important skills you will need to develop. One huge benefit of attending music school is that many of your core classes will give you the opportunity to expand your fundamental musicianship skills on a daily basis; given that you do the work. Most notable music schools will require all their students to take a series of basic music theory, piano skills, ear training and music history courses. Now, this isn’t to say that you couldn’t learn a lot of the same material and develop your musicianship on your own by studying with an amazing private teacher, watching masterclasses from your favorite musicians (one of my favorite resources is mymusicmasterclass.com), going to jam sessions, or self study. There are plenty of amazing musicians out there that never studied in school, however for those who might not know where to begin as far as developing your musicianship, school is a great place to do it.
For me personally, my musicianship skills were just about nonexistent prior to studying music at CSU Sacramento. Up until my first semester at school, all my training had come from playing along to records, watching a plethora of drum instructional videos, school band, and taking private lessons here and there. At that point in my life, my skills as a musician were very much based on instinct and very surface level. Things as simple as key signatures, chord progressions, or even melodic intervals were not even close to being on my radar, which really limited my ability as a musician at the time. Although I still have much to learn, I would not currently be able to hear, play, or communicate music in the way I do today if it were not for the things I learned in music school.
Private Lessons
Another huge advantage of music school is the opportunity to take private lessons as part of your curriculum. Private lessons are an amazing part of music school, as they gives you the opportunity to get individual attention and guidance on your instrument from top notch players and educators. If you are considering music school, I strongly suggest that you research who you would like to study privately with, where they teach, and what you can afford or are willing to shell out. For example, attending a school like USC would give you the opportunity to study one-on-one with masters such as Peter Erskine or Will Kennedy, but tuition will be much more costly. On the flip side, if you choose to attend a school such as the University of North Texas, CSU Northridge, CSU Sacramento or William Patterson, you can still study with world class musicians but get through school much more affordably. You have to weigh the options and decide what makes you the most comfortable.
For me, I choose to attend CSU Sacramento because it was a more affordable school, and I wanted to study privately with the drum set professor there, Rick Lotter. Rick taught me a lot about the drums, but he taught me more about music and how to play the drums more musically. Throughout lessons, Rick gave me countless transcription assignments from the greats such as Max Roach, Roy Haynes, Tony Williams, Elvin Jones, Jack Dejonette, Steve Gadd, Bill Stewart, and Brian Blade. For these assignments, I would have to memorize, perform, dissect, and notate various drum solos or excerpts by all the greats. These were invaluable assignments as they really expanded my vocabulary of jazz drumming, as well as the tools necessary to transcribe other pieces of drumming that are extremely inspiring to me. Rick also worked with me on improving my sight reading, exploring concepts, and playing different musical styles during our drum lessons. This was also invaluable because it opened up my palette to other musical genres, and equipped me with the skills to perform a much larger variety of music. By far, private lessons were my favorite part about school, and a huge reason why I got into teaching.
Experience
For a majority of music degrees, you will be required to participate in a variety of different musical ensembles each semester. This platform provides you with ample opportunity to build experience in many different areas as a musician. By participating in ensembles, regardless of the genre, you will be constantly learning new and challenging repertoire, as well as gaining experience with rehearsing, performing, and traveling.
For instance, many times college ensembles will go out on tour to perform at festivals, or do recruitment trips. Unlike high school band trips, college bands treat you like adults, and expect you to be responsible for yourself and your band mates. For those who may not have any prior touring experience, college bands tours are great place to start because they give you a little taste of what its like to be out on the road as a musician. Traveling is a big part of a musician’s job description, so its best to get that experience early on so that you are prepared. For me personally, traveling with my college jazz band taught me how important eating healthily was on the road, as well as where I could find healthy foods and snacks when they were not easily accessible. For me personally, through those experiences, I found that in order to perform my best, I needed to be take care of my body and be mindful of what I was putting in it.
Another piece of experience you gain in college ensembles is that you will often have to work with other musicians, directors, or guest artists that you may not like. In the real world of music, you don’t always have the luxury of playing with your favorite people, or people you get along with. Music school is the perfect training ground to learn how to conduct yourself in situations you are not always the most happy or comfortable in. I recall getting to play with a notable musician who came as a guest artist to do a concert with the Jazz Ensemble at Sac State. I remember being extremely excited about getting to work with this musician, but unfortunately he turned out to not be the nicest individual the days we worked with him. He did not talk very kindly to many of the members in the ensemble, which made things really tense. He also didn’t offer any sort of constructive criticism or feedback to us when he was dissatisfied with our playing. It was a great lesson for all of us in the ensemble at the time because it really showed us how to work under pressure, as well as how to put feelings and emotions aside so that the show can go on.
Connections
There is the old saying “it’s not what you know, but who you know.” In any competitive job market, this statement can’t be further from the truth; especially in the music business. In music school, you are thrown into an environment surrounded by other music students, music teachers and instructors, as well as given exposure to many notable and sometimes famous musicians who pass through. This environment is prime for networking, which is an integral aspect of a having a career in music simply because people need to know that you exist. Although you are going to school to study, music school is somewhat of a constant job interview for future gigs or jobs. For me personally, roughly 90% of the connections and relationships I have made in my career as a musician thus far can all be traced back to my time Sac State. Just as an example, towards the end of my last semester at CSU Sacramento, my private teacher Rick Lotter asked me to sub for him on a gig with his band, Mumbo Gumbo. I worked extremely hard to prepare for that opportunity, and fortunately enough the gig ended up going really well. Because of the Mumbo Gumbo gig, I was then called shortly after to sub with a band called Joy & Madness, and have been periodically working with them ever since. If it were not for my decision to attend music school, those opportunities probably would not have never presented themselves. Now it should go without saying, but just because you go to music school does not guarantee you will automatically land gigs, students etc. You cannot negate the fact that you will need to put in a lot of effort into becoming proficient at your instrument. However, music school does increase your chances of getting work because of the built in networking element it provides.
The new Henry Robinett Group at Momo Lounge in June of 2019.