Any advice for a 24y/o Sonar Tech in Navy interested in career in Music Field?

DaveO said:
I cant help myself here, I have been in several band over the years with Berklee grads, these individuals were very mean and rude people, apparently this school is exceptionally suited for breading prude rude individuals IMHO, in addition most of them lacked creativity unless there was a chart in front of them... Feel free to trash me as you pleasz...
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Funny... The guy I mentioned my before that went there is known as "Angry" Mike :)
 
unix-guy said:
Funny... The guy I mentioned my before that went there is known as "Angry" Mike :)
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I missed that UG, Angry Mike hopefully is no longer Angry! ;) he most likely has realized his musical education could have been achieved with some home vhs/DVD's for about a couple hundred dollars... but thats fine I'm sure his parents had very deep pockets... LOL
 
DaveO said:
I missed that UG, Angry Mike hopefully is no longer Angry! ;) he most likely has realized his musical education could have been achieved with some home vhs/DVD's for about a couple hundred dollars... but thats fine I'm sure his parents had very deep pockets... LOL
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I'm pretty sure he paid his own way...
 
DaveO said:
I missed that UG, Angry Mike hopefully is no longer Angry! ;) he most likely has realized his musical education could have been achieved with some home vhs/DVD's for about a couple hundred dollars... but thats fine I'm sure his parents had very deep pockets... LOL
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A lot of what you get out of going to some schools is only partly the education. The rest is the networking you do which can have implications after you graduate.
 
spagthorpe said:
A lot of what you get out of going to some schools is only partly the education. The rest is the networking you do which can have implications after you graduate.
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I totally agree spagthorpe, its really a great formula for success if you think about it... an individual needs to to put more into what they learn than what is shown them, educational institutions really are meat grinders imo, people get grinned and then what? Are you better than others now that your have been grinneded? I dont think so...
 
Budda said:
Bummer post incoming:

It's a fast way to barely make any money.

The formal education doesn't seem to do much besides cause debt, from what these kinds of threads show. If you want to be an audio engineer, now is the golden era of learning at home. Interning at a studio is always valuable, and working at multiple studios will provide different views.

Music is not a field to go into if you need to support a family or want to make "good" (this varies for people) money. Turning a passion into a for-profit project usually sucks all the life out of it.

This isnt to say dont do it, just be fully aware of the risk involved in trying to support yourself in the arts. I would look for a day job you can stand and immerse yourself in learning engineering or production or development in your free time. If you become good at it, people will seek you out. Also keep in mind getting good at any field takes years of hard work - dont expect to charge $500/song any time soon ;).

And now for actual engineers and producers to chime in.
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Ah yeah I've kept that in mind. And after being in the Navy for a bit I've been battling the idea of job satisfaction and financial stability. I hope to find a balance but I also don't want to lose my interest in something that's been part of my life. Thanks for your reply!
 
Thank you to every that has replied to this post and offered up advice. The mixing of my passion and a career does kind of scare me as I won't have an easy time making money I am comfortable with. I am trying to find a balance between an acceptable income and job satisfaction. You have all given great input and a lot for me to thing about! Luckily, I have been trying to invest and save money for after I get out of the military and use that along with my GI Bill to set myself up for success.

The idea of a race towards the bottom concerns me so maybe i will have to find new avenues. The technical sides rather the creative side interests me a little more mostly because i have lack the talent and skills right now - but I will look into things like electrical engineering, tech positions or even the acoustics side interest me a bit.

Thanks again!
 
If you get a job you arent excited about that pays well, and you dont have to work overtime or weekends to have play money, you'll find you have way more time for your hobbies.

Signed,
Overtime saturday on a long weekend
 
Budda said:
If you get a job you arent excited about that pays well, and you dont have to work overtime or weekends to have play money, you'll find you have way more time for your hobbies.

Signed,
Overtime saturday on a long weekend
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I feel that.

India morning-time stand-up and sprint planning meetings every Sun-Thurs makes for 12-14 hour work days most of the week and weekends spent catching up on everything around the house you didn't get done in the 5-8pm dinner window.
 
Jeries said:
By FAR the most successful people I've seen persuing careers in recording and music business came out of Berklee- I wouldn't even bother with another traditional university.
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To paraphrase Adam Neely, Berklee‘s value is 95% networking and making contacts, which in any business is everything. Alternatively, it’s my understanding that GIT/MI is another excellent way to go.
(Still gotta have talent and chops, though...)
Also, be prepared to do stuff that has nothing to do with what you’re trying to focus on. You’re in the Navy (OP) so this should be familiar.
Lastly, recognize that none of this happens in a year. Careers take a few decades to build. Be patient and smart with your money. Don’t piss away your GI Bill on a bullshit program. Get a solid foundation with plenty of options and flexibility.
 
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USMC_Trev said:
To paraphrase Adam Neely, Berklee‘s value is 95% networking and making contacts, which in any business is everything. Alternatively, it’s my understanding that GIT/MI is another excellent way to go.
(Still gotta have talent and chops, though...)
Also, be prepared to do stuff that has nothing to do with what you’re trying to focus on. You’re in the Navy (OP) so this should be familiar.
Lastly, recognize that none of this happens in a year. Careers take a few decades to build. Be patient and smart with your money. Don’t piss away your GI Bill on a bullshit program. Get a solid foundation with plenty of options and flexibility.
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That's why I said Berklee - GIT/MI doesn't really give you a real degree

It's not regionally accredited which is what makes a real school different from a bullshit for profit school

I have seen people get real real real recording skills at Berklee and get into real serious pro jobs.
 
JoKeR III said:
"Find a job you enjoy doing and you'll never have to work a day in your life"- Mark Twain. I had to take a disability retirement from a "good job" and now make 1/2 of what I did before but currently doing what I enjoy. Lots of things I can't do physically but I've never been happier. Money isn't everything, a necessity yes, but not the end all of defining success.

Do your due diligence and make sure you're able to make ends meet with what entry level position you find most available. Pay your dues, don't expect a fast rise to your ideal job. Make friends in the industry and keep in touch with them. Don't be a tool; most successful people are busy because they are nice and respectful, building relationships, creating a group of friends, not just a list of people they contact when they need something.

Become proficient in an area before taking gigs. It's almost impossible to overcome a bad reputation in any line of work but the music industry can be brutal. When you start doing gigs, do a good job; be professional and pleasant to work with, accommodate as much as you can without being a doormat and word of mouth will get you better gigs.
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Robert Meyer Burnett said it on a livestream recently, it takes about 10 years to become an overnight success in Hollywood. So I reckon the same applies in any industry.
 
I only mention MI because of cats like Tosin Abasi. Obviously he’s from a different planet but that’s where he learned some tangible, marketable skills, made contacts like Misha Mansoor, yadda yadd, but yeah it’s a risk.
 
Ah just remembered - Another gold nugget is that it’s too easy to fuck up something you love doing, by making it your profession.
As an example, I love boats....so I studied up, spent time on the water, got a passenger vessel license, and started taking people out fishing. I used to see boating as an adventure and always fun. In a short while, it became gutting fish and holding up the hair of seasick people while they vomited. Once I converted it back to being a hobby, it became an adventure again. The music “business” (if you could call it that) may be very similar.
I hope you find a way to enjoy the music, and still have a great life.
Thanks
Pauly

Kluke96 said:
Thank you to every that has replied to this post and offered up advice. The mixing of my passion and a career does kind of scare me as I won't have an easy time making money I am comfortable with. I am trying to find a balance between an acceptable income and job satisfaction. You have all given great input and a lot for me to thing about! Luckily, I have been trying to invest and save money for after I get out of the military and use that along with my GI Bill to set myself up for success.

The idea of a race towards the bottom concerns me so maybe i will have to find new avenues. The technical sides rather the creative side interests me a little more mostly because i have lack the talent and skills right now - but I will look into things like electrical engineering, tech positions or even the acoustics side interest me a bit.

Thanks again!
Click to expand...
 
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