YOUNG PERSON SEEKING ADVICE

Discuss music production with Ableton Live.
23kon
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Re: YOUNG PERSON SEEKING ADVICE

Post by 23kon » Thu Apr 12, 2012 10:48 pm

Dude, you're just 20, still young with your life and career ahead of you.
If you choose to go for the internship it'll give you a taste of the industry you think you'd like to be in. If it goes tits-up then you can always go back to college/university.

I'd say give the internship a go.
Someone said earlier in the thread that the music industry is hit or miss, if you make good contacts and have some luck then you could go far.
The only way you're going to get great opportunities though are from being somewhere where the opportunities are. Move to where the real music industry is - get yourself up to New York and try to get an internship up there.

If you were in the UK then i'd say get yourself down to London and try blag yourself an internship or runner job at a good studio.
You're never going to get anywhere in a backwater studio that doesn't do anything special.
---

Tone Deft
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Re: YOUNG PERSON SEEKING ADVICE

Post by Tone Deft » Thu Apr 12, 2012 10:54 pm

23kon wrote:If it goes tits-up then you can always go back to college/university.
I'm 39 and there's absolutely no freaking way I could do at age 39 what I did in school at age 20. put your time in when you're young, for most people the real world is much easier than school. take the opportunity while you have it.
In my life
Why do I smile
At people who I'd much rather kick in the eye?
-Moz

regretfullySaid
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Re: YOUNG PERSON SEEKING ADVICE

Post by regretfullySaid » Fri Apr 13, 2012 12:29 am

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Linear Phase
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Re: YOUNG PERSON SEEKING ADVICE

Post by Linear Phase » Fri Apr 13, 2012 12:42 am

A lot of big time dj's, you think would be making money, are just throwing in the towel right now. There is only room out there for people who can make people become brands. Like Simon Cowell, or what not. He is making a killing, "in the music industry;" his latest effort, "one direction." lol.. That band had a huge team of multiple producers working on that stuff.. Its like, britney spearish sounding, with boys on vocals
Linear Phase has left the building..

taffmonster
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Re: YOUNG PERSON SEEKING ADVICE

Post by taffmonster » Fri Apr 13, 2012 1:25 am

First of all, I only really read the main post. I didn't read everyones reply so if it has gone off topic apologies for just answering the main post.

I don't think anyone can really answer your question for you. but we can share our own experiences and what came of them. here is mine.

When I was 20 I was in my second year of university, studying Philosophy. I had wanted to be studying physics but how I ended up in philosophy is a different story.

Anyway, I decided that it wasn't for me and I applied to the Academy of Contemporary Music. They took their applications in the form of a demo CD. They accepted me and I was all about ready to quit my current course and head off to work with some big name music producers. I didn't turn up for my second year exams and ignored all my course work.

However, I ended up staying. I can't say exactly why. I think it was more that I felt the experience I would gain there I could gain by myself but just working hard on my own music and getting involved with other musicians and producers. I ended up finishing my Philosophy degree.

I always wonder what might have happened if I had actually gone to the ACM.

Today, I am a music teacher at a Junior High School in Japan. Its not all that glamorous but its fun. I get paid well, I try to use my music in my work. I am responsible for the entire music course and I get to decide the curriculum.

That was my path and how I ended up here. I am 28 btw. Its certainly not the end of the journey. My wife is currently pregnant and I am considering going back to the UK but that again has its problems. My work experience is all in Japan in schools. Its not an experience I can translate to work in the UK (at least thats my perception, I haven't actually tried).

Today, a Massive number of people go to university but all that does is level the playing field. In america the overall lifetime income of graduates and non graduates is pretty much equal when you include the debt created by university in the first place. In the UK the number of skilled workers or tradesmen is in decline meaning that those who are around can charge extravagant prices for their job. plumber today earns a shed load more money than, for example, a plumber 15 years ago.

No one here can really tell you which one is better. There are so many other factors in life that guide our decisions. Its a real lottery. Call it the butterfly effect if you like but just don't mention Aston Kutcher.
All I can say is whichever you choose to do, if you really are driven to work in the industry you will find your way there.

Personally in retrospect, I would take a shot at the rung on the ladder before studying. Id rather start university later than starting getting my feet wet in the job. I have friends who stuck with music, my old band mates just got there first album deal, another friend is currently touring america with his new movie documentary. One guy works for EA games, another girl after working for the european space agency got a job working as a presenter on gamespot UK and now has 9,000 twitter followers.
Some went to university and some didn't.

Its up to you

ekord123
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Re: YOUNG PERSON SEEKING ADVICE

Post by ekord123 » Fri Apr 13, 2012 2:45 am

Wow, the honest advice that you are all giving is really incredible, and I've got to say, very heartwarming (not to be gushy or anything). After a lot of thought I've decided to finish out my degree in a more passive major that I enjoy (anthropology), and put most of my time into music. I'm involved with the radio station, I'm awaiting replies on a couple of internships. But overall, the city I'm in (Raleigh) has a much better population for music than the town that the music tech school is in (Asheville, a good music town, but small population).

I'm just going to keep it up, keep making connections, and continue doing what I love. A recurring theme in a lot of your responses is that there really is no one set path, and especially in music, there is very little predicting as to who is successful, and who is not (i.e. formulaic music like "one direction" and a talentless hack like simon cowell, in contrast with many of the talented home producers on this forum and elsewhere).

It sounds like a lot of you have had some great experiences regardless. Whoever said that are teaching in japan has a really cool gig. Thanks everyone.

pencilrocket
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Re: YOUNG PERSON SEEKING ADVICE

Post by pencilrocket » Fri Apr 13, 2012 4:03 am

I should point that lawyer doesn't work 2days a week. They work / study far more than regular people. They have to read piles of documents every day (yes you should use your Sunday too if there are todo remained.) Otherwise you can't make living even if you passed the exam. Also, you need huge amount of money to become Lawer.

Angstrom
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Re: YOUNG PERSON SEEKING ADVICE

Post by Angstrom » Fri Apr 13, 2012 10:08 am

What I should say is, with the per hour income of some professions it's possible to work a shorter week.
I know people who do this. Usually the higher income professions come with an expectation of you working long hours, but that's if you want a 400k salary and defer all enjoyment until retirement. If you want a 30k salary and to have adventures you can choose to change that balance. Contentious but I'll mention Tim Ferriss " 4 hour work week "

pencilrocket
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Re: YOUNG PERSON SEEKING ADVICE

Post by pencilrocket » Fri Apr 13, 2012 12:15 pm

Angstrom wrote:What I should say is, with the per hour income of some professions it's possible to work a shorter week.
I know people who do this. Usually the higher income professions come with an expectation of you working long hours, but that's if you want a 400k salary and defer all enjoyment until retirement. If you want a 30k salary and to have adventures you can choose to change that balance. Contentious but I'll mention Tim Ferriss " 4 hour work week "
What the point of reffering the multi talented genius who can write best-seller book in this thread where we are talking about general form of job? Then I will reconmend everyone to go Harvard, create somethingbook and become Mark Zuckerberg. Then you bacame rich. You are promissed you can live your life just playing music untill you die. The best way ever.

Angstrom
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Re: YOUNG PERSON SEEKING ADVICE

Post by Angstrom » Fri Apr 13, 2012 12:37 pm

er, because the book is on the subject of the thread.
the "4 hour work week" is a book about getting an easy job which pays bills and leaves you plenty of time to strum a mandolin.
No need to go to Harvard.

regretfullySaid
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Re: YOUNG PERSON SEEKING ADVICE

Post by regretfullySaid » Fri Apr 13, 2012 12:40 pm

School depends on the person, and the school. Good for questioning it!
As long as you don't think it's going to automatically give you security afterwards.
Sounds like you got the mind to do well either way, Ekord :)
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synnack
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Re: YOUNG PERSON SEEKING ADVICE

Post by synnack » Fri Apr 13, 2012 1:24 pm

Leaving the subject of money aside for a minute. Some people consider a "good living" an amount that would make me homeless. That's totally subjective.

In highschool we had a career day thing where a local news reporter from TV came in to talk to us. He talked about the importance of going to college/University in a different way. In his example, he wanted to be a journalist, but rather than major in journalism, he majored in the subject he wanted to write ABOUT, not in writing itself (i forget what it was).

I pretty much did the same thing. I majored in Fine Arts and ended up being a musician and day job running a large organization for a massive global software company. Fine Arts gave me both an ability to see the world differently and discuss sounds and images in a new way that still impacts my music, as well as an amazing ability to spin the shit out of anything that has made me a success at work. I followed his approach and it's worked great.

I think of this often about the whole "music school" thing or those colleges that teach you mixing/production skills. If music actually became "homework" i would never do it.

I remember reading that 80% of people end up doing something different in life than what they majored on in college.
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login
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Re: YOUNG PERSON SEEKING ADVICE

Post by login » Fri Apr 13, 2012 5:16 pm

^qThat's good advice, studyng somethin in the middle but with a good job market.

ekord123
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Re: YOUNG PERSON SEEKING ADVICE

Post by ekord123 » Sat Apr 14, 2012 2:34 am

Okay, given that. Mabye some sort of electrical engineering may be a good idea. That way I could apply the knowledge I have gathered about equipment, amplification, and signal processing and apply it to a job that is in demand enough to where I can pretty much choose a work week. I fear that the coursework my suck the life out of me though. Oh well, life wasn't meant to be cake.

One Reason
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Re: YOUNG PERSON SEEKING ADVICE

Post by One Reason » Sat Apr 14, 2012 4:56 am

YOUNG PERSON SEEKING ADVICE

When at all possible, avoid aging. :wink:

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