Reply to My DS wants to be a musician. WWYD?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I would like to point out that pursuing a career in the performing arts does not mean you have to bypass college.

Lupita N'yongo is an A-list actress. She graduated from Yale. Charlie Puth is a successful pop musician and he graduated from the Berklee College of Music.

Pursuing a career in music or film/TV doesn't mean you can't do college. And college can be a useful stepping stone as in the two examples I just shared.

Teens have very limited, narrow mindsets about the path to success and what it looks like.[/quote]

Yes, but it’s also true that college is by no means necessary and if a teenager says that, it doesn’t mean they have a limited, narrow mindset about the path to success.[/quote]

College is not necessary for success in life. True. But people who have college degrees have higher odds and rates of successful outcomes. Not being able to recognize that and insisting that the only way to be successful is by avoiding or dropping out of college is a limited viewpoint. For every success story, there are countless people who dropped out or bypassed college and are barely scraping by. We have to stop romanticizing this pathway. It leaves behind a lot of damaged, broken and failed people.[/quote]

For rock music in particular, I’m not convinced that’s true. If you can prove otherwise, please link to it.

We’re not talking about life in general here. We’re talking about rock music for a kid OBSESSED with it, like OP’s son. [/quote]

I posted a list of 25 notable rock musicians who got degrees. At best, even if college is not necessary, it's not like getting a college degree has stopped anyone from being a rock star. If it's meant to be, it will be.[/quote]

If it means giving up a spot in a successful band, it can set someone back. Tons of musicians get their start in their late teens/early 20s. That’s a sweet spot.

Why do think so many musicians either didn’t go to college or dropped out?[/quote]

And so many musicians look back and regret that they didn't educate themselves because they realized they were taken advantage of in the music business because they lacked education.

You guys have to stop selling the myth that dropping out of school or skipping college in pursuit a career in music is peaches and creams. There are risks and tradeoffs to both approaches. You pick your poison and live with the consequences.[/quote]

I would never say it’s peaches and cream. Far from it. And making sure you have trusted people helping you is huge.

But if you want to try to make it, hiding in college until you’re 22 could actually hurt you. You’re missing out on important years of gigging and networking.

A good number of the prominent musicians with degrees got them during or after their bands’ success. [/quote]

Are you a 40 year old dude still gigging and networking and waiting for your big break?[/quote]

I’m a 36 year old woman with a day job who is gigging and networking and waiting for my big break. You can call it pathetic all you want. I don’t care.[/quote]

Ok, I’ll have a tall cappuccino then.[/quote]

No can do. I make $160K as a VP at a major financial institution.[/quote]

Then you've made your choice professionally. Isn't it time to accept that and just treat music as a hobby or creative outlet instead of holding out hope for your big break in your late 30s and early 40s?[/quote]

Why?[/quote]

Why not?[/quote]

Because that’s a loser, dead end mentality.

Music took a backseat during college and the first 15 years or so of my career. Then I decided to try to make a shift, so I took a flexible job where I can spend more time on music.

I’m in two bands and between them, I gig nearly every weekend. I’m not expecting to become famous. I’d like to make enough to pull my weight in my family.

My dad spent 30 years as an insurance lawyer before coming back to piano. Now he runs a jazz trio that played NYE at Per Se in NYC. They each made $1,000 for one evening. If he can do it at 65, why can’t I do it at 36?[/quote]

There is only one NYE per year. The fact that you need a job to support your passion should be clue enough that you will not be able to make a living out of it. Your dad is pursuing his passion in retirement, after he had a cushy life and cushy nest egg. [/quote]

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