whats up guys. I haven't posted on here for a while, but I know I can get the best advice from you. So here's my dilemma. I got accepted to the collective for the upcoming fall semester and due to the terrible music scene here in pittsburgh, I'm definitely moving up to nyc to pursue my drumming endeavors. But now I got to thinking. Do you need to go to school to play drums? Is it worth the money spent on it or should I just get up there and try to make something happen? I still haven't sent my tuition deposit yet because I honestly dont know what to do anymore. School or no school? please help.
sean
It's much more then just learing drums, it's the experence of being around all types of players from around the world attending school for the samething.....to become better at the art of drumming.
The experience can't be traded for just sitting at home practicing.
Kind of off topic but... I see drumline in your name.. Are you going to the DCI show at Elizabeth?
I don't think you HAVE to have a degree for drumming... It may help get some high profile gigs but if you can play you can still get them.
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Music lessons (any instrument) are worth their weight in gold - if the teacher is a good one. The challenge is doing your legwork and seeking out teachers who are qualified to show you what you need to know.Originally posted by pittdrumline:
whats up guys. I haven't posted on here for a while, but I know I can get the best advice from you. So here's my dilemma. I got accepted to the collective for the upcoming fall semester and due to the terrible music scene here in pittsburgh, I'm definitely moving up to nyc to pursue my drumming endeavors. But now I got to thinking. Do you need to go to school to play drums? Is it worth the money spent on it or should I just get up there and try to make something happen? I still haven't sent my tuition deposit yet because I honestly dont know what to do anymore. School or no school? please help.
sean
i just got back from their 5 day. its a good place to shed on drum set stuff and the teachers are well versed. the other plus is living in nyc.
the downside though that gigs for drummers are hard to come by according to one of the teachers. even the pro guys their admit to working 3-4 days/week and teaching on the side.
if u want to get good i would recommend going their-- but after that ???
after that is no different then attending a university for 4 or so years and upon graduating trying to find a job........It's tough allover, the challenge of getting 'the gig' is yours and how you go about making the connections.
Finding a gig is just as tough as an IT computer guy trying to get work where those guys are being laid off left and right while their jobs are farmed out to countries like India.
One of my first memories of seeing a drummer was after a Pitt game in the 70's getting on the field and standing next to a big long haired guy just wailing on his BD...I was hooked after that and knew that I'd march in HS.
You could transfer to WVU, they have an excellent perc department down there...I will say that in a drumline camp one summer in HS, one of our teachers was a graduating drummer with a degree in performance and his advice to us was not to select percussion as a major.
One of the best drummers I knew in HS went on to become a composer and conductor, Sam Hazo. He was a monster. It's hard making a decent living as a drummer, probably harder than it would be if you had an eng degree or something like that, or even a broader music degree.
Also, when I was shopping for a car in Monroeville, it turned out that the sales manager was a trained percussionist who went to Peabody, had a master's.
No one wants to starve, it sucks.
Interestingly enough, Sam was a hgue fan of Keith Moon's. The class song was The Song is Over and he played it at half time of one of the games on a set on the sideline...
Here's my advice.
This may sound strange, but I have seen it happen over and over.
First of all, having any schooling at all will not directly get you any high profile gigs as was mentioned in someones post. That's completely wrong. Music school in and of itself, is an oxymoron. However, like Randy said, it's the experience that you can't get anywhere else. Guidance from teachers is great, but if you're thinking about being a real pro, you should already be able play well.
I don't recommend going to school in NYC if that's where you want your career to happen. I say this because the faculty at any school are the people who will eventually be calling you for gigs. Unless you're an incredible player, even after you leave school, these musicians will always see you as a student. That's not a good thing. Also getting your playing together on the local jaz session scene in NYC is not a good idea. It's the kind of town where you can't sound bad. If you do, this will be in the brains of musicians forever, and they will associate you with that one time. If you want to get started in NYC, I suggest studying in Boston, Texas, or LA. Get your playing together away from the circle you want to be involved in. This is a classic example of how things work in the business. If you want LA to be your base, then go to school in NYC.
That's my advice. School is always a good idea, and the experience you get is worth the $$$.
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Excellent advice!Originally posted by Paraflam:
Get your playing together away from the circle you want to be involved in.
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