Jacquie Neville of The Balconies
Colleges , Universities & Other Formal Institutions As a college instructor myself , I have seen the advantages and disadvantages of these programs . People often enroll right after high school , still unsure of their specific career path . Dan Hand of Black Lamb Music attended Oshawa , ON ’ s Durham College for music business management . “ Going to one place to get a primer on [ the whole industry ] before stepping foot into the real world , you can ’ t knock that ,” he says of his three-year program .
Dedicate time to research the speakers and topics at music conferences to determine which ones are most relevant to your pre-established goals .
Many students are not prepared for the discipline and dedication required to excel and often drop out after the first semester . One of the biggest myths when it comes to these programs is that you ’ ll land a job in your field with that framed piece of paper . Before investing in such a program , potential students should determine their career goals and then choose a course of study that relates to them .
“ I wanted to learn how to be better at my own band , but when I started diving in on the artist management stuff , it was clear that I wasn ’ t going to stop that career path ,” says Hand , who manages acts like Diemonds and Havelin .
These programs can be very expensive and are designed to prepare you for a career in a specific field from experienced instructors ; moreover , the instructors could be great mentors , career references , or even employers . Courses focused on dense subjects like accounting , copyright , and publishing are very challenging . “ The lessons were great because they taught you the basics of terminology and helped you understand why bands go on tour ,” says Hand .
Talking to past alumni is key to getting an honest perspective on the programs . Checking out LinkedIn profiles for past graduates is an easy way to see if alumni actually work in the fields they studied . “ People from [ my ] program are still very active in the music industry … I was able to make solid connections and friends that have lasted ever since ,” says Hand .
There are open houses where you can meet the instructors , ask questions about the curriculum , or talk to a financial officer for tips on how to afford the programs . Questions to consider : What are regular school hours ? Do students get reading week or time off for holidays ? How long is the program ? How many hours of homework are expected ? What are the teachers ’ credentials ? What have past grads gone on to do ? Are there internship options ? Are there school activities related to your studies ?
“ Our program booked a lot of events ,” says Hand . “ There was a record label that put out local CDs , a newspaper , [ and ] I ran an open mic at the coffee house … It was good on-theground beginner experience .”
Self-Learning & The Internet If you ’ re a self-starter , this could be a rewarding route for you . The major advantage to self-learning is also its downfall : it ’ s self-directed , so if you ’ re not committed to finishing a book or mastering a new song , no one else will make you . It ’ s simple to create a routine of absorbing music news and articles , but it comes down to time management and discipline .
Watching music documentaries , listening to podcasts , reading magazines – these are all probably things you do with your leisure time to begin with . Consider how to better incorporate this avenue of learning into your everyday routine . Maybe you carve out an extra 15 minutes before work in the morning to read a book or 30 minutes to watch a webinar .
Music and art are creative undertakings , so if you ’ re not feeling it after a long day of work or looking after kids , it ’ s easy to lose inspiration . It ’ s also challenging to measure success , so setting small , attainable goals for yourself on a calendar and updating them as you go along will help your growth . This is a method I teach my students : working backwards from a goal will help you arrange these . So for example , if you want to record a song yourself , list the steps it ’ ll take you to get there : write lyrics , write music , practice that music , bring it to your bandmates or hire a sessionist , learn new audio software through an online tutorial , etc . You then tag weeks or months affiliated with each thing you need to do and can create a structured timeline to reach your goals . Update your timeline on a regular basis and you ’ ll be amazed at the progress you ’ ve made .
Mentorship Finding a mentor can seem incredibly intimidating , but it needn ’ t be . “ It flatters people a lot of the time ,” says Jen McKerral , music outreach officer at Cultural Industries Northern Ontario . “ People should be more brazen in approaching people they admire to get advice .”
It can be as simple as sending an invite to go for coffee or sitting down with someone for a speed meeting at music conference . It ’ s important that you have some sort of connection to the person that you ’ re
54 • CANADIAN MUSICIAN