Getting into the business ?

Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 6:02 pm

Hey,

I wanted to know how people get into the business, working in music is such fun and so much to learn which keeps me busy!

How ever, I cannot get to university to learn it, didn't do good enough, and im getting to old to keep re-trying. Are there other alternatives to getting jobs in this business without a degree?
Is 4 years of pure experience working in the business whilst learning better than 4 years of university and little work experience in the business?

Do people find young "newbies" wanting a peice of the music industry experience appealing or do most prefer an already educated person with a degree?

I have asked around and have been getting 50-50 results. So it looks like its theres no main one, but if you have no degree how to you get into the industry thats what im mainly asking here!

Hope you have some helpful infomation for me!

Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 7:05 pm

Quote:

Are there other alternatives to getting jobs in this business without a degree?

You don't need a degree to befriend a local studio owner or engineer.
Buy him or her a beer and ask questions - build up a repertoire with those already working.

and / or

Go to shows and find some local bands that are willing to give you a few bucks or will put your name on their cd sleeve in return for recording a song or two... There's plenty out there.

Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 7:06 pm

Quote:

Is 4 years of pure experience working in the business whilst learning better than 4 years of university and little work experience in the business?

Again, my opinion - hell yes!

Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 7:38 pm

It's all about who you know

Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 7:48 pm

multoc wrote:

It's all about who you know

Well no one, other than this forum! My area is not the most umm muisic booming place to be I would ideally like to move to london to get right stuck in, but just cannot afford to.

Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 8:05 pm

Sites like this might be a good step in the right direction:

Rock Bands That Might Be Near Sirchick...

Might be a shot in the dark, but ya never know.

Look for the bands that open for the ones listed if they appear inaccessible. Go to some shows, hand out business cards.

Make some calls!

Start your own local scene / network - it's not as hard as it sounds.

The hard part is keeping it together once it's established...

Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 8:13 pm

But with nothing more than a year of learning on my pc, i cant really have a business, though is that the only way to meet studio producers etc to work with them ?

Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 8:19 pm

Network first.

Talk to people, record a few local musicians on spec (or for a few pints).

Run a live show or two - or two hundred....

(I'm not makin' this up - this is how I started)

Cool

Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 8:33 pm

damn, so it seems like i have to act like i know what im doing even though i don't to record these musicians Razz

Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 8:46 pm

You must know something or you wouldn't be here, right?

I mean, there's a reason I'm not a member of any forums dedicated to Hawking Radiation or Schrödinger's cat (though I've read about it)...

Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 8:58 pm

Actually, Ben - you both are and aren't a member of that Schrodinger's Cat forum. At least until which time you try to log on...

Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 9:03 pm

Ha well start working on your networking, you'd be surprised how it happens.

Me i've got my connections through my parents being flight attendents and throw my name around.

That's how i got to be friends with John Legend's band, more specifically his drummer. I'm workign with electronics so at some point i'll be doing programming work with him.

Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 9:12 pm

Haha!

Mark, I should have seen that coming!

Laughing

Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 8:05 am

bent wrote:

You must know something or you wouldn't be here, right?

I mean, there's a reason I'm not a member of any forums dedicated to Hawking Radiation or Schrödinger's cat (though I've read about it)...

Good point but doesn't im physically able to record of high standard Razz

I do try my best though.

Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 8:36 am

mwacoustic wrote:

Actually, Ben - you both <i>are</i> and <i>aren't</i> a member of that Schrodinger's Cat forum. At least until which time you try to log on...

This may be true, but in string theory, Ben is the Cat.

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