My Life...(Not the song)

[BobCarter]

Ok here how things are in a nutshell..

I am 20 years old (21 in June 25), and I just started making beats/producing/etc. like three months ago. I fell in love and now I feel like I'm doing something important and fun with my life. I need some advice however from you all being that most of you are older than me, have a lot of experience, and are here to help.

When it comes to this music thing, I'm at a crossroads in my life. I have good grades (a 3.3 GPA) at VCU (my college) and there are many important decisions I'm going to be making concerning my future in the next two years.

A few things:
1. I am thinking about transferring to Radford University to go into their music program.
The following is a link to the official website, describing what I would be learning and doing: http://www.radford.edu/cmt-web/

2. I started producing and doing all this stuff really late.. I feel at times like I might be far-behind in the music production world

3. I feel overwhelmed with how far I am from achieving my goal of being able to make a living off this thing.

Finally the questions I ask to yall:

1) What do you all think of the school I am thinking about attending and how much do you think this sort of thing will help me along, as opposed to learning this stuff on my own?

2) How old were you guys when you started doing this?

And the most important question:

3) Now that I bought my hardware (see my post under the hardware section), have a basic knowledge of a somewhat primitive DAW (FL Studio 8XXL), and am starting to hear improvements in my sound and techinique, where should I go from here? What do I need to buy/do in order to began to make my mark on the music business and what is the best way to get my name out there and improve in the shortest amount of time?

Finally, I realize you all don't have all the answers to the problems in my life ahaha I mean everyone's life is different. But we all share the same passion for creating and sharing our art with the world and any feedback regarding these issues would be a big help. I have no mentors, no friends who do this or rap, I am going out on a limb here..Thank you so much for reading this long ass post and I looking forward to hearing back from any of you

Also: Anything really interesting I learn at this school if I end up going, I will pass on to you guys...although you probably know it already...

thanks,
bob

 

[Relic]

Go to school for something that actually makes money dont do it soley for music, music will always be there and its capital intensive so just go do something that will actually make you $$$ and get a woman that aint triflin .
THEN if you still wanna do music you will have the $$$ to keep buying all the shit you need to do it, you can always do it on the side while you pursue an actual career anyway.In the current oversaturated climate I cannot in good conscience reccomend you go into music thinking you can make a living off of it.

The schools facilities look like a home studio, and not a top of the line one either. If you MUST go some place, try and go and get a gig a sweetwater, at least they have the top of the line everything.

 

[Quality]

Go to school for something that actually makes money dont do it soley for music, music will always be there and its capital intensive so just go do something that will actually make you $$$ and get a woman that aint triflin .
THEN if you still wanna do music you will have the $$$ to keep buying all the shit you need to do it, you can always do it on the side while you pursue an actual career anyway.In the current oversaturated climate I cannot in good conscience reccomend you go into music thinking you can make a living off of it.

The schools facilities look like a home studio, and not a top of the line one either. If you MUST go some place, try and go and get a gig a sweetwater, at least they have the top of the line everything.

IF theres a will, theres a way! Going to school and getting a degree for it helps get your feet off the ground but don't count on making the $$. It is a much safer bet getting a regular degree obviously, but if you really want to pursue something...do it.

 

[dahkter]

My advice:
Keep up the good work at the university, land a decent job out of school, have them pay (or help pay) for your masters, then you should be in good shape.
For business and for music - networking is the name of the game, go out there and meet people in both fields. There's a lot of truth in "it's who you know, not what you know".
I agree with Rel to pass on the audio school, you already put the time and money into your university, two more years and you can have a day job to finance all of your artistic endeavors. I would use the internet and online friends and forums to help answer your questions. Most importantly, learn by doing. The more tracks you make, the better of an understanding you'll have about how to produce music.
Good luck out there,
Jay

 

[Cell 2Dee]

2. I started producing and doing all this stuff really late.. I feel at times like I might be far-behind in the music production world

3. I feel overwhelmed with how far I am from achieving my goal of being able to make a living off this thing.

Exactly my mindstate.

3) Now that I bought my hardware (see my post under the hardware section), have a basic knowledge of a somewhat primitive DAW (FL Studio 8XXL), and am starting to hear improvements in my sound and techinique, where should I go from here? What do I need to buy/do in order to began to make my mark on the music business and what is the best way to get my name out there and improve in the shortest amount of time?

My advice would be to improve that 'basic knowledge' and learn the DAW inside out, cutting down the time on your work. I'm beginning to do this with Reason 4 (if you want to get into Reason I can upload a copy of it for you). Don't get disheartened with it all either.

I agree with everybody saying persue a degree in a more 'everyday' career so you always have something to fall back on though.

BTW, you and my girl have exactly the same birthday.

 

[afriquedeluxe]

Ok here how things are in a nutshell..

I am 20 years old (21 in June 25), and I just started making beats/producing/etc. like three months ago. I fell in love and now I feel like I'm doing something important and fun with my life. I need some advice however from you all being that most of you are older than me, have a lot of experience, and are here to help.

When it comes to this music thing, I'm at a crossroads in my life. I have good grades (a 3.3 GPA) at VCU (my college) and there are many important decisions I'm going to be making concerning my future in the next two years.

A few things:
1. I am thinking about transferring to Radford University to go into their music program.
The following is a link to the official website, describing what I would be learning and doing: http://www.radford.edu/cmt-web/

2. I started producing and doing all this stuff really late.. I feel at times like I might be far-behind in the music production world

3. I feel overwhelmed with how far I am from achieving my goal of being able to make a living off this thing.

Finally the questions I ask to yall:

1) What do you all think of the school I am thinking about attending and how much do you think this sort of thing will help me along, as opposed to learning this stuff on my own?

2) How old were you guys when you started doing this?

And the most important question:

3) Now that I bought my hardware (see my post under the hardware section), have a basic knowledge of a somewhat primitive DAW (FL Studio 8XXL), and am starting to hear improvements in my sound and techinique, where should I go from here? What do I need to buy/do in order to began to make my mark on the music business and what is the best way to get my name out there and improve in the shortest amount of time?

Finally, I realize you all don't have all the answers to the problems in my life ahaha I mean everyone's life is different. But we all share the same passion for creating and sharing our art with the world and any feedback regarding these issues would be a big help. I have no mentors, no friends who do this or rap, I am going out on a limb here..Thank you so much for reading this long ass post and I looking forward to hearing back from any of you

Also: Anything really interesting I learn at this school if I end up going, I will pass on to you guys...although you probably know it already...

thanks,
bob

First of all, welcome aboard. We all share a unique passion for creating music and despite there being millions of producers we are still a minority in this world and like one producer said, (i think Lil Brother), producers are like frat boys in a fraternity.

Anyway to answer your question:

1. Just looking at the big name producers in the game right now, hardly any of them went to some kind of music tech school. Unlike other professions, in the music game, you not having a degree (BA in music technology in this case) is far less likely to hinder your success. All you have to do is network, know the right people, and have hot tracks. A degree in music tech could very well be the last thing you need.

One further note. Taking that degree isn't a bad or wrong thing to do. However it is my opinion that if you are going the education route, especially for financial security, you are better off with a degree that will lead to another profession of your interest. If however you are taking it just to learn more about music, then know that you can learn that stuff yourself (saving a lot of money) or you can indeed go ahead with it and come out with knowledge you wouldn't have acquired otherwise (maybe due to lack of resources), which is still a good thing.

2. Started doing this in my mid-teens, around 15 (I am 22 now). Age shouldn't really bother you, in fact I am some what excited for you because I can remember when I discovered music production and the resources in learning all about it were so scarce. But today, you have the Youtubes and generally just more resources. You should be able to pick up things a lot faster, no only due to you being older and smarter but also because of the great thing called the internet. There is so much information around. If you are committed to the craft, you will develop relatively faster. Just be prepared the put the hours, days, weeks, months & years in.

3. Fruity Loops is enough for you to create hits. Make the most of what you have and have fun along the way. Don't keep waiting on that piece of gear that will give you a platinum sound, make it happen with what you got!

 

[Relic]

Oh BTW I started in this hiphop thing in like 84 so its not a come lately thing, Im serious get a "real" job first then pursue hiphop, you will be happier for it.

 

[God]

Ok here how things are in a nutshell..

I am 20 years old (21 in June 25), and I just started making beats/producing/etc. like three months ago. I fell in love and now I feel like I'm doing something important and fun with my life. I need some advice however from you all being that most of you are older than me, have a lot of experience, and are here to help.

When it comes to this music thing, I'm at a crossroads in my life. I have good grades (a 3.3 GPA) at VCU (my college) and there are many important decisions I'm going to be making concerning my future in the next two years.

A few things:
1. I am thinking about transferring to Radford University to go into their music program.
The following is a link to the official website, describing what I would be learning and doing: http://www.radford.edu/cmt-web/

2. I started producing and doing all this stuff really late.. I feel at times like I might be far-behind in the music production world

3. I feel overwhelmed with how far I am from achieving my goal of being able to make a living off this thing.

Finally the questions I ask to yall:

1) What do you all think of the school I am thinking about attending and how much do you think this sort of thing will help me along, as opposed to learning this stuff on my own?

2) How old were you guys when you started doing this?

And the most important question:

3) Now that I bought my hardware (see my post under the hardware section), have a basic knowledge of a somewhat primitive DAW (FL Studio 8XXL), and am starting to hear improvements in my sound and techinique, where should I go from here? What do I need to buy/do in order to began to make my mark on the music business and what is the best way to get my name out there and improve in the shortest amount of time?

Finally, I realize you all don't have all the answers to the problems in my life ahaha I mean everyone's life is different. But we all share the same passion for creating and sharing our art with the world and any feedback regarding these issues would be a big help. I have no mentors, no friends who do this or rap, I am going out on a limb here..Thank you so much for reading this long ass post and I looking forward to hearing back from any of you

Also: Anything really interesting I learn at this school if I end up going, I will pass on to you guys...although you probably know it already...

thanks,
bob

THIS IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE OR BUSINESS ADVICE:

1. Get a real degree and get a real job.

2. Read Relic's last post.

3. Because of the media, it makes it seem like ANYONE can get a record deal, or it's "tangible" to some respect. Understand that you're trying to make bread in an industry where cats have been at it since they were in their teens or even earlier. That's your competition. Also, you're competing against people who, though they write beats, are accomplished composers in their own right.

4. Get a real degree.

5. Fruity Loops is not all you need to make hits. You need to know songwriting to add value to your portfolio.

6. People think trying to get in the music industry is a "way out" of the rigors of real life or might be an easy job. They look at it as an "easy out" if they just get "one hit" or something. IT IS ONE OF THE MOST RUTHLESS AND TOUGH BUSINESSES OUT THERE.

Do it as a hobby, learn it - and then go from there. Don't fuck over your career - get a real degree.

 

[2GooD Productions]

THIS IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE OR BUSINESS ADVICE:

1. Get a real degree and get a real job.

2. Read Relic's last post.

3. Because of the media, it makes it seem like ANYONE can get a record deal, or it's "tangible" to some respect. Understand that you're trying to make bread in an industry where cats have been at it since they were in their teens or even earlier. That's your competition. Also, you're competing against people who, though they write beats, are accomplished composers in their own right.

4. Get a real degree.

5. Fruity Loops is not all you need to make hits. You need to know songwriting to add value to your portfolio.

6. People think trying to get in the music industry is a "way out" of the rigors of real life or might be an easy job. They look at it as an "easy out" if they just get "one hit" or something. IT IS ONE OF THE MOST RUTHLESS AND TOUGH BUSINESSES OUT THERE.

Do it as a hobby, learn it - and then go from there. Don't fuck over your career - get a real degree.

I knew that was coming, I didnt reply earlier because I knew G could put it better.
Relic and G are right, get a real degree.

 

[Shonsteez]

I agree with the majority of the posts here and feel your better off getting a degree in something other then music as well for financial security reasons...

But, also keep in mind - that getting a degree in music ISNT limited to being a producer, that should not be your primary goal for pursuing this field since you can do this on your own time at home.
There are a huge majority of technical roles in the industry that need to be filled.
The problem is the business model has completely changed since around 2000/2004 - to now, and jobs are becoming more scarce by the minute in the music industry.
Getting a job related to music is also HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION. This is something i rarely heard about throughout my academic career which is ironically one of the most important pieces of the puzzle, just sad no one told me and I didnt come to the realization on my own.

Basically if you want to go to the heart of LA, SanFran, or Nashville - then your odds are much more probable of locking down a job in relation to your field.
BUT, even then....jobs are becoming more scarce day by day and the need for a sound designer, or mixing engineer still exist but are much harder to get unless your REALLY IN WITH SOMEONE at the studio.

Thats just how shit is nowadays....Thats why im already pursuing Graphics (originally my backup plan, now as my full-time career.)

What i really had aspirations to do in the future (and still do but well see at this point), was to become a lead sound designer for film since i really love that kind of post productive work.
What none of my advisors really broke down on a honest level tho was that jobs like that always hire from the inside of the company and its all about who you know rather then what your qualified to do, plus keep in mind geographic limitations once again. So if your not trying to live right the middle of a big city then this also isnt your career path of choice.

 

[Sucio]

Exactly what they said...

If you pursue music hardbody and make it your career, there's a 99.9% chance you won't make enough bread to live on.

If you get a real job that pays well, then you can use the money you put to the side for music.....You can network and do all the other things you want....If you land a deal...GREAT!! If not, at least your Plan A is still on point.....


It's all about options, leave yourself as many options as possible...

 

[Chrono]

yayy!! it's saturated/// no money here... go home


dumb fucks... how many previously successful people are hungry as fuck/// how many sicker people than you are broke like junk with nothing to show..

no retirement plans.. NOTHING

 

[GRAFIK]

I went to college and have a great job and make pretty good money. It has given me a lot of extra cash to put into my production. Honestly just make beats because you want to, not because you want to make a career out of it. I dont care if I ever make a $1.00 off of my beats, I do it because I love hip hop. Think of it as hobby, and if you ever get to a point where you can make a career out of, go for it...

 

[BobCarter]

yeah i mean ive been playing guitar for six years too and i wanted to make a career out of that but the music business seems like its really flooded these days...any dope can put together a myspace music page and download a cracked version of fl studio.. and i guess thats what i am. i am a complete amateur at this and haven't been doing it long enough to really know yet what I'm going to do...I am considering transferring to a better school like UVA or Virginia Tech...it's just that I would be going to that other school for free because of my gpa. ive been talking to my parents about college and last night after reading ya'lls posts I might either major in Marketing like I was doing before I found out about hip hop production (ironically mentioned in GoD's post) and try to find a good school where I can minor in audio production and have a major in a more general and profitable area...thanks for the advice everyone...and honestly I don't really care about making money off producing music..I just want to collaborate with as many people as I can and bring my music to a larger audience.

that is all
-bob

 

[Relic]

Thats the plan!

 

[Beatz 101]

Get the Marketing Degree.

Diversify yourself. Be the 2-headed/3-headed Monster.

Not only will the degree increase the odds of you getting a decent job when you get outta school, but you have the option to twirk that degree with ur music career when your ready. You'll always grow as a musician if you keep making music. You may lose alotta sleep, but how bad u want it?



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