How does one cope with the fact that majoring in music/film is

>>17478415
So I have a STEM degree (with a philosophy double major) and I'm a professional musician now. Took a fuckload of music theory classes as electives, but I majored in neuroscience and philosophy.

Don't think of it as certain careers not being worthwhile, but rather as the traditional university model, which is now so expensive and formalized, failing to be useful for certain careers.

"Do what you love" is actually pretty good advice, especially now when everyone wants internships and extracurriculars and for you to show "passion" for the field you're choosing. It's just that you need to assess what it means to do that thing, and majoring in it in college isn't synonymous with that (especially if it involves crushing debt). It also doesn't necessarily mean "rely on that thing as your sole source of income." You don't need to draw a paycheck from something to be doing it for real. You don't need to get a diploma in something to receive a rigorous education therein.

It is a good idea to get a diploma, especially if you have the opportunity, to open doors for providing for yourself, but don't pigeonhole yourself. There's nothing wrong with hedging your bets by becoming literate in a field that can make you money; you don't have to commit your life to it or always stick with it. But also maybe the thing you love is a certain way of solving problems or thinking about the world. Maybe the thing that drives you to make music also drives you to do something else "marketable" (or at least tolerate it) That's what I realized about myself, and it's really put me at peace. You can do more than one thing, and true success comes from bringing those things into harmony with the kind of life you want to live. Now more than ever, there is no set path.

>>17478439
Do you actually make a living off of your performances? That's my dream.

Very good advice. However, I can't agree with the follow your passions statement. If j were to major in music, I don't think I'd be employed. I'm attending Yale, but even then, the prestige of my college won't make my job prospects and brighter. I agree that the university sort of thing isn't going to determine my life, but it has a huge impact.

A a musician, how did you get stable income and such? What would you have done differently?

>>17478415
>realize I won't have time for my passions

I was in a band that was practicing once a week and playing three shows a month in graduate school with a full course load, 20 hours a week of practicum, while applying to internships, studying for comps, and writing my dissertation. I was also married. It sucked, but I was able to find the time to make it all work.

>>17478468
I have in some years been able to live off music, but man it sucks ass to depend on something you love for money. It's never stable. Seriously it's much better to have a flexible and /comfy/ day job than it is to grind away at something that used to be fun so that you can make rent. I guess if I wanted to make more money off music I would join a bar/cover band but it was never worth it for me and the money isn't all that great.

If you're gonna have an Ivy League degree in an in-demand field you'll have employers looking to work around you and your schedule. That's ideal for a musician, especially if you're trying to make non-mainstream music. You can get high-paying prestigious-sounding work on your resume so that if you release an album that's a huge indie hit and need to tour for a year you could have a new job ready to go when you come back and plenty of cash to tide you over while you're out making music.

You don't need to go work for Amazon or Goldman Sachs or some other psychotic "work 100+ hour weeks or you're a pussy" job. I know killer bands whose members are IT guys at major corporations and they tour and put out albums that get good reviews and shit. You don't have to live off it or practice full time to put out pro-level music. Having financial security just takes the stress out and makes it a lot more fun. The average normie gets done with work at five and watches Netflix til they pass out. You can write songs, record, mix, book shows instead and be light years further into your dream than you ever realized.

>>17478468
And again, by follow your passions, I don't mean "major in them." I mean do them anyway, even if you have a job and a STEM degree. Think of it this way: would you half-ass raising a kid just because you weren't a stay at home dad? Fuck no, you'd give it all you had to make something awesome because you love it and you own it. Same shit with music. You don't need to make it harder on yourself by making it your major or your job. Besides, if it takes off it takes off, regardless as to whether or not you have a music degree. How many of your idols had music degrees?

>>17478415
composing incidental music its quite a thing you know?
also have you thought about getting knowledge about mixing, editing, mastering? a sound engineer degree may help you to live from making (or mixing) music
if not, composing a portfolio for incidental music might be a nice kickstart

>>17478512
DO pursue audio engineering

DO NOT pay money for a degree. It is not a degree driven industry, it's about portfolio and on the job training.

>>17478515
I mean the sound engineering degree is fascinating to me, but only because of the musical components. Science is neat, and what j meant in my OP was that I just couldn't see myself as a scientist.
I'm just so young and I know I should be starting it all now. I don't want to just work 9-5, j want that band and have some time to travel and read and learn and do art, not do those checklists of life. Im not sure how old you guys are, but did things seem to just fall in place for you? Like a gut feeling that you'd be okay?

>>17478515
yes it is, im 18 and dont really have formal studies (next year ill start studying in a conservatory, electroacoustic composition) but i already sold some music for advertisements and mixed an EP. its not really much but i agree that its not a degree driven industry

but that knowledge that u learn in a conservatory, uni, whatever is reallY useful, like ear training (im not talented, but i spend lot of time composing and practicing, dont have absolute ear) and didnt started a portfolio yet

>>17478535
think of sound engineering as a tool for freelance work, working to survive til u can live of ur music, and using those works to improve ur skills

>>17478535
Fuck no man it was scary and I felt like the only person out of all the people I went to school with who ended up a fuckup. I also constantly felt like I was one wrong move away from waking up suddenly 40 and full of regret. Of course it was a complete fabrication (Google impostor syndrome), but this is just how you think as a young person.

Seriously having some life experience with providing for yourself and making things happen like producing art and traveling will make you feel a lot better. You'll be able to make time; a lot of people like to make themselves out as super overworked and maybe they are but a lot of that is a front they put on or they seek it out on purpose (or had kids or some shit). You'll have time to do those things and then some and even if you can't swing that and a science job you'll have other options.

I worked in a grocery store while my band was starting out and I loved it. I wasn't putting away big money but I could pay for everything working 30hrs/week and do everything I wanted to do with my band (which seriously does not take that much time. Even if you're just putting in five hours a week that's so much music over the course of a year).

>>17478556
Some more food for thought for you: I know a doctor who is a world famous musician. She's a hospitalist which is a particular specialty that has you staying in the hospital and rotating in and out (I think she does two weeks on two weeks off) and she takes off all the time to tour and has a prestigious and high paying job to support her on top of that. The point is, you have way more options than you know and the most important thing for you to do is make some music if you wanna make music. Seriously, write some songs and get good at them and record them, make an EP or something, put it out on the web and people will hear it and maybe like it and blog about it. Boom, you're a real musician. You can even do this while job hunting.

>>17478556
Thank you so much man that was really comforting. I don't think I'll be famous or anything, which is fine, I just want to have fun making music and I guess I just find it hard to make music while I'm working. Did you find time to perform often? I know a lot of gigs occur during the week

It is important to do what you love, but your pasision should be done in your off hours if at all possible. The reason is simple: your passion is the one thing you'll make time for when work consumes everything else, and this prevents you from falling into the trap of doing only one thing (which causes burnout).

In your case, I recommend computer science with a fuckton of music electives, precisely because it's relatively unrelated to music (though it can be used for musical pursuits), but it came to your mind as something you might enjoy. This gets you doing two things.

Another guy majoring in music here. This thread gives me some hope.

>>17478415
>falling for the STEM meme
if you're getting a STEM degree that you don't like you'll never make it in a STEM field

>>17478415
simply don't go to college for a stem degree and find a job to support you while making music.
if, after a couple of years, you think you're getting nowhere, you can still major in a stem field.
just do yourself a favor and don't major in music or film. that's just a waste of money. (except if you want to perform in classical orchestras - then a degree (among other awards) will prove useful).

if you're good at what you're doing just pursue it. uni can't teach you shit in how to play an instrument or write music or design sound. it's just for prestige. if you're the type, you can still get a professional teacher for way less money.

i'm about to major in a creative field i want to work in and i realize that just spending 2-3 years studying it on my own would've essentially had the same impact on my skills.

>>17479804
I don't want to "make it", I just want a job that can support myself and a family.
>>17479861
It's Yale though, I mean I'm not being an elitist but I feel that if I were to go into some stable field, I could do very well for myself, giving me more to purchase equipment and music and canvases

>>17480027
you won't be able to even get that if you hate the field, it's already oversaturated with people like you who are only in it because they heard it was lucrative and SURPRISE they can't get a job.

>>17480027
better equipment wont make you a better musician. i've been there - i make electronic music since about 10 years now and i've spend the first 6 or 7 years just procrastinating halfways and thinking "yeah i need this and that synth so i could do x" when really i was only lazy.
you can do the most amazing shit on a 30 bucks acoustic guitar or on some childrens keyboard. you don't need a lot of money to pursue any creative hobby. just do it. and do it now and do it 24/7 because otherwise you won't make it and you're better off just getting a regular job

>>17479861
>uni can't teach you shit in how to play an instrument or write music or design sound
But that's completely wrong.