Making a Major Life Decision

[CE9958]

Hey guys,
So I not sure this in any way relates to production hardware or technicalities in any way... but I've spent the most time on this forum and the people here seem to be the most helpful/kind and friendly. Basically the deal is I sent a song of mine to some people and everyone really liked it they just said it needed some work on the mix down etc but thats the easy part right? :/ haha. Point of the matter is, making electronic music is what I really want to do. More than anything. I want to tour and DJ my own music and that whole deal. Its what I've wanted to do since I was 14. (19 now). Basically I'm thinking I'm going to try to convince my mom to let me take a semester off of college and really hammer down on an EP and get that shit done and going. However I'm worried that if it falls through I'll be wasting my time and I'll be put behind in university and idk I'm just a little bit wary to take that final jump into it.

Was just wondering if anyone else is/was/considering putting themselves in this position... or if anyone else can help me out by giving me their two cents?

Anyone wanna join me?

Thanks guys

[CE9958]

Also by people I don't mean like some of my friends. I sent it to people like Cutline, Dodge and Fuski, KOAN Sound (No Reply though :/) and Porter Robinson (No reply but listened to it 24 times?)

Also been in constant contact with Cutline since and I may having them do a feature on a song depending on how things keep playing out.

[ogunslinger]

bad idea

[wub]

I'd advise against it. Music is all well & good, but your degree is your degree - keep that as your main priority until you've got it.

[CE9958]

I'd advise against it. Music is all well & good, but your degree is your degree - keep that as your main priority until you've got it.

The thing is, I go to music school. I guess I should have mentioned that. I go to Berklee College of Music. My degree is in sound design and all that. Im in the Electronic Production and Design major here.

[jclarkeiv]

I would stay in school, still work on the ep idea just make it fit around your school schedule. In fact you can draw inspiration from your experiences at school. I have several hours between my morning and afternoon classes at uni now, when I don't have homework to do I use that time to produce and occasionally post here.

[Pedro Sánchez]

I'd advise against it. Music is all well & good, but your degree is your degree - keep that as your main priority until you've got it.

The thing is, I go to music school. I guess I should have mentioned that. I go to Berklee College of Music. My degree is in sound design and all that. Im in the Electronic Production and Design major here.

The degree is useless then, call centres don't recognize degrees in creative fields as holding any weight and commercial studios hate university grads.

[wormcode]

If it was some community college I'd say fuck it, but don't ditch Berklee. Work on the EP slowly in your spare time, there's lots of time for that. Getting into Berklee can be real tough, consider yourself lucky to be there.

[CE9958]

Yeah man people just go to Berklee for the connections anyway... and the most successful Berklee alumni never graduated. John Mayer, BT, Steve Vai... theres tons its almost funny. Idk we'll see. I may be interning with Native Instruments' sound designers this next semester too so it all depends

[CE9958]

If it was some community college I'd say fuck it, but don't ditch Berklee. Work on the EP slowly in your spare time, there's lots of time for that. Getting into Berklee can be real tough, consider yourself lucky to be there.

You're right man and I definitely do appreciate it. Berklee just has this really awful reputation for dominating your life to the point that you get out and you're like... wait... now what?

[wub]

I'd advise against it. Music is all well & good, but your degree is your degree - keep that as your main priority until you've got it.

The thing is, I go to music school. I guess I should have mentioned that. I go to Berklee College of Music. My degree is in sound design and all that. Im in the Electronic Production and Design major here.

My comment still stands.

If your work is good enough for people to take notice, then give it time. It's not like you're suddenly going to lose your talent.

[Shum]

One of your principal aims at a school of Berklee's calibre should be to network anyway. If you want to make it somewhere then this is an industry where having connections is key.

[AJGR]

get your uni done as quick as you can. it's taken me twice as much to finish my degree because i was putting to much time into my own music. i thought i was going to get signed a few times but it didn't happen.

[skimpi]

leavin college for this would be a stupid idea! make it in your spare time and then hope that you music is good enough and most of all given the exposure it deserves, so that you can get releases and become a name on peoples lips and then have enough dj gigs to be able to either afford to quit work, or have so many sets that you cant possibly hold down a job as well. dont just quit a job in the hope of this happening, wait until it does and then drop the day job. you dont need to bang out an EP, if the tunes are good enough and the people want to release it enough, they shouldnt mind how long it takes, to and extent like, dont feel you need to produce an EP as quick as possible, to get it out there and get 'noticed' quicker, just do the tunes and let things flow.

[Sharmaji]

dropping out of school to play music is the 2nd best thing i ever did.

leaving a full-time job to play music (granted, that was a full-time music job) is the best.

going BACK to school and finishing my degree 2 years after dropping out is 3rd.

life is risk management. take risks.

[Zöo Pop]

Only if you feel it in your heart to really do it, then by all means I back you 100% on it and do it. Just realize where you are:

-In school with people that have the same desire as you
-People to connect with
-Tools to play like the pros

What I mean is make sure you think about it because you could possibly end up doing a colab with someone and it may end up being a hit. That connection could land you in studio with people you only dreamed about colabing with and knowing hardware devices is fun aint it?!

[B-Frank]

Hey guys,
So I not sure this in any way relates to production hardware or technicalities in any way... but I've spent the most time on this forum and the people here seem to be the most helpful/kind and friendly. Basically the deal is I sent a song of mine to some people and everyone really liked it they just said it needed some work on the mix down etc but thats the easy part right? :/ haha. Point of the matter is, making electronic music is what I really want to do. More than anything. I want to tour and DJ my own music and that whole deal. Its what I've wanted to do since I was 14. (19 now). Basically I'm thinking I'm going to try to convince my mom to let me take a semester off of college and really hammer down on an EP and get that shit done and going. However I'm worried that if it falls through I'll be wasting my time and I'll be put behind in university and idk I'm just a little bit wary to take that final jump into it.

Was just wondering if anyone else is/was/considering putting themselves in this position... or if anyone else can help me out by giving me their two cents?

Anyone wanna join me?

Thanks guys

Between you and me. If your good enough (and lucky enough) to make it. You will make it regardless whether you take time off... Chase and Status broke through into the dnb scene when they were at Uni and I am sure others have too. I know people bash Chase and Status, but for about 6 years they were beasts of the underground. Just keep plugging at it.

[B-Frank]

dropping out of school to play music is the 2nd best thing i ever did.

leaving a full-time job to play music (granted, that was a full-time music job) is the best.

going BACK to school and finishing my degree 2 years after dropping out is 3rd.

life is risk management. take risks.

Without trying to sound like a boring fuck but I think it's a risk not worth taking the chances are stacked against you.

[Mad_EP]

I could almost understand the temptation to drop out for a bit if you were in a non-musical degree... but you are doing a music degree AT a music school.


I agree with Dave-Sharmaji that life is about risks - but it is also about recognizing opportunities and seizing them.

In addition to getting my degree in cello performance, I spent a year at an intense recording engineering program. About 2 months into the program, I decided I didn't really want to be an engineer - and there were lots of ideas I wanted to explore that weren't being covered. However, I still saw my situation as an opportunity - learn what I was there to learn, PLUS take advantage of the facilities to explore what I wanted to explore. Best idea ever - even though I literally only slept 3 or 4 nights a week. I still use everything I learned in the program almost daily - plus I ended up writing a lot of tunes, most of which ended up getting properly released a few years down the line.

Use what you have - enrollment in a great music school that has great facilities and ridiculous networking opportunities.

[blinx]

for real dont drop out man. lol or do i dont care but you WONT get signed and you WONT have your degree any sooner if you drop out.

if you stay you have a degree and you have opporitunity. Sieze the day dont sit and wishfully think about the "what if's". Just because you have emailed some producers=NOTHING. Instead keep investing in your REALITY you have taken a great first step at making your DREAMS come true, finish the degree then youll have the rest of your life to write EPs and dope club bangers.