Any alumni here?

I'm already a mediocre-to-average musician.

I have 80 credits done in a music program I dropped out of 6 years ago.

I just want to finish a BA and Berklee is appealing for many reasons.

I want to perfect my understanding of piano technique, theory, composition, tech applications, etc.

I also want to grow my audio licensing business through the Berklee network.

Am I naive to think that 2-3 years at Berklee is worthwhile and will give me a leg-up in the industry?

I'm not going to half ass it while I'm there.

ill put it this way. i know a guy who went to a better music school than berklee. he now drives a delivery truck.

How the hell do you guys pay for this?? I would love to go but tuition is like $200,000 or something ridiculous like that

>I'm already a mediocre-to-average musician.
Then the "improvement" you'll make will be even less marginal
>I have 80 credits done in a music program I dropped out of 6 years ago.
This is literally the sunk costs fallacy
>I just want to finish a BA and Berklee is appealing for many reasons.
Larger than average debt?
>I want to perfect my understanding of piano technique, theory, composition, tech applications, etc.
Get private lessons, seriously, talk to a music professor about this
>I also want to grow my audio licensing business through the Berklee network.
You might find a few leads, but the "network" you'll be dealing with are idiot kids who just graduated high school and professors who probably deal will "promising business venture" shit constantly
>Am I naive to think that 2-3 years at Berklee is worthwhile and will give me a leg-up in the industry?
Yes
>I'm not going to half ass it while I'm there.
No one will notice or care

Thanks for your response.

I'm excited (no matter what) to audition and interview in Boston. The choice to attend is yet to be fully considered.

It may end up as a self-validation gesture.

But really, is there any other music program in the world that you would consider attending? If you had the passion and means to do so?

Good luck!
Ignore this fucker he's just jealous that you're following your dreams while he's too much of an ass to be bothered to

I didn't take it that way. Dude seems based. I value any informative opinion.

Yours included, thanks for the encouragement.

My brother just started there. How long have you been playing the keyboard?

Also as others have said, if you don't have a plan to pay up front, it's highly advised that you don't go.

Been playing from a young age. I feel proficient in any style that gives way to improvisation.

Tuition is nearly a free ride for me. I just feel like I want the berklee experience.

>tfw dropped out from berklee

A degree from Berklee says something.

What exactly does it say though?

>But really, is there any other music program in the world that you would consider attending? If you had the passion and means to do so?
Yes, definitely. Berklee's reputation is mainly as a jazz school, and there are lots of things it lacks compared to other music schools that specialize in classical training or academic aspects like history and ethnomusicology.

Anyways, good luck with everything. I don't mean to be overly negative, but higher education has become such a racket that it's hard not to.

What do you mean by "following your dreams"? Simply attending a music school for a few years, or having a career in music? If you read my posts, the entire point I'm making is that music school is completely unnecessary for a music career.

I've been playing music professionally for over ten years now, playing the same gigs as people who went to top schools (including Berklee), without the degree they have. You find work through raw skill and good people skills, not academic validation.

But Berklee doesn't tout itself as an academy of classical training, nor is it valued as a liberal arts / history program (nearly any college can do that).

Berklee's designation as the contemporary music school of the world is appealing to me. There must be avenues to success for determined people.

My career in music so far has been fruitful enough. Music is the only thing I am truly passionate about, and immersing myself in a wholly musical academic environment sounds like a worthwhile challenge.

>But Berklee doesn't tout itself as an academy of classical training
I wasn't claiming that. I was just responding to your question (which was probably rhetorical):
>"is there any other music program in the world that you would consider attending?"
And my answer is a definite yes.

>There must be avenues to success for determined people.
That's the kind of assumption the school banks on people making. But what exact "avenues" does it offer that cheaper alternatives don't? Why can't the same be said about you moving somewhere that's conducive to your long-term goals and immersing yourself in that scene (which is what you should do anyways after graduating)?

>any American musical college, ever
don't you do it kids

I agree with what you're suggesting.

Please name some music programs you'd prefer. If not but for the sake of argument.

That specific question was not rhetorical

I think our interests are pretty different, so I'm not sure how helpful that will be. Personally, the only music programs that interest me are ethnomusicology grad schools, which is a pretty small group of schools. UCB stands out for me, which has a pretty well-established program. But I also know people there, so personal preference plays a part.

But as a career, ethnomusicology is pretty much strictly academic, in which case there's no option besides going to school. Very different situation than typical professional musician gigs, where academic credentials are pretty insignificant.

going next year class of 2021. super stoked

>tfw St Vincent dropped out from Berklee and is now a more succesful artist than she would have been she had stayed
What's the point then

>You find work through raw skill and good people skills, not academic validation.
fair enough but consider this:
youtube.com/watch?v=8vo_uh6LXf4

True that our interests seem different and for that reason I welcome our discourse.

I feel like there is a sweet spot to be attained. One where I get the training, join a new network, achieve "credibility", while growing as a person and unlocking paths that wouldn't have been available otherwise.

Becoming a jazz fusion master with a degree in composition / production along the way sounds fun.

Right on. It sounds like you're interested in doing it for the right reasons, while there's a lot of people who simply think a music degree is essential for a music career and get disillusioned when they find out that's not the case.