Is Music School Worth It?

So many young musicians find themselves asking "should I go to music school?" This can be a really tough question to answer because it depends on so many factors. Why do you want to go music school? What kind of music career do you want? What's your financial situation? What's your support system like? How bad do you want it?

So let's tackle this one question at a time...

Why do you want to go to music school?

If you take a group of music school students and ask them why each of them wanted to go to music school, their answers will likely all be different. Some will say they wanted to be the next John Williams and get to hear their compositions on the big screen. Others might say they wanted to impress the ladies. Depending on what the answer to this question is for you, you will want to approach the situation differently:

1. You want to learn how to play your instrument better

If your biggest reason (or sole reason) for wanting to choose music school is to get better at your instrument, you have to make sure that your dream school is giving you a well-rounded experience. Private lessons with an incredible musician are definitely something to be excited about, but is that enough to justify an expensive college tuition? Does the school have amazing ensembles as well? What about labs? If you are looking at private lessons only (plus a bunch of classes that you're not excited about), you might want to fill that need by just taking private lessons on your own. Sure, your dream music school might offer private music lessons with your hero, but maybe that person teaches privately as well. If you have absolutely no reason to want the piece of paper, and are just in it for the lessons, just take lessons!

If you are interested in learning music check out our Music Lessons in Denton.

2. You want to get famous

This is probably the most common motivation for the students at a school like Berklee College of Music or The New School. And for many people, it works! As a Berklee grad myself, I'm seeing my old classmates on the TV all the time. But what's the actual connection between these schools and success? Is it that these schools are teaching such good material that the kids just end up so talented that they inevitably make it? Or is it the connections they make at these schools? Or is it the fact that they spent so much money on music school that they're totally panicked about making it worth their while so they hustle really hard? I think the answer is all of the above. But of course it depends on the person.

This does not mean that you have to go to a fancy music school to get famous, obviously. So if your only motivation for going to music school is to get famous, you'll save yourself a lot of time (four years to be exact) if you just cut to the chase and start hustling out of high school.

But for those of you that do want to get famous, but also really want to hone your skills and become better musicians, don't write music school off just yet.

3. You want to meet other awesome musicians

This is actually a pretty good reason to go to music school. As I explained in my article about How to make the most of music school, making connections with other musicians is one of the most important things you can do with your time at school.

This was actually my biggest regret at Berklee. I let so many opportunities to connect with amazing musicians slip through my fingers, and lost touch with so many of the connections that I had made. Every year that goes by, more of my old classmates end up "making it" or doing something really great. In my first semester at Berklee, 3 of the Imagine Dragons guys were there! The toughest pill to swallow was realizing that I literally graduated with Charlie Puth. #facepalm

4. Your parents want you to get a degree, and this is your compromise

This is also a very common situation, and to be honest, one that raises some red flags. If music is your number one passion in life, and you would want to go to music school anyway, then this compromise is just fine. But if you just picked music out of the sky because it's a hobby you kind of enjoy, and it sounds like more fun than science or math, then we might have a problem. Going to music school is way too big of a commitment to just choose it on a whim.

5. You want to learn everything about music

This is a pretty good reason to pick music college over a normal college. It's really the only good reason to make this choice. Going to a prestigious music college may be overrated in a lot of ways, but one thing I can say for sure is that you will learn a lot more than you can even imagine in music school, as long as you choose your path carefully.

What kind of music career do you want?

Equally important is deciding what kind of career you want. A "music career" can mean many different things - from band teacher to international DJ to 2nd oboe in the Toronto symphony - a music career can look very different depending on where you go with it. So let's take a look at the realities of some of the different paths you can take as a musician.

1. Performer

Being a music performer can mean anything from a street musician to a huge international pop star, so saying that you want to be a performer is about as broad as saying you want to work in an office. I know it's hard, but when you're about to embark on a music career, you have to be very clear with yourself about what you want and why. If you're doing this for someone else, take a step back and really think about if that's a good reason for taking this path. If you are doing this for the money, look at the numbers and make a concrete plan (and maybe figure out if there's not an easier way to make a lot of money). If you're doing this for the adventure, well... you'll certainly get an adventure.

Once you know what you want as a performer, making decisions about music school will be a little easier. If you want to be on broadway, you might want to go to a school like Boston Conservatory or AMDA (American Musical and Dramatic Academy). If you want to play in a big band, you'll probably want to dig into jazz, and go to Berklee or The New School in New York. If you dream of getting a chair in a symphony orchestra, you might set your sights on Julliard.

No matter what path you are aiming for, you have to really think about how you're going to make money as a musician. Depending on what kind of performance career you end up with, you might find yourself making anywhere between $15k and ...well I suppose millions of dollars a year, which is why it's important to get a more clear idea of what you're aiming for. And not only will this help you get a clearer idea of the type of lifestyle you'll have, but it will help you make a decision on how much money you should spend on college. If your dream career is going to leave you making under $50,000 a year, it would be pretty foolish to get into $200,000 worth of student loan debt.

2. Composer, Arranger, or Orchestrator

If you're dreaming of a career as a composer, arranger, orchestrator, or something of that nature, you could be looking at a salary between $25k-$100k per year. But that depends how successful you are. John Williams, the film composer who's credited on famous films such as Star Wars, ET, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, Superman, Jurassic Park, and many many others, has a net worth of $300 million! But this is an incredibly competitive field, so is a bit of a gamble. The cool thing about this industry is that it is expanding. Music for video games is becoming a bigger and bigger industry every year, and is definitely making more room for talented writers.

3. Songwriter

If you're lucky enough to break into the LA or Nashville songwriting scene, you could make quite a bit of money, but the average salary for a songwriter in the United States is just above $50,000 per year. But as with almost everything in the music industry, it has everything to do with talent, connections, and luck - and you have to have all 3.

4. Producer or DJ

As music evolves and genres like EDM become more popular, producers and DJs are starting to cross over into rock-star status. As of 2021, EDM producer Calvin Harris's net worth is around $300 million. But for DJs who want to stay in their home town and stay out of the [real] limelight, they can still make quite a bit of money playing Bar Mitzvahs and weddings, as long as they've got some business savvy. The salary range for the average DJ is $28k-$100k per year.

Keep in mind that these career paths, as well as all of the previous ones listed, are not steady jobs. These are all career paths that require you to be constantly hustling. It's your job to make sure that the work keeps flowing.

5. Professor

Finally! A job that can be "steady" in music - that means that the work is consistent as long as you keep the job. You don't have to string together tons of gigs and other odd musical jobs to make a living.

Or at least up until recently!

Unfortunately, even professor jobs are starting to look more and more like they belong to that darn "gig economy." Around 50% of professors are now part-time, and making as little as $1,000 per course credit. On average, music professors make between $45k-$88k per year, which is about $30 per hour (this is much less than musicians can make teaching a private piano lesson to a kid in their living room).

6. Music Teacher at a school - Elementary, Middle, or High School

Now if you want to be a music teacher at an elementary, middle, or high school, you'll likely make somewhere between $41k-$60k. Of course, as everyone knows, being a teacher can be tiring and require work after hours, but it can be very rewarding to see the impact you're making on your students. Teaching at this level does not require a Masters Degree, but many teachers end up getting one while teaching to pursue higher pay in their job. Keep in mind, as the job market gets more competitive, some teachers find it hard to find a good job without a Master's Degree, even though it's not a technical requirement for most of these positions.

If you're interested in teaching music professionally, getting a degree in music actually is necessary, so this is a good thing to think about as you choose schools, choose your major, and of course - decide how much student debt you're willing to get into.

What's your financial situation like?

If you and your family are struggling to get by, spending a lot of money (or more likely - going into debt) for a music degree might be a bad idea. My advice to you isn't necessarily to choose something else, but rather GET A SCHOLARSHIP! If you are going into debt to become a doctor, you're almost guaranteed to be able to pay that money back, but a career in music is a different story. If you don't feel like you can get a scholarship to music school, there are a few things you could do to bridge the gap a bit.

1. You can take a year off

Get a good job that pays well and won't burn you out, and split your time between practicing your instrument and saving up money. This way, hopefully, you'll be able to get a scholarship the following year, and you'll have some money saved up.

2. Start at a state school

If you want a bachelor's degree in music, you're going to have to take a lot of non-music credits. Why not do that at a cheaper school like a state school, a community college, or even online. Make sure to check with both schools that the credits will in fact transfer. The last thing you want to do is put in a bunch of work acing your classes just to find out that the credits don't transfer. Meanwhile, you can be practicing really hard in the hopes that you'll be able to get a scholarship the following year.

3. Find a good music program at a state school

Some of the best music programs are actually at state schools, so do your research. Depending on the state, you might be able to even establish residency first and get in-state tuition for a fraction of the cost. Another benefit of opting for a smaller music program is that you are more likely to get stage time (literally). Going to a bigger and more well-known music school makes the competition incredibly steep. If you want to err on the side of "big fish in a small pond," choosing a less prestigious school could give you some great benefits that way.

What's your support system like?

I hate to say it, but in order to make it in music, you will likely have some (or many) rough years. If you don't have a good support system, this can be really bad. If you have a family that's willing to support you through tough times (emotionally and financially), you might be able to make it through, but if you're on your own, buyer beware!

How badly do you want it?

Pursuing a career in music is no small task. If you're not 100% in, you should get out. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with choosing something else. In many cases, musicians feel more connected to music after they choose to let it go as a career path and let it be their number one hobby (well, hobby can be a gross word to musicians, let's say "love.")

If you are willing to make some pretty big sacrifices so that you can have a career in music, then more power to you... Once you make that choice, do not take it lightly, and don't expect it to come easy. The hardest thing about a career in music is that it's up to you - every day. No one will be holding your hand, so you have to be your own boss (and a very demanding boss at that).

Most of all, you have to be okay with surprises. I don't care who you are, your career is going to have twists and turns, and the sooner you accept that, the smoother it's all going to be. If you're stubborn about your path, you might miss some really amazing opportunities. Also, as you get older, your priorities are going to change. I know that's really hard to hear when you're young, but it's always a good thing when they do - maturing is good, and if you can set your career up to mature with you, you will be a success.

So is music school worth it? The answer is a huge yes to some, and a huge no to others - it really depends on what your motivations are, what you do with your time there, and where your life ends up going afterwards.

If you like this check out our article: Audition Tips for Musicians | How to get the part