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Are Music Business Degrees Worth Student Loan Debt? [Video]

With high school graduations taking place around the country, the latest episode of Music Biz considers whether or not aspiring music professionals need higher education.

People born in the late-1900s and early-2000s grew up believing that college was an essential stepping stone to a good life. If you want a high paying job, then you need a degree. If you want good job security, then you need to specialize. If your career path requires networking, then no place has more people hoping to become someone worth knowing than the campus of any college and university on the planet.

But times have changed. As student loan debt cripples generations of adults, young people today are rethinking the value of a college education. Most will agree that a degree is a must-have item in specific fields, such as engineering and medicine, but what music is another story altogether. For every person who excels through the music industry ranks thanks in part to their degree, someone else gets ahead thanks to hard work and strong digital networking skills.

Nearly every week, we receive questions from readers, listeners, and viewers about the importance of earning a degree in the music business. The answer is not simple, but today, we are going to do our best to put the issue to rest.

On the latest episode of Music Biz, host James Shotwell examines the value of earning a degree in the music business. He looks at how industry programs vary between schools, the challenges presented by skipping college, and one major thing that both paths to success require individuals to do if they want to get ahead.

The short answer is that there are no simple answers. A college graduate and a hardworking person building a name for themselves outside the education system often have an equal shot at landing a career. What separates most future professionals is a combination of talent and determination, not to mention heart, and how motivated a person is to give their all to the industry.

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The value of a college education in the music business [VIDEO]

In the latest episode of Music Biz 101, host James Shotwell speaks directly to those pursuing a career in music through higher education.

Most people are raised to believe that the only way to succeed in the workforce is by going to college. If you want to get ahead, people say, then you need a degree that proves you understand the work. We disagree.

As far as the music industry is concerned, degrees mean virtually nothing without experience. Aspiring professionals need to show proof of their knowledge through application rather than grades. No one will ever ask what your GPA is, but they expect to see how you apply the education you take on immense debt to earn.

To be clear: We think you should go to college. Higher education is the one path to success in entertainment that guarantees the time and freedom needed to chase your passion with the ferocity necessary to land the job of your dreams. Those who choose to focus on their interests while also balancing a traditional job often find the demands of a 40-60 hour workweek leave very little time and attention to spend on their craft. They may still find a place in the industry, of course, but the path to get there will be far more arduous than those who use their time in college wisely.

In today’s episode of Music Biz 101, host James Shotwell offers suggestions for maximizing the value of a college education. He speaks from his own experiences, as well as the lessons learned over a decade of full-time employment in the entertainment business. Check it out:

New episodes of Music Biz 101 drop every Monday. Subscribe to our official YouTube channel to ensure you never miss a lesson.

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What Every Music Business Student Needs to Know

An open letter to music business students from a music business graduate (who actually found work in the industry).

Dear first-year Music Business students:

Let me begin by commending you for the decision to pursue a college degree. Music Business is not a common major to pursue. Before arriving at school, you likely faced questions and concerns about your future from everyone in your life. I believe they only want the best for you. They don’t know what the future holds, but they know music is a cutthroat industry. Their concern is an expression of their love. Remember that.

If anyone reading this still believes a college degree guarantees a career in your chosen field, know that is a lie. Just as countless musicians are aspiring to spend their lives performing and recording, there is an equal number of people vying for the low number of paid positions on the business side of the entertainment industry. The competition is fierce, and it is growing increasingly tough with each passing day. Your success in college will no doubt give you a leg up, but it is by no means a golden ticket. You will have to fight for every bit of success you find in music, and there is just no getting around that.

I’m writing to you today because there is one lesson no professor could teach me, and learning it has made all the difference in my career. Your time in college may determine the next decade or decades that follow, but the deciding factor will not be your performance in the classroom. What will define your career after college is how you utilize the free time you are afforded by pursuing a degree. There will never be another time in your adult life where you have the freedom you will experience during your college years. Some see this as a cause for celebration, and to some extent it is, but those taking their future seriously will recognize it as an opportunity to explore the business, find their passion, and begin developing a presence in the music business.

As you head into the fall semester, I want to encourage your curiosity about the entertainment business. ‘Don’t worry about landing your dream job just yet. Instead, worry about understanding how people do that job. Take into account what separates those who succeed in that skill set from those who do not. Reach out to those already doing the work you wish to do and ask for their story. Listen more than you speak. Learn to ask questions. Not general inquiries, but specific questions geared toward the day-to-day life of those doing the job you desire. Shadow them. If possible, become their intern. Make your name known to the people in the field you wish to enter and make sure to do so in a way that speaks to your professionalism.

There will never be a job opportunity in music where your GPA determines employment. In eight years of post-grad life, the subject has never once come up in an interview, nor has an employer asked for many details related to the classes I took. Employers ‘don’t care what you learned, but rather how you have applied the knowledge your degree claims you gained. It may sound corny to you now, but the ”show” in show business applies to aspiring professionals as much as it does musicians. People need to see proof of your talent before they will feel comfortable giving you money to live your dreams. That goes for entrepreneurs as much as people who wish to join already successful brands. No one is going to take a chance on you until you take chances yourself, and the time to do that is right now. Start a blog. Find a young artist or group you believe in and do everything you can to help them gain recognition. Hand out fliers for a venue. Book shows at a local coffee shop. Start small, but start nonetheless.

You also need to network. That can be difficult for people, especially those who believe themselves to be shy or otherwise introverted, but it is an essential component of success in the music business. Everyone who gets anywhere does so because of their ability to network. You may feel intimidated when contacting professionals, but remember that they were once just like you. Nobody enters the music business without first being a fan, and that shared fandom connects us all. Reach out to the people who are helping your favorite artists succeed and let them know you recognize the work they have done. I also urge you to connect with those in your class, as well as others just starting out. Together you could build the next company that revolutionizes the industry. At the very least, you’ll have someone to turn to when things get tough (and they will get tough). No one succeeds in this industry on their own. Find like-minded people and do what you can to uplift them. They, in turn, will do the same for you.

Lastly, pay attention to the industry at large. You may be passionate about a particular genre or scene, but understand you may one day find yourself working in a completely different area of the music business. This industry is continually evolving, and you will develop over time as well. The artists that inspired you to pursue this dream will retire or go on hiatus, ushering in new scenes and sounds that we cannot yet begin to imagine. When that happens, and it will happen, you will need to adapt if you hope to continue working in music.

Do not wait for this industry to come to you because it ‘won’t. If you genuinely want this, and your decision to take on student loan debt tells me you do, then you have to chase this dream with everything you have in you. I believe in you.

Keep an open mind, work hard, and you will go far.

I believe in you.

Sincerely,

James Shotwell

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News

An open letter first-year music business students

Dear first-year music business students –

Let me begin by commending you for the decision to pursue a college degree. I’m sure before arriving on campus your plan to take a scholarly approach to understand the music business was met with questions, confusion, and maybe even a bit of resistance on the part of your family (they only want the best for you, I promise).

If any of you reading this still believe a college degree guarantees a career in your chosen field know that is a lie. Just as countless musicians are aspiring to spend their life performing and recording there is an equal number of people vying for the extremely limited number of paid positions on the business side of the entertainment industry. The competition is fierce, and it is growing increasingly tough with each passing day. Your success in college will no doubt give you a leg up starting out, but it is by no means a golden ticket. You will have to fight for every bit of success you find in music, and there is just no getting around that.

I’m writing to you today because there is one lesson no professor could teach me, and learning it has made all the difference in my own journey through this industry. The next two to four years of your life could very well determine the decade or decades that follow, but the deciding factor will most likely not be your performance in the classroom. What will define your career after college is how you utilize the free time you are afforded by pursuing a degree. There will never be another time in your adult life where you have the freedom you will experience during your college years. Some see this as a cause for celebration, and to some extent it is, but those taking their future seriously will recognize it as an opportunity to explore the business, find their passion, and begin developing a presence in the music business.

As you head into the fall semester, I want to encourage your curiosity about the entertainment business. Don’t worry about landing your dream job just yet. Instead, worry about understanding how people do that job and what separates those who succeed in that skill set from those who do not. Reach out to those already doing the work you wish to do and ask for their story. Listen more than you speak. Learn to ask questions. Not general inquiries, but specific questions geared toward the day-to-day life of those doing the job you desire. Shadow them. Intern for them. Make your name known to the people in the field you wish to enter and make sure to do so in a way that speaks to your professionalism.

There will never be a job opportunity in the music industry where employment is determined by your GPA. In eight years of post-grad life, the subject has never once come up in an interview, nor has an employer asked for many details related to the classes I took. Employers don’t care what you learned, but rather how you have applied the knowledge your degree claims you gained. It may sound corny to you now, but the ‘show’ in show business applies to aspiring professionals as much as it does musicians. People need to see proof of your talent before they will feel comfortable giving you money to live your dreams. This goes for entrepreneurs as much as people who wish to join already successful brands. No one is going to take a chance on you until you take chances yourself, and the time to do that is right now. Start a blog. Find a young artist or group you believe in and do everything you can to help them gain recognition. Hand out fliers for a venue. Book shows at a local coffee shop. Start small, but start nonetheless.

You also need to network. This can be difficult for people, especially those who believe themselves to be shy or otherwise introverted, but it is an essential component of success in the music business. Everyone who gets anywhere does so because of their ability to network. You may feel intimidated when contacting professionals, but keep in mind they were once just like you. Nobody enters the music business without first being a fan, and that shared fandom connects us all. Reach out to the people who are helping your favorite artists succeed and let them know you recognize the work they have done. I also urge you to connect with those in your class, as well as others just starting out. Together you could build the next company that revolutionizes the industry, but at the very least you’ll have someone to turn to when things get tough (and they will get tough). No one succeeds in this industry on their own. Find like-minded people and do what you can to lift them up. They, in turn, will do the same for you.

Lastly, pay attention to the industry at large. You may be passionate about a particular genre or scene, but understand you may one day find yourself working in a completely different area of the music business. This industry is continually evolving, and you too will develop over time. The artists that inspired you to pursue this dream will retire or go on hiatus, ushering in new scenes and sounds that we cannot yet begin to imagine. When that happens, and it will happen, you will need to adapt if you hope to continue working in music.

Do not wait for this industry to come to you because it won’t. If you truly want this, and your decision to take on student loan debt tells me you do, then you have to chase this dream with everything you have in you. I believe in you.

Keep an open mind, work hard, and you will go far.

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