Is it worth it to go back to school for the music degree?

[lostinspace]

I'm in my late 30s now, and looking back on lost dreams.

I had a bit of a falling out with my parents when I was 18. Basically, I'd won a full-ride scholarship for piano performance to a music conservatory, after years and years of heavy study/practice. Right after I won the scholarship, my parents sort of back-stabbed me and manipulated me into going somewhere else for college (for religious reasons), and I lost the scholarship and ended up having to pay my own way through college. It ended up taking me 7 years to graduate so I could work my way through school... and I didn't even get to major in music, since the school I went to had a pretty crappy music program.

I'm in my late 30's now, and I've stayed up-to-snuff with my piano skills, and often practice 4-5 hours a day. But I can't help but feeling like "they won"—since I never got the music degree or made the connections I always longed for.

I'm considering going back to school for the Music degree, but at this point, I'm planning on starting a family and don't know if it's worth the time and money... all I really want to do is teach, and be surrounded by musical people. That's the part I think I missed out on most—the chance to build up a network of fellow musicians and people educated in music. I never got to make friends with violinist, singers, cellists, and fellow pianists...

I'm looking for some perspectives on this. Is it worth going back to school, primarily for networking with fellow musicians? I know this is a decision I've gotta make myself, so I guess I'm just sort of thinking out loud here.

Thanks all!

[ranjit]

I'm in my late 30s now, and looking back on lost dreams.

I had a bit of a falling out with my parents when I was 18. Basically, I'd won a full-ride scholarship for piano performance to a music conservatory, after years and years of heavy study/practice. Right after I won the scholarship, my parents sort of back-stabbed me and manipulated me into going somewhere else for college (for religious reasons), and I lost the scholarship and ended up having to pay my own way through college. It ended up taking me 7 years to graduate so I could work my way through school... and I didn't even get to major in music, since the school I went to had a pretty crappy music program.

I'm in my late 30's now, and I've stayed up-to-snuff with my piano skills, and often practice 4-5 hours a day. But I can't help but feeling like "they won"—since I never got the music degree or made the connections I always longed for.

I'm considering going back to school for the Music degree, but at this point, I'm planning on starting a family and don't know if it's worth the time and money... all I really want to do is teach, and be surrounded by musical people. That's the part I think I missed out on most—the chance to build up a network of fellow musicians and people educated in music. I never got to make friends with violinist, singers, cellists, and fellow pianists...

I'm looking for some perspectives on this. Is it worth going back to school, primarily for networking with fellow musicians? I know this is a decision I've gotta make myself, so I guess I'm just sort of thinking out loud here.

Thanks all!

You could also network with fellow musicians outside of school, by going to concerts/events, or by going to extension programs/taking courses at universities. If you had a full-ride and maintained your skills, you could probably also participate in competitions and meet people through competition circuits.

I would be very curious to hear how you play, if you're interested in sharing recordings.

I'm also looking to go back to music school, because I couldn't quite do it the first time round, so this topic is of particular interest to me.

[lostinidlewonder]

Is it worth going back to school, primarily for networking with fellow musicians?

I've made much better networking connections through social media and music teacher guilds. Of course some musicians really do make good connections at the schools which might last a lifetime. I've personally found pianists tend to be more solitary than other instrumentalists who by nature of their instrument collaborate with other musicians.

I'm considering going back to school for the Music degree, but at this point, I'm planning on starting a family and don't know if it's worth the time and money... all I really want to do is teach, and be surrounded by musical people.

Its nice to think there is deep comradeship between fellow musicians, but in lived reality that’s often not the case. Many musicians are working hard and busy with their own business, and very few actually actively want to collaborate and regularly deal with other musicians (and this is even more true for pianists who can easily exist as soloists).

You likely will make much better connections with local jam groups or meet ups of people with similar interests, rather than merely those who study piano and teachers. Musicians life *is* the public, so connecting deeply with the public is much more rewarding.

As for teaching just start doing it, you've got plenty of playing and self study experience. Teaching is best learned "doing".