7 REAL-World Skills I Wish I Learned in Music School

I SO wish I learned these important skills in music school! I cover the topics of context, finances, management, pedagogy, practicing, life and decisions.

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#education #finances #freelance

[jazzfan]

Indeed, I've always been surprised that classical musicians learn scales and arpeggios at an amazing level of facility, but don't understand the theory behind how those scales and arpeggios are used in a composition. Meanwhile in the jazz world, when you learn any scale or arpeggio it is exactly the opposite context: you learn a scale or arpeggio specifically BECAUSE you will use them over a certain chord progression, and you also are expected to learn what non-standard progressions you can use those patterns over -- according to the "accepted" rules of course. Then, finally, it's always understood that your job as a jazz musician is to break the rules, in your own coherent way. 🤓

[davec.]

HOLA HOLA... Just wanted to say that I really love the way you play that piano. You're like an inspiration for me, and I love your work. ¡Muchas gracias! Greetings from Nicaragua! 🇳🇮🇳🇮

[tianavw]

Hey ! I'm a young classical musician trying to get into music schools (*struggle*) and I just wanted to say thank you for your videos !
It's so inspiring and mind opening to see a classical musician like you making your own path and giving insights on what you're living, it's a great boost of motivation 🤩
And also, I love your music 😊

[latheofheaven]

I'm 60, and never went to music school, but over the years have known a few people who did, and it seems to me like nothing much has changed. They obviously learned a lot about (classical) music as a subject, and about performance, but when they left it was... OK, now what? How do I make a living in this field?

[KarlRKaiser]

I have an interesting story along the lines of the academic classical approach needing more grounding in "folk" and other popular traditions.

I got a BA in music from the University of Chicago, where my advisor was Easely Blackwood, a pianist and theoretician specializing in Microtonal music. In 1983 he joined a new chamber ensemble spin-off from the Chicago Symphony called "Chicago Pro Musica", and they recorded an album of early modern pieces and transcriptions, which won a Grammy for Best New Classical Group - not that they didn't deserve it but they probably got a couple dozen votes from Solti, the director of the CSO and the top dog among Grammy winners.

Easely asked me to attend the live recording in a concert hall in downtown Chicago to turn pages for him at the piano, so I stood dutifully by while they recorded one piece after another.

Then they got to a suite by the French composer Martinu, "La Revue de Cuisine", which included a movement in the Charleston dance style, popular in the 1920s'. But their playing was flat and "academic". They didn't *get* the strong syncopation with the short first beat and long accented up-beat on 2, which is understandable if one never watched someone dance the Charleston and was just reading it off the page.

I'm also a dancer and the performance - as we would say today - was a bit cringey and flat by not expressing the hoppy-skippy syncopation that made this jerky dance so fun. So I spoke up during a break and when they let me go on, I danced the Charleston for them on the stage to show the rhythmic character in the body. When they played it again they got the rhythm right, but they had to see the dance to feel the musical character and attack. FWIW, my prof agreed later that this was an important clarification ;-)

[alicey.c.]

oh Nahre that post-it note on the forehead strikes home for many many aspiring artists!!!!

[coachafella]

Have loved music since a young child, played 3 instruments, but realized I would never be able to play at the level I wanted to listen to. I have all the respect in the world for you and all those who have that mental, physical and emotional ability to create the music that affects me so deeply. Thank you so much for the enormous effort and passion you have put into making the world a better place to live in. :)

[zenutopiak]

TIMESTAMPS:

0:34 MUSIC'S WIDER CONTEXT:
History, other cultures/types of music, contemporary music of today.
2:02 HOW TO MAKE A LIVING IN MUSIC
3:40 CAREER SELF-MANAGEMENT
5:03 SOCIAL MEDIA TIPS:
1. Learn as you go
2. Don't be so self-conscious
3. Learn Video Editing
4. Learn how to record yourself (audio recording)
5. Try to be unique or useful conceptually
6. Choose a rhythm and format that is sustainable for you
7. Study what's working for others, and take notes.
5:27 HOW TO ACTUALLY TEACH MUSIC:
How to be a great/effective music teacher.
6:11 IMPROVISATION
6:52 HOW TO PRACTICE:
clarification/structure. Best/most efficient use of your time. Creativity.
7:29 PIVOTING:
Deciding/choosing the best music path/career for yourself;
or even whether a path/career in another field is a better choice for you.
Decision-making, transitioning.

[zenutopiak]

Good video.
I went to a very conservative music school, where everything was very tradtional, and rule-bound. I was a Theory-Comp major, and we were taught/expected to do everything the way it had always been done (no parallel 5ths/8ves allowed, etc). No deviation from the rules of traditional Composition and Counterpoint. Creativity was strongly discouraged (even graded down). The school's main focus in Music Composition was "20th Century Classical Music": 12-Tone Music, Atonal Music, and you were expected to compose strictly in those styles, with the attendant rules. The Music History courses were strictly traditional: Western Classical Music, with a focus on memorizing who composed what, in what year, with practically no analysis, context or discussion.

My main instrument was guitar, and they only taught traditional (mostly Baroque) Classical guitar, with all the rules/restrictions/boring exercises that went with it (i.e. no of your own/choice of repertoire/etc). My final year I ended up very bored and discouraged, and changed to a "double major" (Psych/Music).

I finished my Bachelor's degree, but looking back, I wish I had chosen another, more practical major instead (one of my Theory/Comp professors had even suggested that if I expected a real career after graduating, the "smart choice" would be to major in Music Education - "that's where the job's are" he said. I looked into it, but it was even more rule-bound, structured and dull, so I stuck with Theory/Comp).

My advice would be that before you commit to a Music school, visit with the teachers/counselors/staff, and make sure they will be teaching what you are actually interested in. Then again, it might be worth considering spending that time and money buiiding your own studio, recording, and learning to promote your career yourself. These days there are so many options: Youtube/Social Media/etc.

[LorenzoDeAngeli]

Nahre, 300% agree with you, especially for the points concerning career development. Here in Italy, the only thing that's often suggested (for pianists) is to propose yourself as a piano accompanist for singers, as it's very requested. Not that's necessarily a bad thing, but in my opinion having someone educating and instructing you to properly fulfil YOUR road (based off your own passions and interests) is not only useful for your living, but also for giving you the right motivation and mindset to carry on in the pursuit of your objective. Especially in the last years of your musical education, Conservatoires should focus more on these topics you listed in this video rather than focusing on repeating the same subjects over and over again.

BTW. Those cutscenes were absolutely wholesome, as always.. Keep up with your amazing content!!

[analysisu]

The authenticity is much appreciated, as well as the content itself. Your views apply to many fields, where life skills are assumed, and the focus is only on the craft or theory of a profession. Excellent video.

[maevd]

NAHRE SOL! Your videos + ingenuity/ individuality always make my day. Please never stop doing what you love. 🧡🧡🧡

[AAKlavier]

Nahre sheds a light on things musicians go through, but the rest of us are too afraid to address

[amyturkharp]

Great video and great points - I absolutely believe that music schools will need to evolve to accommodate the market their students are entering into and I think we're at the beginning of that transition. I studied harp at RAM and while I got so much out of being there, I felt very much the same about what was missing as I think you do about your time studying - the narrow focus on core repertoire and orchestral experience doesn't reflect the broad range of professions that musicians go into after graduating and leaves us figuring out vital things like self promotion and recording for ourselves. I did get some time learning about practice methods, jazz and the folk origins of the harp, but really only tasters - it seemed more like you were expected to follow those things up by yourself, if you had the time, and the difficulty there is that it sends the message that those things aren't as important. I think that can be really confusing as a student if you already have a strong idea of where you're going and it isn't either becoming a soloist or joining an orchestra.

[johncargille]

I'd just like to say that the work you put into your videos and social media does not go unnoticed. As a young artist trying to improve on the "sell yourself" aspect of music, it's really inspiring to watch your Instagram shorts (for example) and not only get great musical ideas but also see someone who's gotten to the high level of video quality that you have. Editing is *hard*, and I really like how you do it. Thanks :)

[patlilburn]

Once again…I am no musician, but so many of these wishes apply to so many areas of specialization and to how aware we are of ourselves and of the reality we live in! So many life skills, so many skills we could be taught that would help us with insight into who we are as people as well as artists, musicians, actors, programmers…so much of the educations we receive is so narrowly focused! There are things we could be taught in high along these lines that would be SO helpful as we move forward with finding out who we each really are. This was an excellent video that once again transcends your specialty. Thanks.

[pdbass]

Absolutely on point. 20 years ago, I learned that teaching was a necessary skill set to playing music. Today, playing AND teaching AND creating content keeps me very busy and pays the mortgage. Keep up the fantastic content.

[straussshi]

AH thank you for bringing attention and starting such a healthy narrative around this subject. I graduated Juilliard in ‘17 and you hit it right on the money. Couldn’t agree more. Jyard needs to hire you to teach this full-time

[JaegerDives]

Yep. I was lucky enough to understand that juggling the business and promotional aspects of being a musician were beyond me and I switched my focus to engineering mid-college. I admire musicians that can do it it takes to be a professional. Thanks for this video!!!!

[Comicfeind]

I always appreciate your sincere honesty. You have so many good points about the reality we all face and I appreciate you speaking up about it. We all feel it sometimes and I wish more people would talk about it.