ever wanted to follow your dream in music but can't?

[overcast]

If you want to make a living out of music, be prepared to compromise.

You are still young, go and explore other areas of music besides "playing". Get all rounded like some1 mentioned if you are serious about a career in music.

Soon, a few things can happen:

1. You find that there are other aspects of music that you even enjoy more or are better at. Even better, there's a shortage of talents in that niche and you become successful in this area.

2. You somehow end up in a music-related career that is entirely different from what you started out wanting to do. Years pass and before you know it, other commitments in life come (r/s, family etc) and you get stuck there.

3. After a while you find there is much more to life than music ,and you realise the best way to enjoy making music is when you are lying in your hammock by the beach and serenading the sea with your guitar.

This is not the 70s or 80s anymore. You can't just play guitar very well and expect to be successful. Professional musicians have to be good in multiple instruments, in the studio as well as stage, and have auxillary knowledge in music production, education and the business aspect (to market and package your services).

Even if you have all that, you need to be in an environment where there is an industry that can support your career. SG is not the place for what you want to do.

(by the way, people study at prestigious schools more for the contacts they make there and the "branded" certificate.)

 

[fenderrules]

Hey man, hold a moment... you sure you want to do that? Be noticed? You will have to constantly be on top of your game you know? Its going to turn into WORK.

before i actually have something say about that i have a confession...

im a weak learner since my primary and secondary school days, which means the ill recieve the usual mockery from classmates and friends. teachers were the worst, they
made me feel like shit just because i dont know how how do a problem sum or when i forgot to bring my textbook..

thats when i decided when i was 14, id show them a thing or 2.

i turned to music since guitaring and having a band was the trend. from there i grudgingly worked my way up from the basics...learning every chord every single day and ear training myself. i thought i did it...and i was ready to show the world what ive got...and soon everybody was too busy with malmsteen and forgot all about me....sigh. so i promised myself i will get into the limelight like malmsteen did. tahts it

anyway, i was sooo very inspired when taufik became singapore idol (i thought sly was the best :lol: ) and at that moment when he said to follow your dreams at the conference after the finals i actually began dreaming....and i plan to put it in action. i may not be on major labels...but i just want to be recognized as a guitarist.

and even if i have no choice but to make guitaring a hobby i will still be recognized.

 

[lppier]

I have something to share here which I feel is quite related, thought it was quite insightful.
mms://205.178.146.42/799845/TE_philos.wmv
Yes, it's tommy emmanuel :lol: .. it inspired me, may or may not do it for u

Anyway, I think you should just enjoy the process. I went through a phase that I was frustrated like you at my lack of progress, but I know that guitar is for me so I just continued playing anyway. Don't do something just to prove a point - the important thing is that you must enjoy. :wink:

Pier.

 

[teraslasch]

Er... did u mean BERKLEE instead of BERKLEY.. cause the difference is VERY big, berklee music of college www.berklee.edu , getting a scholarship means you'll be competing with the bests international people in music.. lol.. BERKLEE music of college is one of the best music college in the US XD.. and the fees is super super super ex, nothing compared to the fees in Singapore schools..

I agree with shredcow that one also must have some talent in this area to be able to achieve greater things. Not only mere hardwork and passion, because music is something very creative. It requires more than just pure grind and practice.. But if music is really your dreams and passion, go for it, but if you are pulled down by any commitments, do consider the situation before making any decisions you might regret in the future.

 

[eadricng]

I personally believe that for technical and theory concepts of guitar playin', talent is not a must..as these things can be achieved thru hardwork...

BUT, to be a really great guitarist, you must be creative..and creativity..ain't somethin' that can be taught..so..I guess..that's where talent comes in...

So I guess to be great guitar player, you must have talent... and hardwork...... if not.....then...well...keep it a passion and hobby then...don't waste too much time on it...maybe you can also land yourself playin' at some pub regularly or somethin'...that'll be cool too..

 

[DoubleBlade]

Well I don't mean to be a party pooper but I feel that you are experiencing the typical "teenage music syndrome".

You tend to think that music is everything but to life. We want to make music part of our lives and that often means doing it as a professional career and as a result , we tend to neglect our academic studies. Although I am around your age group , but I feel that there is more to life than just music alone. I would say this is the result of the flame of youth. We as youths tend to say things which can be really naive at times and when the adults try to correct us , we rebel back as we feel that we should "follow what our heart says...". Of course if you intend to do music as a professional career , be prepared to make numourous kinds of sacrifices. Are you willing to stay till the wee hours of the morning just trying to compose a 8 bar melody so that it would sound appealing to the masses? Are you willing to take in critism from the masses? Are you willing to experience all the harsh realities in the music industry?

To share with you , I've once posted a similar thread about a year ago. I did not make it to La Salle SIA and I started to become depressed and stuff like that and I just blurted out everything on SOFT like how I was lousy in piano and I should have started having a music education when I was little kid and stuff like that. Although I had a chance to study in a non music government institution (I'm in poly now) but I wasn't really looking forward to it as I felt that die die I must study in a music institution. But now come to think of it , I have no regrets studying in a polytechnic and to top it all up , I can still work on my own personal music development as well. I would say it's all about the balance but to me , I think academic studies comes first before music as opposed to the yester year me....

I would like to ask you a question. Hope you would answer me truthfully.

During your O/N level period , how often did you study? Was your mind 100% concentrated on your books or 50% books , 50% guitar?

Reason being is because I don't really believe in someone being branded as a slow learner unless of course he is lazy or deslexic (however you spell it). Even deslexic people can be smarter than average people , it's just that they need more time to grasp infomation than your average person. A slow learner can be on level playing ground with the average learner but with hardwork and determination. If you are lazy , then I guess you have to reap what you sow.

I hope you don't find any offence in my words because I rather one face reality that live in a false world of care bears....

Come on....did you know that LKY had deslexia? :wink:

 

[bluepowder]

Shredcow:Agreed

Simply because of this....

Its all well and good in your dreams where you plug one of your many Les Pauls into a wall of Marshalls and play a single note and a 100,000 fans go crazy and hot groupies in leather and spandex throw their intimates at you....
Reality Check:this is 2006 not the 70s,every second guy with a dream doesnt make it.The music industry is now a cut throat business,highly competitive to say the least.To look at music as a successful career,you need a lot of things,not just a dream,not just talent...contacts money motivation education..blah blah - the complete package.Its one of the realities that i was forced to face and reckon with when i was to make a choice myself between my passion and the bread winner(notice i didnt say dream I had a lot of dreams,heidi klum starred in most of them :wink: ).
Plus,when you do finally get into music as a career,its not all that you think it is.Your artistic freedom and expression are believe it or not,much limited than if you were freelance.Take the time to have the look at the careers of a lot of musicians,I dont mean go to their official website...duh :? i mean try and read on forums and other articles,read on music as a career(avoid glitzy sites).
I would like to keep music in my life just as it is, my first love, untarnished and pure,playing for myself but never closed to outside appreciation :roll:
I'm just gonna work hard for a few years,then get another job with more lenient working hours so i can be working man by day and axe slinger by night 8)...lolz...or just win the lottery :lol:

 

[fenderrules]

hi doubleblade

my answer is 20% on studies, 10% on books and 70% on guitar

this is my honest answer. and i did the crazy thing of practicing the guitar while studying for n levels. every single chord per day. 2 to 3 hours, which i could have used for studying.

amazingly i still passed my n levels..thank god..

 

[Narcoleptia]

Well if you REALLY REALLY REALLY want to make it big in Singapore. you gotta have good skills, good lyrics and NETWORK NETWORK NETWORK! It's very impt in ANY kind of industry. and be PROACTIVE when it comes to getting gigs. I must say studies are VERY important because at least you have something to fall back on. honestly, in the local scene it's very hard to be a full time musician. it's always smarter to have a job

For others who are merely passionate about it but cannot play any instruments, (like ME) I say, be a good boy/girl and study first. I'll be completing my uni degree in like two weeks, and I got a job. My plan is to save up and see where this leads me to. maybe another music degree, maybe in the entertainment industry...never know.

NEVER LET THE PASSION DIE!

 

[bluepowder]

Singapore has a music industry?? :lol:

 

[Guest]

crap man... i juz practice for half an hour every night. and i don't even study! my class position is 38/39!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[bluepowder]

lol i wonder what the 39th guy does

 

[Crawldaddy]

Hmm.

Normally I just noodle about for an hour once every three days? Only weekends I extend to about 3 hours per day... non stop. That said, my school involves more projects than actual studying so I guess I'm lucky that way :lol:

Anyways, as mentioned by the others previously.. it's all about time management.. and I might add... knowing when NOT to play. There's time for fun, and time for work eh? I personally feel very uncomfortable to be noodling around when there's work to be done.

 

[nitrovo]

in my schedule i can only manage 2 to 3 hours per day...thats it...

sigh...

I'm lucky if i can get an hour in these days. finaly year of school and my dad is on my back about studying and all i should focus on this year is good grades, then next year i can do as i please.

 

[daryl]

2 hours a day is really a lot of time! you just have to figure out how to make the most out of it.

 

[ShredCow]

After work... back home @ 630pm... eat wash up, rest a little... hit the guitar from 7.30pm to 1am.

 

[Phil]

I think he meant Adam Khoo the self-made Singaporean millionaire cum motivational speaker.

 

[strats]

Narco: -987698 lookt at Pug Jelly/Saw Loser. no skills and no lyrics, but they're selling more shit then all of us combined here.

Fender: i wanna ask. how slow is slow in your progress?

 

[The-Warlord]

Yea im lucky if i get to paly at all. come home, shower, homework, dinner, homework..if its before 11 ill play a little.

 

[reyrey]

dude....if you want to make it big as musician,its not here,better go the states...
down there,they pay you when you're good,most people practice around 12 hour a day...if they really want to turn pro...
when you're good,money will come to you...[we're talking in states]
down here,when you're bloody good,you got compliment,well,couple of private students perhaps,but what you need is exposure,i dunno where you'll get that exposure...

and teacher also play an important part...you learn by yourself or you learn by video,well,its not as good as when you're learning with a good teacher =)
video also good actually,but you need some1 to guide you,so they'll notice when you did the wrong thing...
lets say you practice from a book or video,when you did some mistake,the book/video wont go and say 'hey,that part wrong,you should do this and this instead'...get what i mean...

being a musician,you also need to be versatile,you must be able to play diff kind of beat,be it rock,tango,pop,reggae and to sight read as well...
are you up for the dedication?being a musician is not that simple,its dedicating your life to music....you learning time is all the time you have,for as long as you live...if you cant commit,i think you rather forget about it man...