SOMA?

[Raphael]

yo guys, was wondering if any of you are SOMA (school of music and arts) students here, and whether the diploma course for song writing is worth the cash...went to inquire and heard that they're increasing the course to 1 yr and doubling the fee, so now it's pretty steep... gotta start saving like crazy... ;_;

Was wondering if the stuff learnt during the course is worth the cash? also, is the diploma recognized at all by schools like Yamaha etc.?

 

[faizal_rocks]

Heys, I`m also interested in pursuing the dip in songwriting too..gona call them up later to ask..any SOMA students here? : P

 

[rottenramone]

Was wondering if the stuff learnt during the course is worth the cash?

imho, shouldn't it be how you make use of the skill learnt during the course which makes it worth the cash?

 

[Underwater]

i actually know a car mechanic who quit his job and is now selling sure pass degree courses . All these schools popping up everywhere nowadays . SOMA SOTA Altron . bleah

 

[BF-Rocker]

hahaha yeah man alot of schools are popping up out of nowhere, some super crappy and strange one also.
but in term of qualities of teachers..hmmm i feel more these schools teachers are quite generals. its like somebody who had experience then can teach liao..

so for me if really taking diploma ,i will shorten the lists to SOMA and SAE. but i heard SAE rumours...the teacher is not tat good...so i rather choose SOMA for a berklee grad to be safe hahah anyway I got friends studying there she said the teaching is very good there.

 

[zenguan88]

not to offend anyone here but berklee students dosent means they are all good. likewise not all berklee students are no good.

i feel studying in a course is very much of urself who cares if ur teacher is from berklee from some shitty school its ur own hardwork and passion which would ultimately drive you far.

and seriously i have seen pple going to berklee to audition and pass the audition but refuse to go into the school cos they feel although its recongnise worldwide the standards of the pple might not be that up to level yet. so we really shouldnt judge from where we are coming from in any case.

my point of view no offence

 

[jimz]

+1

 

[teraslasch]

agree with zenguan, but if ure looking to learn stuff in the sch, best is to read up ur own n know ur stuff instead of relying totally on the sch to teach u anything. normally these kind of schs dont give u a an overall great experience and the people you meet is limited. like my fren always say, its about the people you meet.

 

[faizal_rocks]

I know tat I dun expect the sch to spoonfeed me all the time..of coz, I gotta read up stuff on my own, the instructors there are only for guidance..if I`m not willing to play my own part, wats the point of taking up the course in the 1st place?

 

[teraslasch]

dont be surprised at the number of singaporeans that are wanting to be spoonfed :lol:

 

[faizal_rocks]

Haha, if they wana be spoonfed, tats their problem..they`ll lose out in the long run..

 

[ahkiatt]

zenguan's right... look at click 5 XD

 

[frequenz]

At the end of the day, read up and listen more music to understand their music. Some are borned with it while some don't.

And eventually, I had no idea why so many of these sch coming up as if its a country full of art and cover with big market. More likely to say "Hard to Survive"

Having a cert doesnt make you a great one, but its talent that make you a genius.

 

[BF-Rocker]

: )

yeah ownin a cerf doesnt mean u r good
its all about hardwork and practise.

i guess studyin will speed up the process of things u need to know but its all to indivdual to keep workin on , and of coz the right place to impart u the correct knowledge if not u end up learning a mess up of wrongs things hahaha

 

[MadWerewolfBoy]

I still think the thread started wanted to know whether what they teach is worth the $$. I personally think a 1 year diploma doesn't make any sense imo... so that just leaves the skills and contacts acquired during the course... Is it worth the $? or can u get the same experience for cheaper somewhere else?

 

[teraslasch]

IMO its expensive, but its a good way to start at least. u don see any studios finding apprentices nowadays, so while ure at SAE or SOMA or wherever, make GOOD use of the time and BOOK THE STUDIO TO THE MAX!!! learn as much as u can , read up etc, . You might be able to set up a home studio setup with the money spent, but if ure totally clue-less, its always good to have a start with an institution guiding you. and bear in mind, the studios at SAE or other institutions are somewhat proffesional industry standard. education is never a waste of money, it's how you use it.

 

[teraslasch]

just to add on : nowadays its definitely good to go to an institution of some sort, at least learn basics properly , and the skills needed in the industry, although sometimes theres bullsh*t here and there, but i still think its worth. beats trying to try on your own and get stuck or do the wrong thing etc. and at least at the institution you get to meet friends with the same goal (at least a few i guess.) so i guess the total experience is worth it . just to answer ur q. madwerewolfboy =). ya, i also wanna add, because times nowadays is not like the old one. u see the older generation, alot of them are self-taught, but they are the pioneers and already at the top, so you cant really compare and say " got cert big fk? look at those ppl at the top. they self - taught man ". i guess that was the past , very seldom the new generation don't have any education of some sort. even if u are talented, you might not even be given the chance to display your talent.

 

[Raphael]

lol, woah, i take a hiatus from the forum and the post actually gets dug up...intwesting...

Anyway bros, have already signed up for the dip. course in songwriting. Really blew a hole in my pocket, but I attended the open house and was pretty impressed with the way Keith (the dude who'll be teaching the dip. course) conducts his lessons, and how he answered my queries... Will be starting the course in July, so if anyone's interested to know how it's like, just drop me a pm or something. Rock on

(And hola to any soma students who're reading this. See you guys soon!)

 

[MadWerewolfBoy]

Oh thats great. Do post your experience here once in a while when ypur course starts, i'm thinking of taking a part time Dip in the other course during NS... Haha

 

[piano_ex]

imho,

getting a cert is good, but it's not the whole point.....

Wherever u study, whether berklee, soma, SAE ... it's the amount of work you done, the amount of study you do that will make a difference whether it's worth the money or not. I know of one friend's friend that went berklee but spent everyday there playing games, what will he come out with?

When you go to an institution, I think the most important is to learn as much, get as much experience, and get as many contacts as you can..... and you urself will make it worth, or not worth.

I was a student at NAFA learning music, classical music it is ... and also now a student in SoMA .... i must say ... it's all good, i'm getttin good contacts, and i do my work so people recognize me.... not because of the dip, but because of my skill. The experience in SoMA until now is very much rewarding to me, i can't imagine on how i'll be able to enter this line if not because of SoMA =)