Berklee College of Music: 8 Years after Graduating

[@h5mind373]

We were in the "Berklee or Bust" crowd until we sat down to calculate what it would cost, versus what our son would gain from it. We actually live just a few miles away from the Berklee, Valencia Spain campus. Great facilities, talented teachers, etc. Each summer they do a 'Lago de Conciertos' (Lake Concerts), which are always a hit. So instead of Berklee, we've done schools that cost maybe 3% of Berklee, ranging from Panama to London, and now here in Spain. Our son is a pianist and guitarist. He puts in 4 hours a day plus rehearsals and gigs. This summer he was signed to play jazz and classical piano weekly at a local hotel. It took us months to win that one because he was only 18 and they figured no way. Now he's their favorite act. This past school year he performed with half a dozen different orchestral and symphony groups. The truth is, there are incredible teachers- and opportunities- everywhere.

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Love this - a great example of putting in the work and finding opportunities! Congrats to your son!!

[@peterandolph7628]

Many musicians I know ended their careers by going into academia either on the secondary or university level. Gets you off the road, provides insurance for you and family ( which is a BIG deal as you get older) and can be a steady 6 figure income if you’re at the right university. With a few exceptions you gotta have the piece of paper for that. And at least two degrees is even better. These are also huge safety nets when someone like Steve Jobs comes along and turns what you do into a free for all. .

[@Guitaroverkill]

It doesn’t matter what your degree is. You can always do something else. Plenty of people don’t work with the degree they earned. But you can tell you’re a trained player. I just learned from books, listening to records (I don’t think cassettes existed yet) and watching other people.

[@thenetworkmystery]

Exactly. I have a family member who earned a degree in the humanities (can't remember which discipline, either English or History) and is now the director of a large firm in Chicago. You never know what you might end up doing. Personally, I have planned for either a career in music and/or a career in something different. I am a sophomore currently, at a liberal arts college in the Midwest, which has a conservatory. They have a degree program that is perfectly split between music in the Conservatory and another field in the College. It's perfect, in my opinion. Preparing me for both things. Since I PLAN to do political science as the second half (PLAN to--I don't need to declare till next year, so it may change...), I can say I'm earning a degree in music and political science.

[@edwardwung1754]

Super super helpful. Thank you so much.

[@cab0om]

Hey man, I've been following you since you were a kid with videos like "cliffs of dover is hard" and the hey jude live from school video (which I still think is one of the best hey jude solos out there and yet you removed it unfortunately). You always seemed obsessed with guitar (in the good way) and I'm glad you're doing great and reaching your goals! GG

[@TheDonutDoctor]

No way!! You're a real OG!!! I still have that old video somewhere haha - I did a big KZbin clean out a couple of years back. Thanks for sticking around for so long. Appreciate you

[@darrenjack6000]

Fantastic! Thanks mate 👍🏼

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Thank you!

[@wellgreatengineeringltd3884]

Music School. My nephew is going to Berklee School of Music. He is 18 and Asian with limited English speaking ability. Music with a major in Piano playing is the goal. Writing classical piano and Jazz. What is your opinion on a Piano Education at Berklee?

[@TheDonutDoctor]

It's a fantastic program! As long as he works hard and has a loose plan on what he wants to accomplish, he'll have a great time and learn a lot!

[@romapsian]

I am actually in the position right now where I’m 18, and wondering if it would be worth it to go there or not, but the only problem is that I’m 100% sure I don’t have the enormous budget for it (I’m also French so I believe the fees are higher for foreign students if I’m right). Did you get any scholarship to be able to go there or did you pay everything yourself?

[@willinguyen1]

Thanks for this info, liked. But private lessons 4x/week would cost upwards of 12k/year. That's a small fortune.

[@ratbird3290]

Yes, but way cheaper than music school for four years. Do the math.

[@ratbird3290]

The piece of paper that you get for your degree is meaningless. Not the same as getting a computer science degree.

[@mikemavz]

Sick

[@ratbird3290]

Tuition is $48,000 a year for Berkeley. Times four is $200,000. That’s not including other living expenses. For a degree that is not really useful outside of teaching. You’re better off taking private lessons and doing it the old-fashioned way. Did B.B. King have a degree from Berkeley?

[@webstercat]

I graduated Berklee before any of these kids were born. Only the ultra rich can afford now…. Worthless degrees…

[@timothybewley5344]

The way he waves that cup around at 8:20 time ( and again at 8:40), it appears the cup was empty and more of a theatrical prop than an actual cuppa joe!? Just saying...

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Very strange observation hahaha, however there were only a couple sips of jasmine tea (with two sugars) left in there 😂

[@ratbird3290]

music school not worth it unless you are rich