I went to a university that has a good music school. I did not attend music school. I went to the business school…
But I had a lot of friends who went to the school of music.
And here’s something interesting…
During my four years I didn’t know of any music students who dropped out or flunked out.
But by four years post graduation? The large majority of them weren’t doing music anymore.
So why does the pendulum swing from such fierce commitment to such easy resignation? Two reasons that blend together…
Goals and Support
Everyone in the school of music has the same goal(s). Pass ear training, put on a good junior recital, meet the required number of practice hours, put on a great senior recital, get passing grades, make mom and dad happy they spent (or let you spend) an absurd amount of money on this degree.
And because everyone knows everyone around them is going through the same thing it’s easy to give support and find support. So it’s fun. It’s difficult but everyone can complain together and study together and go to each others recitals.
But the real reason for the abundance of support is that there is no perceived threat that by you reaching your goal I might not reach mine…and this is a seismic difference between the college music experience vs. pursing a professional music career.
So for four years in college you’ve got a clear goal and full support. What a gift.
Post college, the clear goal evaporates. And anything that might resemble a goal is now viewed through the lens of competition. If you get the call for the gig that means I don’t get the call. Zero sum. True support becomes much more elusive.
And as more of your friends stop doing music, the glue that binds you to this music quest gets less sticky. When all your friends are (at a minimum) actively engaged in a similar path there is a sense of communal support even if it isn’t stated.
So after college, with no clear vision (they don’t teach you vision in the school of music) and a dwindling support system…it doesn’t come as a surprise that so many drop out of the business.
It’s unlikely you’ll quit something that has clear goals and an abundant support system.
If you want to keep doing what you’re doing…build those two things.
