Sitting in a smoky Jazz bar on a humid evening in Nepal, it was the poster of Bob Marley that immediately captured my attention.
What caught my eye wasn’t his famous dreads, or his ‘larger-than-life’ smile, but rather the words written to the side of his legendary face;
“One good thing about music; when it hits you, you feel no pain”.
And whilst thinking about what music truly means to me, those words never seem to leave me.
Not because they were quoted by one of the most iconic reggae artists ever to grace the industry, but because there is something so beautifully honest displayed in those words. Music really helps with self expression.
In a world where suffering is an inevitable part of life, I see music as a way of healing for all of us; it allows us to express our deepest emotions, connecting us all by an invisible thread of light.
It is for this simple reason that I believe choosing to study music at university is one of the most beneficial and rewarding subjects to pursue.
Having grown up in a household where music was the soundtrack of everyday life, it was abundantly clear that it would later play a big part in my life, and ultimately become the one thing I was sure I wanted to pursue as a career.
Diving head first into music so wholeheartedly equipped me with many different skills that I would not only be able to apply to my musical career later in life, but also valuable skills that I could apply to other spheres of my life as well.
Studying music and dedicating one’s time and energy into music practice and study on a regular basis instils a disciplinary disposition which teaches individuals time management, and the many ways you can maximise practice time to gain the most out of it.
More so than this, it encourages patience with oneself as you continue to build on your craft and improve your technical level.
It was not until I decided to take a leap of faith and undertake an undergraduate popular music performance course that I really and truly began to understand the fundamentals needed to not only become a successful musician, but to then sustain this success and build upon your artistic image.
It’s widely understood that choosing to study Music at university has a definite taboo attached to it, in that it is one of the many creative paths that does not guarantee a stable career, or income.
There are many factors that work against us as musicians, but the true growth comes when you open yourself up to this uncertainty, and equip yourself with as much knowledge about the music industry and how it works in today’s world, and studying music at university will undoubtedly bring this.
Music courses allow you to hone in on your individual strengths as a musician and the best ways you can showcase these.
With numerous opportunities for networking and performing scattered all around you, undertaking a music course will break you free from your comfort zone, and allow you to experience what it is like to be a professional working musician in the world we live in today.
From a personal perspective, choosing to study music at university was one of the best decisions I have ever made, simply because it helped me to discover my identity as a musician and artist.
Music study opens you up to the many different styles of music around us, and the way in which music itself has evolved over the years.
It gave me the opportunity to learn and experience what it’s like to play on stage with a live band, and later on, how to fine-tune this skill and play with confidence whilst I was on stage.
For many of my peers, it was a chance to overcome self-doubt and insecurity (something we all inevitably face in this field), as there were countless opportunities to perform in front of each other in a safe and supportive environment.
But above all of this, the number one reason why I would encourage musicians to study a music course at university is the sheer number of opportunities for networking that were presented to me.
Day to day I was constantly surrounded by other artists; some were musicians doing the same degree, others were individuals who had selected music composition, music technology, or music business.
Regardless of these differences, I was always in the company of like-minded individuals. Individuals who wanted to learn and improve, who wanted to pursue this career just as much as I wanted to, and individuals who were open to forming bands and groups and creating something spectacular, together.
Studying music at university will undoubtedly equip you with many useful skills, and a lot of beneficial information that you could later on utilise in your own musical career.
But above all of this, studying music at university will give you the chance to discover your own path as an artist, and allow you to form life long friendships with people who you could later on in your career, collaborate and create with.
By Liesl A, music tutor, Telios Tutors. To arrange a tutorial with Liesl, either at home or online please feel free to contact us.