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Do yourself a favor, discover Anne-Kathrin Dern if you haven't already. Composer expenses and income 2024.

A.Dern said:
You're gonna have a field day with the video I have coming out tomorrow then ;)
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Great video Anne !

I have a master's degree in Educational Psychology and you touched on two very fundamental ideas - everyone learns differently and the current educational systems are maintaining the current social hierarchy and not disrupting it.

Also on a personal note, it was due to the accessibility of our times that you mentioned in the video that I was able to discover that I could compose film music and other different styles. I have been visiting this forum since 2004 and it has helped me a lot particularly with tech stuff. Since then I have released 8 albums and have worked in several short films, feature documentaries, theatre, contemporary dance, concerts of improvised music, etc...
 
So, taking on jazz and classical music, two countries' education systems and thereby the idealogical, social and economic underpinnings of them; offering up theories of objectivity in mathematics and music whilst implicitly attacking ideas that link the two.

Hmm. So, um, I'm taking a few steps back and preparing to run.
 
I got poor grades at school, I come from a single parent family on welfare in social housing, and went to one of the poorest schools in the UK during the 80s (which was not a good time for British education).

I did eventually do a degree in Business, Masters in Educational Psychology and 3 years of a PhD in Human Computer Interaction and Behaviour change. On paper that looks like someone who is academic but I really struggled with all of them. I got into each course because of to the learning I did outside of them.

Self learning through curiosity is what I love and when it becomes linear is when I struggle. I really value learning outside of academic environments. This is the same for studying music.

I have managed UX teams for many years and in each company I have worked for I have made then remove the academic requirements to get a job in my team. That degree in most cases does not make you any better. You can learn more these days by cheap courses, YouTube, some good books and mainly by doing.

I really hate gatekeepers and barriers for those that don’t have the right education or the right parents or the finances to pay for expensive education or unpaid internships. Sadly there is a reason why there is so little social mobility, it is not to do with education but opportunity and access.
 
Excellent video, @A.Dern. I was reminded of an experience I had as a composition professor at a university a few years ago. I was in charge of reviewing prospective undergrad student applications, and there was one particular student who was far and away the most creative and talented composer among all applicants. She was writing music that a lot of masters students weren't capable of. However, she apparently wasn't a strong enough performer (voice, if I recall), and in order to be a composition undergrad, she would need ensemble credit. I urged the voice faculty to reconsider their own rules, but no one gave a damn, and ultimately she wasn't accepted. That was just one of many reasons I don't miss working in academia
 
Bee_Abney said:
So, taking on jazz and classical music, two countries' education systems and thereby the idealogical, social and economic underpinnings of them; offering up theories of objectivity in mathematics and music whilst implicitly attacking ideas that link the two.

Hmm. So, um, I'm taking a few steps back and preparing to run.
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I am currently hiding under a weighted blanket, so there's that... 😅
 
Honestly, taking AP Music Theory in high school allowed me to learn anything else I wanted on my own without going to music college by reading books on topics (jazz harmony, orchestration, counterpoint, etc.), studying scores, transcribing, and just playing in live settings such as jazz combos and community pit orchestras. My friends who went to music college tell me that they think I know more theory than them!

Once you get past the initial hurdle of learning to read music and understanding the basics of key signatures and how to build chords, everything past that is not difficult to learn, it just simply takes time (maybe it's an expedited process for those who go to school for music, but like Anne said, it's not a necessity for everyone and you can learn it independently). Great video!
 
You're right about this Anne.

IMO the biggest thing against academic composer programs: they teach people to be composers not composer assistants, which just isn't realistic about how this field works. They're selling the dream not the reality. Of course if they focused on training people very well to land in LA and be assistants, then there would have to be a conversation about why some of these schools are charging $200k and taking 2 to 4 years to output "assistant-ready" people...

Hard truth is someone who just landed in LA with a bachelor's degree in music technology is probably better off than someone who just landed with a master's in "film scoring."
 
A.Dern said:
You're gonna have a field day with the video I have coming out tomorrow then ;)
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Bravo! That was pure gold. I'm actually quite shocked at the snobbish gateway elitism you experienced with trying to get into those schools, truly unbelievable. And the elitists telling you not to share your knowledge on YouTube? I think they are simply very insecure, jealous individuals who need to get off their high horses. If there's anything I've learned in my journey as a composer, it's that you need to develop a very thick skin and to laugh at rejection....right in its face. As you and many of us have proven, passion and perseverance pays off. I've actually had the personal satisfaction of getting chosen for big projects while competing with composers who said I wasn't good enough. Karma is a bitch!

Keep up the good work, Anne!
 
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