The guitar is one of the most played instruments in the world, and many people are good, if not great at it. It is likely that you are one of those people yourself, someone who may have had a few lessons, but mainly prides themselves on being autodidact, learning by playing. If so, you may want to strengthen your skills after high school and actually enroll in music college. Deciding to go to college is always a good idea, regardless of what you major in. However, what can you expect from a school that focuses on such an esoteric science, if that’s what it can be called?
Eat Humble Pie
The very first thing you will notice when you go to music college is that you will eat a huge slice of humble pie. Suddenly, you will find that, for all your skills, you are by far not as great as you thought you were. All around you will be people who are much better than what you are, not in the least your teachers. Very often, people actually end up with a seriously bruised ego, because they thought they would come in there and be classed as a rock star. Eating humble pie can go one of two ways: it can make you quit and walk, or it can make you even more dedicated to become better. If it is the latter, then you may just have found the right place to be in terms of going to college. Remember, becoming a famous musician is down to pure luck. Becoming a truly good musician, however, is down to practice.
Get Your Goals in Place
Once you know that it’s not all about you, you have to start thinking about you once again. Conflicting, but important! You have to think to the future and decide what it is that you want. Is it guitar that you want to play? And if so, do you want to play other people’s songs, do you want to play on stage, do you want to write your own music, do you want to be a teacher, a children’s entertainer, a busker? There are millions of things that you can do within the music industry, above and beyond mastering an instrument. Hence, you have to really think about what it is that you want to do with the rest of your life, above and beyond sitting around a campfire on the beach playing Blowin’ in the Wind (although that did win a Nobel Prize).
Be Dazzled by Wisdom
If you still think music college is about becoming famous, you really are wrong. What it is about is to be around and learn from those who are truly great. Those who really understand music and who want to impart their knowledge on you. They are there to help you succeed, and you need to be willing to accept their help. If you’re ready to be dazzled not by Hollywood’s glittering lights but by true musical knowledge and perfection, then college really is the right place for you.