We have just come into the exam period for year 12’s all around Australia which means this is the time you really start thinking about your future and what you want to do. (Even if you’re not fresh out of high school, you may be still figuring this out!). If you are involved with Voyager, you are probably someone who loves music and is maybe thinking of studying it further, in your higher levels of education. As someone who has been studying a Music Industry degree for the past 3 years, I thought myself and a few classmates could give a list of some of the pros and cons to help give you an idea if studying music would benefit you or not!

PROS:

Amazing For Networking

As I have said before in different Newsroom Articles, networking within the music industry is the most important thing you should be doing. Networking opens doors for your future and creates a great community to surround yourself with. If you are thinking of studying music, the fact is, is that most of your classmates will be your work colleagues at one point too! You might remember that someone in your course used to do artist management and when you’re working with artists, you can grab out their contact and gain a mutually beneficial relationship! Some Music degrees also have a great team of teachers who are already industry professionals which again, can lead to more awesome opportunities you wouldn’t have had if you weren’t in their class.

Great Course To Try A Wide Range Of Classes

When I first sat down to figure out what I wanted to do when I finished high school, my main goal was to find a course that allowed me to try all sorts of electives. The degree I did allow for that so throughout my 3 years, I did Well-being classes, Music Video Making classes to an Introduction To Law class. Not only was I still studying for my Music Industry degree, but I had all these other things to choose from which could help further benefit my studies and looked great on my resume.

Encourages Self-Expression

This one is my favorite and most beneficial. As someone who studies Music, you will be encouraged to create music and projects that you have an investment towards. This is important to push yourself outside of your comfort zone, challenge yourself creatively, and show your teachers and yourself, the potential you hold.

More Hands-On

To be honest, during high school I wasn’t the best studier. My brain is too hyperactive and energetic to sit down, do my homework, and study like my teachers would have loved me to do. Although this was not the best during high school, Uni allowed me to work in an environment where I could be more hands-on and therefore more interested in what I was learning. We had options such as studio classes, songwriting classes, and even a DJ class. These types of subjects meant that I was no longer stuck at my desk writing essay after essay not taking information in, I was now invested in working hard and doing well. If you are the person who loves to study and write essays though, don’t worry, there are plenty of those classes you can take too!

Gives You Real Industry Experience

Just like many music courses, they will make you complete an internship at the end of your degree as a major project. Although this sounds daunting to someone new to the industry, internships are the best way to gain professional experience, network, and to try different areas out of the industry! Internships are there to help you grow and learn and sourcing an internship is a valuable learning experience in itself!

CONS:

Can Get Quite Competitive

The music industry is small and whilst it can be a very supportive environment, it can have it's competitive side too. This isn’t always a bad thing though, sometimes this can create a stronger drive in yourself and work harder to get to the place, you know you can be!

High Demand On Creativity

As creatives, we all know how it feels to have those off periods. You don’t want to write music and you most certainly don’t want to pick up your instrument. When you study music, there are going to be assignments where you need to break through that barrier and come up with something spectacular, to hand it in on time. It can be a hard task, forcing yourself to be creative so it is important to take breaks when you need, but know when to dig deep to finish that project!

Figuring out where and what you want to study can be a really hard task. Trust your insticts, do your research and take some of my advice and hopefully, you feel a little more certain about what you want to do!

With 💜,

~Bella, The Voyager Team

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