Music Technology

M O N T O

Sup Guys,

Basically, I'm in 6th year now, and i'm gonna have to decide what to throw down on the cao soon enough..

Music Technology really interests me by the look of it, but i was just wondering, is there really any chance of getting a job out of this?

Music is really the only passion i have, and i was wondering if anyone here has done a course like this, or similiar courses?


Cheers,
Monto.

run_Forrest_run

well if music is your passion and if you are pretty good at it (whatever field you are in, I presume you can play perhaps??) then go for it.
Music, like a lot in the arts is not really a 'career', it's more like a devotion or a labour of love, ya know what I mean?

If that all sounds a little too unstable you could perhaps go to college and study something that is more likely to get you a regular job and pursue the music side of things in your spare time. The money from your 'normal' job will contribute towards your passion and as time goes on and as you perfect your craft you can then perhaps think about going full time with the music and packing in your day job...look before ya leap as they say and all.

Either way, you are young and this is the best time to carpe diem so good luck with whatever you choose.

Kenny DNK

Well dude,

Probably one of the hardest working careers you'll ever have. Very hard find work, and when you do, the hours are unbelievable.

Depending on what path you take, the money will vary. I have a mate who works with what is viewed as probably the best studio in ireland, and only gets 150 per day. The last session we done with him were 16-18 hr days so it works out as less than minimum wage.

On the other hand, I have another mate who studied really hard, done the sound engineering course in temple bar, and is now running his own sound installation company with a huge turnover. No social life though, flat out 7 days a week.

In saying all this, you are at a very serious time of your life, the choices you make now will effect you for the rest of your life and the best piece of advice I can give you is to genuinely follow your heart and never mind what your head tells you. It took me 10 years to realise that. Dont let anything hold you back, money included. If you really want anything, you can have it with some real hard work, and everything always works itself out.

I have been a musician/producer for about 13 years now, and only in the past year (since having 2 kids) have got back into the studio to record my first album. Its looking like it will be 2011 before its released and whether it wins or flops, at least I'll know that I gave it my best shot and there'll be no regrets, and I can head back to my 9-5 job knowing that I did try.

Hope this helps, and best of luck wih whatever decision you make.

electrogrimey

If you want to have a career in music, go to college in England. Simple as. The music courses in Ireland are pretty shit, and not well recognized internationally. Find the best music production course you can get into in London or somewhere, and do that. In Ireland there might be 5 jobs for you, in England there'll be 100s.

Kenny DNK

x 2

M O N T O

Cheers Lads, All of this really made me think about this.

@Run Forest Run: My Passion is Dance Music, & Making dance music, but i can play a few other instruments pretty well (piano, Guitar, Drums &...wait for it...Trombone. xD)

@KennyDNK That's what i've heard, That Sound Engineering is a very time-consuuming & hard job. You either have to be the best, or be prepared to be paid very little. In Saying that though, Sound Engineering is not particularly the job i would like, more a Sound Producer, But being in a band it would still be very handy to have it under my belt!

@Electrogrimey Yeah I've heard they have great course's overseas. I'd like to go over there but i have to really think if this is actually the career choice i'd like to make. I was thinking of doing a simple Arts degree first just to fall back on for a teaching job :P

Starfox

electrogrimey wrote: »

If you want to have a career in music, go to college in England. Simple as. The music courses in Ireland are pretty shit, and not well recognized internationally. Find the best music production course you can get into in London or somewhere, and do that. In Ireland there might be 5 jobs for you, in England there'll be 100s.

'and not well recognized internationally' can you elaborate on what you mean and which college/courses/certs your referring to thank you please

jimi_t

Starfox wrote: »

'and not well recognized internationally' can you elaborate on what you mean and which college/courses/certs your referring to thank you please

Any of the Shitty and Guilds ones for starters. Any 'self-accredited' BA. The MA in Trinity is probably the only one worth a damn in terms of vocational use, whereas I've heard reasonable things about Ballyfermot, Pulse and that one in Tralee in terms of actual learning.

Stab*City

Friend of mine did the music technology course in U.L. last time i seen him he was working tech support.. and that was way before the recession.. he told me the course has alot to do with music theory and very little to do with dance music production.

Starfox

jimi_t wrote: »

Any of the Shitty and Guilds ones for starters. Any 'self-accredited' BA. The MA in Trinity is probably the only one worth a damn in terms of vocational use, whereas I've heard reasonable things about Ballyfermot, Pulse and that one in Tralee in terms of actual learning.

so negetive :rolleyes:have you done any of these courses yourself?

Starfox

Stab*City wrote: »

Friend of mine did the music technology course in U.L. last time i seen him he was working tech support.. and that was way before the recession.. he told me the course has alot to do with music theory and very little to do with dance music production.

'very little to do with dance music production' Music tech is about teaching you how to use the tools, not really how to creatively come up with some tunes, isnt that down to you the artist?

but if you do want a course on that timmy&tommy can help you out there in temple bar

jimi_t

Starfox wrote: »

so negetive :rolleyes:have you done any of these courses yourself?

Not 'so negative' - I've two parents working in the upper echelons of 3rd Level Education in this country, and a lot of friends either teaching, producing, playing with various orchestras or studying for performance BAs @ RIAAM or various institutions in England. I've done my research extensively, and have worked doing lighting/stage crew work with plenty of people who've been on all the courses stated.

I understand that you're excited and understandably defensive having started in Pulse recently yourself, but I'm just stating the facts as I've seen them. I currently have a nixer in Vodafone till christmas and one of the guys working with me did the Pulse course a couple years back. Very enthusiastic and knowledgeable guy, strong pedigree in classical and a wide variety of interests in studio production make for some great chats when the store is quiet. It's his second christmas selling phones. This would be about par for the course.

ANY city and guild qualification is worth exactly jack **** in terms of vocational opportunities. Some of the courses might teach you adequately enough, and if thats all you want from them then fine. Any self-accredited certification is worth zilch domestically or internationally. The only one that's actually worth a damn is probably the MA in Trinity, and even then it's important to recognise that you're awarded an M.Phil as opposed to an M.Sc or similar.

If you're serious, do standard Music through arts in UCD or similar and then feck off to England for your masters - this will offer you the best of both worlds and give you the best opportunity of finding work afterwards.

electrogrimey

jimi_t wrote: »

Not 'so negative' - I've two parents working in the upper echelons of 3rd Level Education in this country, and a lot of friends either teaching, producing, playing with various orchestras or studying for performance BAs @ RIAAM or various institutions in England. I've done my research extensively, and have worked doing lighting/stage crew work with plenty of people who've been on all the courses stated. There simply isn't the work or population in this country to sustain it.

I'm in pretty much the same position, I know countless people doing pretty much every music course in both Ireland and England, and I chose not to do music in Ireland because after talking to them, and researching it myself, I came to the conclusion that it has very little merit. There is a reason all the good musicians go to study in London or Glasgow.

Stab*City

Starfox wrote: »

'very little to do with dance music production' Music tech is about teaching you how to use the tools, not really how to creatively come up with some tunes, isnt that down to you the artist?

but if you do want a course on that timmy&tommy can help you out there in temple bar

i never said anything about 'creatively coming up with some tunes'. The question from the OP was to do with a certain course. and i responded with what i had learned from a guy who actually has the B.D. in music technology.

Starfox

Stab*City wrote: »

i never said anything about 'creatively coming up with some tunes'. The question from the OP was to do with a certain course. and i responded with what i had learned from a guy who actually has the B.D. in music technology.

ah cool, my bad

Stab*City

no worries..:D