I’m a singer/songwriter/musician, and right now I’m fresh out of high school and I don’t know if I should go to a music college (or music school), or instead try to make a name for myself by sending demos to record labels and radios….
Do I get better chances if I actually get a music education first and then, out of that make a name for myself, is it easier? Do people in the business consider "educated" artists more than just self made artist (yeah i realize I already wrote this in the tile…)
This question arose because I realized that many singers (Im talking about today’s mainstream "artists") never went to any music school or college.
No, record labels are primarily interested in your performance ability and the music you want to record. Yes, it really helps if you have a music education because there are more opportunities open to you. At the present time, you may actually be better off recording your own music and selling it yourself over the Internet at places like iTunes, Tunecore, CD Baby and Amazon.com. If you get that music education, you will be writing much better music and have a better chance to get it noticed. If you are thinking about sending demos to a record label, it’s one of the lease effective way to get noticed. Record labels today are not taking chances anymore because the whole music industry is in turmoil. You pretty much have to prove to them that your music will actually sell, by selling it yourself first. If you already have a following, they will be a lot more interested in investing in you. You should browse around YouTube and listen to what many professions in the business are staying about the current state of the music industry.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVF0tbgcGL8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXvkJPt9UoE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPwmHjeTjes&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpvqWDNQpXE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_g0E4QHFpM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYLLL4h0MBw&feature=related