Is it so hard to enter Berklee College of Music?

Should i go to berklee college of music?

• Hello, My name is jack and i am 20 years old. I have just written and recorded a full EP and the reviews are GREAT! I have been working hard at promoting my music and have just put togethor a band to play live shows. I love the way things are going but now i have to make a BIG decision. On March 31st I was accepted to Berklee College of Music. I am not sure weather or not i should go. I feel that i can learn alot If i go. However, i dont know where 4 years of study will lead me... Right now i live in NYC. New York has an unbelieveable music scene, there are so many venues, bars, and clubs, places to perform, fans to gain, and build buzz. So what is the smarter decision? Should i go to Berklee and study, hopefully network alot, and will that create a future for me in the music business? or am i better off taking my music and my band and going out and living in the scene and than hopefully create a future for myself in the industry? I just want to do what i love longterm for a living and it would kill me to do anything else but work in the Music Industry. So what do you think? Ps. My music can be heard @ www.jackmizmusic.com - Listen, so you know im not messing around.

• Answer:

  Boston also has an unbelievable music scene, which IMO is more nurturing of local talent than is that of NYC. How do you think your style of music would do in Boston? This is something you want to investigate. You seem to have some upward momentum in your music career. There could thus be a compromise. You could defer Berklee, and not enter in the fall 2010 - instead defer to enter in fall 2011. Then take this "gap year" and really try to push your music. See how far you can take it in NYC, in that time period. Then decide your next steps. If you're able to start really, really gaining momentum during that year, then you've got a tough choice. But if you find that things loose steam a bit during that year, then go to Berklee with no doubts in your mind. The other alternative is to go to Berklee in fall 2010. Form a band there with fellow Berklee students, and start doing the Boston scene. Do both - study, and also really try to push your music forward on the Boston scene, doing the occasional live gig in NYC (this is quite common - the Boston/NYC commute for musicians). See how it goes.