Musicians are not made, musicians are born?: we are talking about musical (self-)education. What are you condemning yourself to when choosing the profession of a musician? How to become a cool musician

How to become a musician? Mastering musical instruments is an interesting and fascinating process in which Creative skills person and perseverance. You can be an amateur musician who plays music for his own pleasure, or a professional who makes a living from his playing.

But are there any special proven paths that help you become a musician? Let's look at the main points of this issue.

When to start playing music?

It doesn't matter at what age you start your career as a musician. The main thing is that there is a desire and free time for music lessons. Of course, while you are young and your parents support you, there is usually more free time, but at this age few people seriously think about how to become a musician of more or less a professional level.

Choosing and mastering a musical instrument

The best thing to do is try several different tools. It may happen that you will not be able to play some instrument, but you will be able to master others masterfully. Although, if you have specific preferences, then you need to start with them. Perhaps your first shot will hit the target right away.

After selection musical instrument You should learn the technique of playing it. Even now, there are quite a lot of educational materials on the Internet on the basics of gaming. musical art, including video tutorials. First you need to learn some basic movements, study the correct position of the body and hands, acquire the skills to tune the instrument, and then try to play chords and play simple melodies. The classical school of guitar, for example, begins with a description of the instrument, then gives rules for seating and hand position when playing. Then they study and acquire basic skills in producing sounds.

First stage always the most difficult (probably purely in a motivational sense - you need the will to move towards the goal), but gradually, with the acquisition of skills, the process of playing the instrument becomes more and more exciting. And even some unfortunate technical exercises turn from torment into pure pleasure.

No need to be a lone wolf

No one will teach you how to master an instrument at home unless you want to learn it yourself, but communicating with other musicians helps a lot. Constant rehearsals and sessions with other musicians are not only about communication, but also about mastering more complex playing elements. Not the best, but an acceptable option would be one aimed at a certain success. Generating general ideas and mastering new techniques will significantly increase the performing level.

It is very important to take part in concerts. This is the only way to show yourself, your skills, and overcome your fear of the public. Any performance in front of an audience raises the level of a musician, since the real energy of music arises precisely from direct communication between listeners and performers.

Choosing a Career Path

The easiest way to start your career is professional education in, work in an orchestra or ensemble. This option is simply great!

A worse option is to join some more or less well-known group. But in this case, you will not become a musician, but a member of some kind of group, where you will have to take into account the musical preferences of other musicians, to the detriment of your own ideas and development. For your own development, it is best to choose a group for yourself, become the main one in it, and then tell others how to become a musician.

Many now famous “musicians” started out as studio instrumentalists. This gives you the opportunity to try yourself in different styles of music, and session musicians also receive a stable salary.

Surely, every person involved in music dreams of becoming a musician in the future. And this is not surprising, because this type of activity is currently the most popular. People who think about becoming a musician immediately imagine a crowd of fans around them who catch every sound of your music.

Currently there is a large number of options and opportunities for developing your musical talent, because there are many educational institutions. Yes, and to begin with, an instrument can be purchased for a small amount, and only after you have mastered playing it, will you be able to talk about real playing and more professional instruments.

Musical path

• To begin with, it would not be a bad idea to master some basic skills at a music school. It also happens that people achieve good results thanks to his perseverance, but it’s all decided by chance. That is why you should first get a musical education, and then dream about how to become a famous musician. Few people want to stand on the street and play for pittance, and everything will be exactly like this without receiving an education. Therefore, if people say I want to become a musician, then they must make the highest demands on themselves.
• It would not be bad to have good connections and be well recognized and popular among your friends. There are people who, when communicating with others, talk about their creativity, in particular, about songs. And others can post their song on social network, which will allow you to listen to the opinions of other people, which can subsequently correct the musician’s creation, or completely remake it.
• It is necessary to strive every day for a career as a musician, and not just indulge in dreams and desires, such as I want to be a musician. Put in more effort and practice will give you more and more hope for a positive outcome. But we should not forget that everything has its time. Many years of practice and long training will yield positive results.
• You need to be obsessed with your dream and find partners. All this will help you find a bunch of fans and become popular. After all, it is difficult to believe that you are right alone, but others will tell you what is better and will support you if there are failures.
• Decide on your talent, or which instrument you can play without problems. After all, what kind of musicians are there - there are those who play the piano, there are those who play the guitar, you just need to decide first. It’s better, of course, to be a generalist, but if you choose one tool, you can prove your professionalism, which is simply wonderful. After all this, self-esteem increases and the willingness to win “your” place increases.

Finding a Mentor

Who else but a mentor can “pull” talent out of a beginner? After all, it is he who knows such subtleties that help to spend time usefully for business. And it’s quite easy to test your abilities. It’s worth asking yourself how long you’ve been doing music, and believe me, if you don’t get tired of it, then you’re in the mood for it. Consistency and hard work are guaranteed success.

In fact, everything is quite simple, and there are no obstacles or restrictions in understanding how to become a musician. If you understand that people are drawn to you, then there will always be a mentor. But don't rely too much on it. The main thing is to believe in your strength and your talent!

People don't become musicians, they are born musicians? Everyone has asked this question at some point. Eatmusic spoke with various musicians, both established professionals and self-taught ones, to find out where the truth lies.

What is the problem?

The division of musicians into amateurs and professionals has existed for a long time. We ask ourselves by what criteria it is carried out: skill, commercial success or the presence of a diploma? If the relationship between the first two points is extremely clear, then the third criterion raises a number of questions.

A diploma will definitely be required in three cases: you want to teach officially, you want a career in classical music, or continue your education abroad. Also, there is an ambiguous opinion that musicians who graduate from a music university may lose the opportunity to think creatively and improvise, and will become another product of the education system under the “comb”. How much does a modern musician need a crust, when might he need it, and will this moment ever come?

Opinions

Svetlana Shebeko

vocal teacher at the Moscow College of Improvisational Music,

vocalist of the group Kukuruza

I have been teaching jazz and pop vocals at the Moscow College of Improvisational Music for about seventeen years. The college is widely known for its long traditions and unique teaching methods. Among the college's graduates there are jazz (and other) musicians who have achieved success and recognition. High level Music education for students who have completed training at MKIM gives them the opportunity to perform solo and with professional musical groups at venues of any level. The training program lasts four years. Having passed it, the graduate receives a diploma of completion of MKIM.

When we are talking about a professional and not an amateur level, we must understand that any profession, including music, presupposes the presence of certain knowledge, skills and abilities. You can get them by completing a systematic, comprehensive and progressive course of study (music school, music school (college), music university in a certain specialty).

I know people who, without any special education, achieved a high professional level in musical activity. This largely depends on the person’s musical abilities, his determination and ability to independently master a specialty that requires complex knowledge, for example, knowledge of solfeggio. Such people are very rare. The disadvantage of self-education is that it is difficult for a person to approach mastery of a specialty through a comprehensive study of disciplines. It is not for nothing that there are certain programs and teaching methods that have been developed over the years.

Russian music education has been respected abroad for many years and still enjoys prestige. There are quite a lot of music educational institutions abroad and there is plenty to choose from. Perhaps most often they go to study in the USA and Germany. In the USA there are schools such as Berklee College of Music, The University of Rochester, The Julliard School and others. The place of study should be chosen according to the focus of the school, college or university.

I agree that not all teachers teach to think creatively and do not always develop (do not emphasize) the student’s creative individuality. Therefore, it is important who you learn from. I am convinced that a lot depends on the teacher, and if you find a good teacher, you acquire knowledge, skills, and at the same time your creative individuality is preserved.

They become musicians!

Niya Arkhangelskaya

founder of the MUSIC INSIDE school of vocal improvisation

In my experience, what is more important is openness and willingness to interact, a sense of self and a desire to create something together. If this is the case, then even education is unimportant. Professional musicians don’t ask where you studied, but they look at what you’re capable of. Music is the sensual content of society, and therefore it is important to find something truly unique, something that is important to say.

Education can be so oppressive and unfree that Music comes out like this – suppressed, lost in attempts to be “good”. Education can either help you discover music or discourage you from doing so.

The chances of becoming commercially successful without education are great. I know several such examples, starting with me. I always loved to sing, but I received an economic education. But Music found me again. If this is your soul's desire, lack of education will never stop you. It is important to gain experience and find the keys - to your voice, to your story, to your heart, and therefore to the hearts of people. And if this happens, commercial success will not be long in coming.

I think that the difference between an amateur and a pro is only in the crust and, perhaps, in some technical capabilities. It's like the difference between a native and a newcomer. Indigenous people usually have privileges, an apartment in the center, for example, while newcomers are determined to work and invest themselves. Often the Music of amateurs touches to the depths of the soul, and you cry from the beauty, but the technically sophisticated Music of the pros often does not awaken feelings...

It’s difficult for me to assess the state of the education system in Russia, but according to my musician friends and classically educated people who come to my classes, the education system seems ossified. We're a little stuck in time. In my opinion, England and America are the countries with the most progressive thinking in the field of art and music.

A common “comb” and uninspired teachers are the scourge of modern classical education. I think that the main advantage of self-education is freedom, and the disadvantage is the lack of discipline.

Yes, everyone is born a musician! Everyone is born with music inside, it’s just that not everyone allows themselves to truly hear this music, give themselves time and the opportunity to look deeper into themselves. It is for these people that we do what we do.

Personal experience

Artem Samodurov, jazz musician

Personally, the combination of self-education/teachers is ideal for me

I chose self-education. My first education is economics, I have my own company. I became interested in jazz later. I would be glad to go to study at GMUEDI (State Music College of Pop and Jazz Art) full-time, but I have very little time to combine it - I don’t want to spend it on such subjects as “history of music of the 20th century”. Therefore, I recruited teachers in the main subjects and go to individual lessons. In terms of cost, it turns out to be the same thing, but an individual approach and freedom from exams allows you to do something broader than the general educational program. Harmony, solfeggio, specialty - these are the three pillars. Personally, the self-education/teacher combination suits me perfectly. Now I am preparing to enter Holland. I hope that in two years I will be able to leave.

No papers in this area will help you if you have not learned to play music. You can’t cover up “getting along” at a jam with great musicians with a diploma, and if you make a splash with your skill, no one will ask for a diploma. To put it very roughly, a pro is someone who knows how to play everything and coolly, at least in his own direction.

If we talk about jazz, then without education you will not be able to communicate with other musicians in the same language. Many great jazz musicians did not know notes, like Charlie Parker or our contemporary twelve-year-old Joey Alexander. But these are exceptions. The truth is between two extremes. Having a diploma does not make you a musician and vice versa. Everything is determined at auditions, where only your skill is important.

Commercial success

Firstly, a lot depends on the music you play. I have many non-professional friends who make good money with their original music in various directions in addition to their main office work. Secondly, if we talk about the serious professional scene, where you play and record other people’s music for money, then you can make money without an office, but the competition is incredibly high. Thirdly, you can write serious albums with serious music yourself, play concerts and earn even more, but this is something like building a business. You need ideas, your own style of execution and the highest skill. Plus marketing and promotion. But the Gazprom manager still earns more than the average musician. Sad, but true.

Education

We don't have a jazz training system. Knowledge is fragmentary, largely borrowed from the classics and differs depending on the teacher. Our teaching is a teacher-student relationship. Word of mouth, you might say. A few months ago I started taking lessons from a musician who graduated from the Jazz Academy in Holland. We study using Berkeley textbooks. In these few months, I learned and put into place as much knowledge as I could not in the previous three years of college (MCIM). You can become a good musician here too, there are great musicians, but the average level of musicians is an order of magnitude lower. In any case, if you want to become a “firm”, then you will have to do 200% of the work, regardless of the country and place of study.

As for foreign education - Codarts Rotterdam in Holland under the New York Jazz program. Some of the best teachers and musicians in the world are there; I have friends who studied there. A good place. Many people go to Berklee, but they charge exorbitant amounts of money there.

Those who were born musicians are very lucky; everyone else faces hellish daily work of many hours of practice!

P.S.: The editors' opinion may not coincide with the opinion of the respondents.

Society has become accustomed to singing the praises of musicians, like any other representatives of creative professions, so actively that sometimes it seems as if the lives of performers and composers are completely devoid of flaws. At least ten years of diligent study in educational institutions seems to people to be a pleasant and exciting ride at a theme park. Countless hours of homework, memorizing hated works, boring acquaintance with theory and dry mechanical practice - all this is of little concern to a person far from music. The main thing, he believes, is that Upon leaving the educational institution, success, fame and decent fees await the musician. Why not a fairy tale?

In contrast to such misconceptions, reality turns out to be much more complex and prosaic. A musician will encounter difficulties in the very first stages of his training, and he will not be destined to be separated from them until the very end of his career. However, only a few get to the point of actually making a career; the rest, at best, find themselves in other professions.

Do you think I'm exaggerating? If. In contrast to unctuous public opinion I will give my personal observations about the essence of the musician’s profession. Maybe somewhere I will be biased or overly pessimistic, but this is my personal opinion.

Education

So, the path to dizzying heights of performing skills, as a rule, begins with a music school and tutors or a self-instruction manual. The second option ends positively only if the student masters an instrument to play in a pop or rock band. Such people can safely be classified as amateur musicians, but do not belittle their dignity for this - among such audiences there are also nuggets. However, we are not talking about self-taught people now - they have other goals and therefore the difficulties they have to face turn out to be of a slightly different kind.

What awaits a person who decides to devote his life to music? long years hard and continuous work. Even if the student is “on fire” with music, interesting and useful activities with teachers will be balanced with the most boring exercises on technique, to which, according to all rules, you should devote at least an hour and a half a day. Total time daily classes - from three to eight hours.

Real musicians don't have days off. Not life, but a holiday.

If someone thinks that they can study a piece they like right away by analyzing the notes and playing it on their instrument, then they are deeply mistaken. Of course, we are not talking about popular songs and melodies. One of Charlie Parker's improvisations? Scarlatti Sonata? Can you learn it in a day? Let's assume. But you will play well only in six months. First, you will need to achieve complete automaticity in the game and only after that begin to search for the correct intonation.

In short, you won't be able to play with your heart on the fly. Even outstanding musicians failed.

If a person decides to study music in the provinces, he will face another problem - choosing an intelligent teacher. The further locality located away from the capital and major cities, the less likely you are to find a really good teacher. In the case of small towns, an unspoken law comes into force: whoever knows how, does; those who don’t know how to teach others. Such teachers are not only apt to confuse Bach with Beethoven, but are also capable of literally harming their students. For example, there are often cases when, during the learning process, children developed an incorrect posture, which could lead to the development of scoliosis and osteochondrosis. Not the best of side effects music teaching. Fortunately, there are not so many such teachers, but they are still found in educational institutions, so you need to be extremely careful when choosing a mentor.

You should also understand that if the desire to become a musician took you by surprise as a teenager, then developing your playing technique can be excruciatingly difficult. In children, the body is just forming and therefore all the loads placed on them contribute to the development of hearing, joint flexibility, and the like. But already teenagers have to deal with own body. Be that as it may, even to achieve an average result you will have to work hard and persistently for a long time.

There are, of course, people for whom learning is easier than others, but such cases are rare.

Employment

Everything is clear with mastering the instrument - in any training it is harder than in battle. But is it so easy to realize yourself in your favorite profession after studying in all possible educational institutions? Oddly enough, in this creative activity, principles apply that also apply to other specialties. That is, the chances of fully realizing oneself as a musician depend not only on effort and talent, but also on the influence of external factors. Let me explain.

In almost any field of activity there is competition among professionals. And the more such people there are in a country, the harder it is to find a job. Higher educational establishments hundreds of specialists graduate every year, and the jobs that newly minted specialists can get are numbered in the dozens. We do not take into account talented people whose abilities were noticed in time - their careers, as a rule, begin with youth. But what if a person didn’t grab the stars from the sky: he mastered the instrument with grief, learned the theory, has an idea about practice and, despite the difficulties, sees himself only as a musician. Between us, everything is just beginning for him.

In this case, graduates of pop departments will be most lucky, because it is easier for them to cooperate. They can easily recruit like-minded people and put together their own group or band. Another question is how profitable such ventures are, because in addition to playing, musicians also need to eat and dress. My experience suggests that even good performers only have enough money to satisfy basic needs. Sad but true.

If you dream of financial well-being, under no circumstances become a musician.

Graduates of classical departments have the least chance of getting rich. Performers, composers and theorists are simply doomed to lack of money, unless a miracle suddenly happens. It is almost impossible to join a good orchestra in order to secure a stable income. Working only at hack jobs means being prepared to go hungry from time to time. Writing your own music in academic genres is like death. Remains pedagogical activity, part-time work as a studio musician or labukh in restaurants, tutoring or mastering related professions (for example). High salaries and ample opportunities for self-realization? No, I haven't.

If a person is full of ambition and longs to show his talent to the world, then in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred he will face the collapse of all hopes, accompanied by an abyss of disappointments. Such unfortunate performers, as a result, from lack of demand, tend to fall into a prolonged depression, which usually ends with the burial of their ego, dreams and rosy fantasies. If such a musician does not have time to retrain, then his entire creative activity very soon it mutates into a boring and unpromising routine.

But all this darkness awaits the “average” people; what happens to those who were able to overcome external circumstances and realize themselves in the profession?

There, too, not everything is as smooth as we would like. Firstly, music will take up a lot of time, which will inevitably affect your personal life. You will be lucky only if you meet an understanding partner who will not torment the musician for his endless busyness and periodic withdrawal from the everyday sphere. Secondly, there is a financial issue. As I noted above, professional musicians do not become millionaires. Thirdly, throughout his entire career, a successful performer and composer will have to deal with creative people, and therefore not always easy to communicate and collaborate with. And finally, in order not to lose his position, the musician will be forced to continuously develop. And this applies not only to honing technology, but also to in-depth study of other types of art, mastering new types of activities and other things.

That is, you will have to plow without stopping.

All of the above horrors, in fact, do not threaten everyone and can even bypass a person if he feels that the cosmos itself has destined him to become a musician. This is extremely rare, but if the thought comes to mind that without music lessons life will lose the most important thing, then it’s certainly worth trying to realize yourself in this area. Yes, it will be difficult. But nothing compares to the feelings a musician experiences while playing in front of an audience. Yes, you won’t be able to save up for a yacht. But does a yacht guarantee a happy life? Yes, professional activity will take up most of your time. But doesn't real music deserve it?

Let everyone answer all the questions themselves and decide for themselves what they are willing to sacrifice for the sake of their goal and what they will receive in return when they achieve it. And if the choice nevertheless falls on this difficult profession, then it is important to have time to realize that you will always have to give your best, otherwise there is no point in even trying.