Do You Need A Degree To Be A Film Composer?

To college, or not to college? That is the highly debated question (one of many) in the music industry. With success stories ranging widely from both college educated and non-college educated musicians, it can be difficult to weigh the pros and cons of spending time and money for a piece of paper with some black ink on it. Let's take a look at our options for the Film Scoring career path.

When you're done, check out my list of Film Scoring programs.

What Does A Degree Give You?

My guess is that the most popular music degrees in the US are probably Performance and Education, with maybe Jazz Studies and Composition right behind them. While most music degrees will have very similar general requirements, the specialized courses can range quite a bit. For musicians interested in the Film Scoring path, I would say the best degrees to pursue would be Composition or Film Scoring. So let's look at what those two degrees could have to offer:

• Thorough understanding of how to orchestrate and write for orchestral instruments.
• Advanced understanding of compositional practices.
• Film Scoring degrees usually focus largely on industry standard business practices.
• Film Scoring degrees also tend to focus on the standard technology used in the industry.
• Opportunities for networking with industry professionals, or possible future collaborations with classmates.
• Direct feedback from classmates and professors on your own strengths and weaknesses as a composer.
• Internship opportunities.
• An environment filled with amazing talent and huge aspirations.
• An environment where it's perfectly acceptable to experiment and fail continually.
• Unjustified confidence.

What Does A Degree NOT Give You?

It's amazing what you learn outside of college. In the first 6 months after my graduation from Berklee, I learned as much if not more about Film Scoring than I did in my years in school. I will say that, had I not graduated from Berklee, I wouldn't have even been able to get the job I had at the time, but the real life experiences I've had since could not have been taught. Here's what a degree does not give you:

• Real world problem solving.
• Knowledge of how to deal with failure and manage REAL stress.
• Knowledge of how to get clients and how to keep them around.
• Knowledge of how to run your business and manage your finances.
• A guaranteed job.

The "No Degree" Path

So let's say you don't go for the degree. You're out of high school, may or may not be out of your parents' house, you have a day job and you want to pursue the Film Scoring career - what should you do to be on top of your game and play with the top players?

It's extremely important to understand that without this education, you are starting from zero and the people who are ahead of you are miles ahead. I don't say this to scare you away, it's just something you have to understand going in. Here's a short list of what I would recommend for this route, and much of this will apply to even those who went for the degree:

• Read everything about film scoring - books, blogs, forums, interviews, etc.
• Listen to everything and dissect.
• Learn as much about music as you can and continue to learn and practice.
• Find out what topics are taught in the degree and study them on your own.
• Learn as much as you can about being self employed.
• Practice, practice, practice.
• Score student films - notice I say STUDENT films, you're not a business yet. YET.
• Have a professional website with a portfolio.
• Learn about the technology - how to record, how to use a DAW, which sample libraries to use.
• Do not settle for mediocrity. There's enough of it in this industry already.
• Find an internship, mentor or assistantship if you can.
• Network, network, network.
• Study how films are made, from start to finish.

Final Thoughts

College isn't for everyone; it's tough, costs a lot, and ultimately does not guarantee a job. But that being said, my education has done so much for my career as a composer. Do you NEED a degree to be a film composer? No, absolutely not - and honestly, nobody in the business wants to see your degree. They want experience and they want results. Do you need to be educated to be a film composer? Yes. If it doesn't come from an institution, it has to come from you.

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