Who wouldn't want to be a rockstar? Private jets, hit records, thousands of fans screaming your name every night: what's not to love? Well, it can be a tough road to get there. Everyone knows it can be difficult to get your big break as a musician, and a recent study indicates that 90.7% of all professional musicians are in the category of "complete unknowns."
That can be discouraging, but we know that there are some people who feel in their heart that they can do nothing other than make music for the rest of their lives. For all of those people, we're gonna look at a couple schools that can help you become the superstar you dream of.
Where did all the superstars go to college?
We tried to do a little digging about where all the biggest pop stars of today went to college, but what we found was a little bit surprising: many of the biggest names in music never went to college. With a handful of exceptions, many of the performers who would eventually turn into globe-trotting megastars began pursuing their careers right after high school, and some even dropped out of high school early to pursue their career, only obtaining a GED after the fact. Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Pink, and Rihanna (among many others) decided college wasn't the right choice for them and dove headfirst into the music industry as teenagers.
So is this the right choice for you? Our guess is that if you're reading this article, it probably isn't. All of these musicians were either extremely lucky or very well-connected from the start, so their path into the music industry isn't something you can likely hope to imitate. So let's scratch all of that and try to look at a different path available to you.
See, while many megastars either got their starts extremely young (as in Justin Timberlake, Taylor Swift, and Christina Aguilera) or got very lucky off of a risky gamble, that isn't universally true, and many future stars pursued what you might call a more systemic approach. If you're itching to become a rockstar but want to continue your education first, here are some choices for you.
The List
We've broken it down into a few different categories that have all proven to be successful routes for different musicians, and we'll give you some examples for each one.
Music Schools
A bit obvious, no? Music schools regularly churn out world-class musicians capable in a variety of fields. Whether you want to become a top-shelf vocalist and songwriter like Charlie Puth, a successful jazz musician and music educator like Adam Neely, or even a behind the scenes producer or sound engineer, there are tons of amazing programs that will prepare you for those career paths.
Berklee College of Music, Boston, MAM
If you thought Juilliard or some other equivalently fancy-pancy classical music conservatory was your only option, you're dead wrong. Berklee College of Music is a widely respected institution of musical education with a unique orientation toward contemporary music. At Berklee, you can learn all about classical music and jazz if that's your bag, but the special strength of Berklee is in how it can prepare you for making music in the modern world, with everything from pop songwriting to video game score composing.
Berklee boasts many successful alumni, and the musicians it produces are more or less guaranteed to be extremely knowledgeable in their field, and with its unique focus on contemporary music, it seems like a no-brainer that Berklee is the choice for those looking to get a music education with eyes on the pop music industry.
Juilliard School, New York, NY
Juilliard is probably the most prestigious music institution in the country, but it's not for everyone, and we mean that in a few ways. Not only is the school principally focused on classical music and performance (its largest department is for stringed instruments), it's also just about one of the most selective schools in the country, with an acceptance rate of around 10% and a daunting application process which includes a live audition. Yikes!
That may seem pretty tough, and that's because it is. But for young, talented, and (most important of all) practiced musicians, Juilliard is one of the best places in the world to study your craft. With a campus near the Lincoln center and a roster of award-winning, world-famous alumni that would make your head spin, Juilliard is the cream of the crop when it comes to studying music.
Art and Design Schools
While still in the same vicinity as music schools, art schools offer a different and broader approach to studying the arts that could come in handy down the line as a musician. We've got a few schools (and a few successful alumni) to look at for those who want to get a broader arts education for their career in music.
New York University Tisch School For the Arts, New York, NY
NYU's Tisch art school is a widely reputed art school for a reason, and it can provide a specialized arts education that can help any young musician find their voice, especially if that includes some non-musical aspects. Case in point: while she never graduated, Lady Gaga attended Tisch before she became famous, an artist known as much for her out-there persona and artsy experimentation as she is for her music.
With a fellow traveler like Gaga, it's plain to see that Tisch can give you a pretty complex and forward-thinking attitude toward your music career, but it's not easy to get in. With a pretty selective admission rate and an application process that includes an "art review" (where they look at a portfolio of your work), getting into Tisch can be a bit of a herculean feat. Makes you appreciate Gaga a little more, doesn't it!
Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Los Angeles, CA
A bit of an unorthodox pick, the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Downtown Los Angeles has nonetheless produced at least one notable graduate in will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas. He studied fashion design there before he made it big with the Black Eyed Peas, and undoubtedly, this background helped that group become the stars they were. Though it's hard to believe now, the Black Eyed Peas were once considered pretty cool! Trendsetters, even, and will.i.am's intimate knowledge of the fashion industry and design assuredly gave them a leg up on the competition when it came to branding themselves and crafting their image.
FIDM is a for-profit college with an acceptance rate hovering around 35%. The application process is refreshingly easy, with applicants being paired with an "application advisor" who helps them navigate financial aid, available programs, and everything else they would need to prep them for the entrance examination.
Everywhere Else!
The plain truth is that becoming a rockstar is so difficult and so dependent on luck and other factors that there's really no set path that works best for everyone. Back in the 1960s, the members of Pink Floyd met in architecture school, and Mick Jagger received a degree from the London School of Economics before becoming the most iconic lead singer in the history of rock and roll. Brian May-the guitar player from Queen-studied astrophysics at Imperial College London and actually went back to school and got his doctorate after Queen broke up, making him possibly the most overqualified rockstar in history.
There's only one universal truth when it comes to becoming a rockstar: you have to love, love, love music and want to pursue it with your whole heart. You'll have doubts along the way (of course you will!), but at the end of the day, the only thing unifying all of these different people-from high school dropouts to knighted PhDs-is a deep love of music and a commitment to seeing it through. Oh, and quite a bit of luck…
