Musician Or Psychologist ?

[Skenderberg]

Hey,

I have these 2 battling inside my head for days now... People tell me that my melodies and compositions are " nice piece of music " and my family wants me to enter the music production school but I know that to be big in the music industry like Avicii, you must sit home and make music without anybody telling you how stuff is made.

The other part of my mind wants me to enter the psychology school. I am in love with books that has to do with Wisdom, Philosophy and Psychology and health.
I am also passionate about the subconscious mind and want to understand it and want to make breakthroughs in that area.

I can't decide if I want to be a Songwriter/Producer or Psychologist.  The thing is I don't listen to music very often, only when I find a great pice of music with a lush melody. Most of the time I listen to my own music and melodies. I am not trying to sound like a douchebag now - but one of my favorite songs are my own. I also want to make a melodic breakthrough in this area.

Then there is another part of my mind that says; The music industry is passionless, there are some artists out there who use samples only to produce their songs.

I am passionate about self-development/Self-help and music but I need to make a decision before April 30...Third world problems.

Edited February 13, 2016 by Skenderberg

[Kazman]

What about music therapy?

become a psychologist for money while keeping at the music and then you can do research on how music affects people in many ways and merge it all together! Nice interests, I like them also

Edited February 14, 2016 by Kazman

[JuliaEliza]

What do you know that you want already? What are your dreams, what do you want to do right NOW? Start doing those things and you will come to ideas of jobs you would love.

Note: I was doubting between music and my other passions as well for years. Right now I am completely sure about what I am doing. The only thing I did, was just following my intuition of things that I wanted right NOW, which ultimately led me to know to which job I wanted to work towards. 

Please, don't try to choose a study. Try to choose a path in life, a job, and see which studies can help you to get you there. This will help you to get the most out of your studies.

[Extreme Z7]

I'm not you so I don't know what will ultimately make you happy but I think If I were you, I would choose Psychology. Not necessarily because I think you are really passionate about Psychology but because I think you're not really passionate enough to pursue Music. Maybe, again, I don't know

Music is my #1 passion in life. I listen to it everyday and I want to listen to all sorts of music. I grew up with a love for music since I was 6 and although I don't actually know how to play a single music instrument (yet), I spend some amount of time everyday on my laptop using my DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) and work on some of my music projects.

I think that's the kind of passion you need to really get into music.

On 2/12/2016 at 7:44 AM, Skenderberg said:

The music industry is passionless, there are some artists out there who use samples only to produce their songs.

If you still think you want to get into music, then I suggest you get this belief out of your head. I think the really big music industries make passionless music but the majority of the people who are in the music industry try to be original. Also, samples don't automatically make music worthless, this is a completely different topic but I just want to say the way you use samples matters and can be a really great way to show your creativity.

On 2/12/2016 at 7:44 AM, Skenderberg said:

I also want to make a melodic breakthrough in this area.

Not quite sure what that means. "Breakthrough" might even be an overly ambitious word. Especially since melody is a very basic music theory-based element that is probably not going to change any time soon. Perhaps you meant you want to start your own genre? I don't know. Thanks for sharing your concerns with us anyway.
 

[Dhana Choko]

I am studying to become a Psychologist and here are my few cents about it. I will just warn you that most Psychology degrees nowadays are science-based and the basic studies from 1-5 years consist VERY little to any philosophical or deeper questioning of life. For example, my first 4 years of studies consisted mostly studying of the different brain lobes, vision and the biology of eyes, hearing and ears and some information about how different types of anti-depressant medications affect different parts of brains. I had to really work my way though it and now after that I have been able to get into a private cognitive therapy counselling degree where we go a BIT deeper into the real issues people face and how to help them. However, it is very practical and very little theory or analysis of why people have mental illness or what is causing them or any philosophical or even biological reasoning on why that is. To me this has been quite hard, since to me, choosing to study psychology, was to be able to understand people and the human mind better. However, very early on in the studies you will find out that no one knows much about that and the whole field is concerned with tangible problems like fixing hearing loss or problems with eye-sight or finding tools to help people with schizophrenia or autism etc. So if that is something you are interested in, then go for it It can be very interesting and many people like it. However, in if you are looking for answers or deep understanding about human psyche, you are probably going to be disapointed. If you are interested in reading countless studies about hearing, vision or brain lobes and are willing to do coursework with fMRI machines and a lot of tedious mathematical calculations on computer, then I can highly recommend it.

If you are into psychology and counseling, then I have to talk about that a little bit as well, since it is important to understand that counseling is not about giving people advice. Even if you would have the greatest ideas about life and even if you would see from day 1 how to fix someone's life, you are not supposed to do that.  It takes a lot of determination to sit hours and hours with someone and not say anything. You are supposed to let the person talk 90% of the time and let me tell you, that can be very hard! I know it sounds crazy, but it takes a lot of will power to just listen there full day on about how someone's life sucks and just be with them and not advice them on anything.  Maybe it is easier for someone else, but for me, it is difficult.

It is a road that can definitely make you grow, that is for sure, but as you might find from my text as well, for me it has been a slight disappointment and a difficult road.

If you have any further questions, I would be happy to go through them.
 

[Ramu]

Having a BA in psychology has in some ways been the worst thing I've ever put on my resume.  I was accepted 20 years ago to Texas Tech to study psycholinguistics.  I decided not to go after reading my advisors research papers.  In a word: Dreadful.  So I did not go.  Getting somewhat off topic remember that an undergraduate degree, especially in a liberal arts degree like Psy doesn't get you anywhere in the modern job market.  It is only a stepping stone for a masters, a PsyD or PhD.  In truth liberal arts degrees do one thing:  they teach you how to think.  Thats pretty much it.  My parents told me as a kid growing up that the people with the college educations get the better jobs than those who don't attend.  Big surprise to me after I graduated from The University of Southern Maine with a BA in Psy, magna cum laude was that most employers didn't give a shit that I had a degree.  Having one in psych?  Even worse!  I can't even count how many times job interviewers would look spaced out and confused when commenting on my major of choice.  "What do you want to do, analyze people", would be a common, albeit ignorant comment.  Why the dumbass comments?  Because no one who has never taken a basic psych course knows anything at all about the field.  The common perception is the man or woman talking to a person lying on a couch.  There are two major branches within psych, Experimental and Clinical.  Clinical deals mainly with pathologies.  Experimental deals with a wide variety of topics from cognitive to sensation and perception to physiological.  Actually psychology from a practical perspective is really the study of performance.  Just some words of insight before you choose music or psych, from one who has experience in one of them.

Edited February 14, 2016 by Ramu
Grammar

[Skenderberg]

@Dhana ChokoThank you for that post, it made me think a lot of psychology school. I think I stay with music and read about psychology and self-growth instead! 

I was hoping I would learn stuff like, how someone act when they are lying or manipulating another person. 

[Dhana Choko]

Just now, Skenderberg said:

@Dhana ChokoThank you for that post, it made me think a lot of psychology school. I think I stay with music and read about psychology and self-growth instead! 

I was hoping I would learn stuff like, how someone act when they are lying or manipulating another person. 

In my Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology we did one course in human expressions and this consisted one hour of talking a little bit about usual signs that someone is lying. This was one hours in 5 years.  I am pretty sure you can learn more about that in Youtube right now.  

[Natura Sonoris]

Hello

I am kind of person who dwelled in this dilemma for long period of time, so i can give you some good and practical advices.First let's talk about music :

- I have BA in Audio Engineering and Recording Arts and I can for myself that I know quite a lot of stuff about it. As you can see, in my degree there is no word music in it. The reason behind is because the general idea about producing music is that you have an artist, studio guy and then you have final product. Sad thing is that these two ''worlds'' are kinda separated. I had luck to go to university where my professor wanted to blend these two worlds into unity so you can develop both sides and some really awesome stuff start to happen. On top of that, he is really successful guy and he really inspired me to keep improving myself in all areas of life. The reason why i am telling you all this is because i want to share my vision with you :

If you come from music side of music science ( by that, i mean playing instruments etc) you discovered just one little piece. For example, recording music is art of itself and for example microphones and recording desks can be instruments of their own. Mixing and doing final masters can be considered also an art. The technology you use for that opens the world of signal manipulation which can sound very musical for getting specific harmonic content. That technology can take you into exploring analog modular synthesizers and synthesis itself which is process of making music that is really unique. Just imagine using this to make music 

The step after this is doing sounds for movies etc. So really expand yourself on what is possible today in this world and how far you can develop yourself. And most important advice when it comes to music is this one : Do not listen to lazy slobs that say : Oh you can make money out of music etc. Remember that is just a thought in their head that was formed by social conditions and that's why they will keep sitting in their bubbles. 

About psychology :

- When i found Leo's chanel, i found out that there are a lot of things that are missing on their life and just ignore the stuff that can ACTUALLY HELP because it is easier to bitch and moan. That path led me to really get a deep sence of what i am and what should i do with my life. So being that person kinda pulled me into being type of person that wants to help people because i can see how they are being stuck. But like i said, it is easier to bitch and moan. I came to conclusion that if they need help from me or anyone else, they will ask for it. Nevertheless, you can take my vision for music world i gave you and apply it for psychology, maybe you get something deeper than i can. Really good advice is to buy Leo's Life Purpose Course and also read books from his book list. Those books are ''a must read'' for every person because they can really plant a seed in you that will grow and as it grows , your life will get better. The only problem is feeding that plant and watering it

Edited February 14, 2016 by Natura Sonoris

[Skenderberg]

@Natura SonorisI only played the drums on cookie jars as a kid. I use Ableton Push now instead and it can be like an instrument because you can make a song from  scratch on it and only use a PC for mixing and master. The great part about making music is writing melodies, endless possibilities.

Yeah, I took that course which led me to this point to make a decision. I ordered Mastery, How to think like Leonardo DaVinci and The four agreements today.

I also want to show and reveal people their full potential. but I tried to explain to my closest friends why they are neurotic or explain the simplest stuff about life, always get a look, like I'm a crazy person  

[Natura Sonoris]

@Skenderberg

Ableton is just a start. If you want to do music Live, start buying some hardware synths. You can start with Korg Volca series because they are cheap and really sound good. Also consider getting Roland AIRA stuff.

About mixing and mastering,there is idea that you can do mixing wherever you want, but for mastering you need 2x 3000,4000 euro speakers and acoustically treated room. Then you need good AD converters and of course some really clean analog hardware. I had privilege to be in some of best studios in whole world, for example Metropolis studio (where you can find Freddy Mercury's piano) and i was in all their mixing and mastering rooms and i realized that the home bedroom myth mastering is broken.There are many things you just cant hear with normal studio monitors. But still it all goes to level you want reach with your production. I am technological and music freak, i will soon take some piano lessons and i have many goals that i want to reach in next couple of years such as releasing more high quality music, making my own modular synthesizer, programming visuals for my live show to change when i do midi effects etc. So music world is huge so i really advice you to give your best shot. If you can afford 10-20k euros per year, go to audio production schools (you can find also for less in some other countries in europe,for example 5k for year). If not, internet courses are your best option. Also you can message me if you need some help or advice.

[Gavalanche]

This topic jumped out at me, because I was actually getting coaching on finding my life purpose and thought I had whittled down my options to Music vs. Psychology. It appears to be a more common dilemma than I would've thought! I considered them almost at two ends of a spectrum - Feeling vs. Thinking; like music would be all heart and with no intellectual pursuit and that to pursue psychology would be too much of a focus on the cerebral, lacking heart perhaps. (As an INTP I always test as being very close to being an INFP).

After doing some basic research into actual academic psychological pursuits, it sounded like a very long and hard road for only the truly dedicated. I was more interested in how the subconscious works, personal development, philosophy and helping people directly, perhaps as a counsellor. I took an initial weekend course in Life Coaching as a way to get my feet wet with the field. I feel like that direction would be more appealing now. I have been weighing up my options as coaching courses can be expensive. Perhaps it would be an area to look into if you're into psychology, but maybe aren't up for the mainstream approach.

Personally, I'm not sure if coaching is my purpose as I do still feel drawn to more lone-wolf style intellectual avenues, but I am thinking it could be a good way to counter-balance and supplement that work.

[Surrealist]

I really relate to this dichotomy. I've had a conflicted relationship with writing computer music for years, having performed maybe 40 or so times over the years and released several albums, but running into some serious confusion particularly because of how staring at computers for hours makes me feel (quite different from shredding on the piano), and also because of the rampant ridiculousness of the broken music industry, especially in the underground. The people you have to deal with in that world are pervasively mentally ill, drug addicted, delusional, egotistical, sometimes even violent etc., and the fact that you are fighting an obscenely uphill battle with regards to the fact that people have simply decided that music, as a product, is just "free" now, and the only money you'll be making is from shows or licensing or sound design work, certainly doesn't help the health of the scene. People who are making music now are either doing it for higher, spiritual kinds of reasons, or they are so delusional / ignorant that they think the pittance they make at the door is really great. Usually they are losing money for a lot of events. I'm often tempted to go into science, or something that serious people take seriously, and show up on time, and don't get all mashed on ketamine to do. 

If you are an artistically minded person who is curious about science and the truth of the human psyche, it seems harder than ever before to monetize art directly due to the total devaluation of digital content. The "successful" musicians I know managed to get their music in video games and films. The way artists make money has been changing. Consider how to take advantage of the new scene rather than be a victim of it.