Brother Musician Podcast
This channel was developed to give musicians guidance and proven solutions to help them navigate in the music arena. Full-time or part-time musicians can benefit from the knowledge given in this channel. Interviews and perspectives from other professionals will also be included.
Brother Musician Podcast
Music School Worth It?
Should musicians invest in formal education? Drawing from personal experience, I take you through my transformative journey of returning to school while maintaining a full-time music career.
When I enrolled at Full Sail University in 2012, I had no idea how profoundly it would reshape my professional identity. My bachelor's in music elevated my technical foundation—deepening my understanding of theory, notation, and production techniques that years of performing hadn't taught me. But the real game-changer came with my master's in entertainment business, which unified my disparate skills into a cohesive brand. This comprehensive education transformed me from simply being a musician to becoming a musical entrepreneur capable of identifying market opportunities and creating sustainable revenue streams.
The path wasn't easy. Balancing full-time studies with professional commitments meant constantly racing to meet deadlines, often submitting assignments minutes before midnight after a long weekend of performances. The financial investment was substantial too—student loans remain a reality I'm still addressing years later. Yet the return has been exponential. My education multiplied my earning potential by teaching me to leverage every aspect of my musical abilities in ways I wouldn't have discovered independently. Beyond the financial benefits, completing my degrees fulfilled my desire to set a powerful example for my children about the value of education. While self-directed learning through YouTube and independent study has merit, there's something uniquely valuable about the structured growth and accountability that formal education provides.
What's your experience with music education? Has it shaped your career trajectory? Share your thoughts in the comments, and don't forget to subscribe for more insights on navigating the music industry successfully!
Hi, thank you for tuning in to the Brother Musician Podcast. Today we're going to be talking about school. At the time of shooting this video, this is the time where the kids are going back to school. So maybe you've been wondering you're a musician or you're an artist, you're a singer? Should you go to school to further your education in this field? Well, I think you should. Let me let you decide for yourself.
Speaker 1:In 2012, I went back to school. I went to Full Sail University to get my bachelor's in music. Now, this alone, the program alone, gave me more information. I learned about music theory, I learned about reading music, I learned about producing music. So it took my skills to another level. It educated me in the area in which I was working. But then I also went back and got my master's degree in entertainment business, and what that did for me was that put everything together. So that took all of the skills that I have, whether they be leadership skills, piano, piano, music theory, music teaching, teaching, piano lessons or whatever. It took all of those skills and put them together so that I could create a business or a market for myself and create this person called Rico Anthony, who is not only just a musician, but he's a businessman as well. So that's what school did for me. It allowed me to put everything together and create a person that's worthy of saying hey, I'm a musician.
Speaker 1:Now, on the flip side, it takes a lot of time. I was a. So during when going back to school, I was a full-time musician and I was a full-time student. So my time I didn't have any time. I mean, I'm just being honest. Assignments were due at 1159 on Sunday night and I would be scrambling trying to complete that stuff. It it taxed me. It did a lot. One of the reasons that I went back to finish school was because I didn't want my children to have any excuse Well, I'm not going back to school because my dad never went to school, or he never went to college, he never finished. So I got both my degrees my bachelor's and my master's degree and one of the reasons I thought back then was just to prove to my children that, hey, I need you guys to accomplish this as well.
Speaker 1:The other thing is financial. Full sale is not a cheap school. It costs a lot to go to that school and you do have to pay it back, although you may get student loans. Just remember, loans are something that you have to pay back, so it does cost a lot, but because of my going back to school and finding who I am and learning the business side of music and all that but because of that, I'm able to make more money than probably the average musician will make, because I learned how to capitalize on every gift and talent that I have concerning music. So don't let the loans or the money that you would have to pay back deter you from from doing that. You're probably going to make four times more than what you would make had you not going back to school.
Speaker 1:Now, don't get me wrong. There are nothing beats like raw hard work, dedication, talent, watching. You can watch YouTube videos. You can do all of that, but are you really going to do it without that that pressure that? You know? This is something that you have to accomplish every single week. You're going to grow every single week while you're in school. So you know, don't take my word for it, though. You know, do your research further than this, but this was just my experience and it was 100 percent worth every dime that I'm spending, because I'm still paying back student loans, but it was worth every single dime. So I would tell you to go back to school if you're thinking about it, but if not, you know, drop it in the comments what your thoughts are concerning school. Thanks for watching. Please comment, share, like whatever it takes. Guys. I appreciate you taking a minute to watch this video. Have a great day.