Posted by Matt G on October 21, 2002 at 12:29:39:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: What music degrees lack? posted by Rick Denney on October 18, 2002 at 15:51:01:
Rick,
I appreciate your comments. However, I feel that because of the way business has turned from a locally manageable trade to a highly complicated global system in the last 50 years, that there is a business "theory" that many students lack. Business is in itself an evolving trade. Due a the growing complexity of markets, buying trends, local customs, and the other multiple factors, it isn't so easy to ust "do business" now.
When you got your engineering degree, your classes revolved aroung the "theory" of engineering. How structures and materials should react given a certain set of circumstances. Business classes should be structured the same way. If we give students an idea of not only how to market or do business, but also where to look for when things change to find new and up to date methods, we can help students tremendously. Just like music theory doesn't teach us how to compose, Marketing 101 doesn't teach us how to market a bad product and sell it.
BTW, it is the ability of the schools to market that keeps a lot of kids from doing the scenario you mention. Schools have convinced students and their parents that it is better for them to spend six figures on their education than spend a few thousand for intensive lessons and make their kids work for a living. But then it is the diversity of education that gives the students skills to fall back on. Then the parents don't have to continue housing and sheltering them if they fail as artist.
I've read what you have written in detail. But you are in a field that has a demand that generally matches supply. The gap between supply and demand for the product that the music schools turns out is tremendous. Rounding out their education, explaining to them why marketing and business works, and revealing the theory behind business and marketing will help give a music student the extra foundation to become a solid, all around, contributor to society in general.
Good information in business will always remain useful. The supply and demand principle remain relatively unchanged. The way we appeal to people for goods is still generally the same. Research in these areas is still about working with people and their needs.
I'm really with you. I don't agree with specific job training, that is a useless philosophy, and where our schools do fail. I am in favor of critical thinking, I believe this is why I am able to enter into this discussion with at least a modicum of intelligent thinking. Also, this is the reason I posed the original question. Why do professional musicias struggle outside of music? Why does this happen so often?
My opinion, take it or leave it...
Matt G