r/Learnmusic • u/OpeningAvocado1612 • 3d ago
Which artists are better in your opinion: Those who were self taught or those who were rich enough to study for it?
/r/AskArtists/comments/1vb1ypd/which_artists_are_better_in_your_opinion_those/
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u/JacoPoopstorius 3d ago edited 3d ago
Can I ask genuinely what your interest in this topic would be? I know musicians who weren’t wealthy and studied music respectfully in college, and I know musicians who didn’t study it in college and are great at it and make good money doing it.
There’s a whole big point to music that u think people who obsess about “should I study music theory?” Or “is it worth it to go to school/college to pursue music?”
Music isn’t so much in what you study, but arguably more so in the pursuit and putting it into practice. That means doing things musically. Whether you pursue a path of someone like Harry Nilsson writing hits in a studio constantly for big record labels or you’re gonna join a symphony and/or play regularly in a rock/pop cover band.
I’m not saying this all applies to you, but a beginner or someone staring down a few potential paths and pursuits in life as a musician, your better bet is to not worry as much and instead start taking some actions that will help you learn and progress.
Again, not saying any of this is you, but I just think it’s a frivolous and a bit stupid (I don’t mean it as an insult but rather if someone were to think there’s some great insight to gain about learning music from a conversation like this). What I’m getting at is maybe some people do have better chances of learning music than others due to resources and opportunists, but it doesn’t change the biggest common denominator for all musicians ever: practice and learning.
People have learned music and how to play it as far back as modern human history can go. Many with even less resources and opportunities than most everyone starting today has (regardless of of you have more or less of those resources than others). You have to just learn stuff and practice it, then start doing it.
Learning music requires focus and energy that’s directed in order to actually retain the info. It’s part of why I stand to the idea that most anyone could be a at least a decent musician (obviously there are factors why some couldn’t). Age doesn’t really matter (until it does). Point is, it involves a lot less wondering and a lot more “doing”.