Question: Hi, I'm mainly a drummer but I also sing and compose. What do you think about the idea of getting a college degree (in this case studies would take 4-5 years) as a kind of “music career backup plan” before I get my music career started?

Tom Hess's Answer: Most musicians who want to know how to get a music career started assume that it is necessary to first get a “stable” degree in a non-music related field. However, in virtually all cases that is a very bad idea to do this. Building a successful music career as a professional musician takes a LOT of focused time and effort. If you plan to invest 4-5 years of your life (in addition to tens or maybe even hundreds of thousands of dollars) into getting a degree in a non-music related field and then getting a job in that field, it will be next to impossible to find the time and the energy needed to get a music career started.

To find out more about why such an idea of a music career backup plan is usually destined to fail, read this article that explains this idea in depth: how to start a music career.

Learn how to build a successful career in the music industry with a mentor.