Who is responsible?

I recently had a conversation with my professor that got me thinking about my career. The conversation was about college students and the increasing belief that it is the university’s responsibility to make them employable and more competitive in an open job market.

This belief has become so embedded that it has prompted lawsuits toward universities from disgruntled alumni.

If you search college vlogs on Youtube, you will find tons of videos of angered college graduates discussing how their college never prepared them for the work force or even encouraging people not to go.

The over looming fear of not being able of compete fairly for jobs heightened when pursuing a career in music. With fewer and fewer advertised job opportunities and more and more very qualified composers and musicians entering the work force, one can find him/her self overwhelmed and frustrated looking for work in their field if they are not equipped enough to compete. This can be even more disconcerting for those who are attending a university or college when most of the “hard to get“and well paid jobs desired by composers do not require a degree.

So here are some questions for you:

Do you feel that it is the university or college’s responsibility to make you more employable, or at least give you the skill sets to compete more for jobs, or do you feel that it is the student’s responsibility to seek out the jobs and skills that university may not provide?

And on that note, when it comes to publishers, do you feel that it is their responsibility to ensure that your music is sold, either through promotion, advertising, or other means?

Do you feel that it is the university or college

What an interesting question! I think that regardless of how much schooling you take, if you never learn HOW to think, it doesn't do you any good :\ School teaches you WHAT to think, but not HOW to reason. I think a big part of this is done by asking questions, even if seemingly crazy xD

Purely independent of this thread, I posted something just a few minutes ago that more or less goes to the heart of this discussion. If anyone's interested, the thread is here:

http://www.youngcomposers.com/forum/aas-revised-revolution-music-22513.html

Eh, universities and publishers can't be held accountable to the fluctuations of economy and whatever is happening to the market. You don't have a job because the field is over saturated? Well you can't blame your university if they did their job educating you. Their job stops there, after all it was your choice to study that. If money is your concern, don't study music to begin with.

In fact that's my advice to everyone: if you want money, don't study composition or music. Study something else that pays better, has a wider market, etc etc.

That article is hilarious. Yes, that's what this economy needed more of - IT middle-managers with a 2.7 GPA!

Eh. I feel kind of betrayed that I wasted $160K. I also feel betrayed that my alumni association didn't help me when I was most needy.

I get it, but a piece of paper is no guarantee, nor should it be. College isn't a professional school and all that -- but for something that's so necessary, it sure is expensive.

As for publishers? Yes. It is their job to promote you, unless you already have someone to promote you.

As for publishers? Yes. It is their job to promote you, unless you already have someone to promote you.

I'd say that it's in their best interest to actually promote you, if they intend to make any money from selling scores!

I'd say that it's in their best interest to actually promote you, if they intend to make any money from selling scores!

However very few, if any, do that anymore. Publishers most likely not invest time and money into a composer that no one knows.

I do feel that they should do some form of promotion, but I do not expect it.

However very few, if any, do that anymore. Publishers most likely not invest time and money into a composer that no one knows.

I do feel that they should do some form of promotion, but I do not expect it.

Yet another reason to publish your own music.

Yet another reason to publish your own music.

I've always thought that if I was going to sell my works, I'd do a lot of it on my own before ever signing on with a publisher. If I went with a publisher, I would have to negotiate my cut with them and many others after I had a strong customer base.

Publishers aren't publicists. They don't really do anything more for you than you can do for yourself with a website, a demo reel, and a few appearances at networking functions to meet and greet others, pass out a few business cards, and so on. I can guarantee they won't be doing that.

But it's a good idea if you're writing for, let's say, junior orchestra or marching band, to attend conferences where orchestra and band directors will be attending and do some networking. Have a website with a demo reel, heck, have a guest book on it for people you meet to sign and leave a comment. These are the things publishers won't do for you, because they aren't in the business of promoting you... they're in the business of promoting themselves.

Obviously, down the road, publishers will make excellent sources of residual income, I imagine, as long as you have agreed-upon terms with them and they bring in more business than you're bringing in on your own. Yeah, that's pretty much what I have to say about the matter.