ok…so my dad is telling me that the ONLY way I’m going to do ANYTHING better than working fast food all my life is by going to college. He wants me to get a minor in technology (electronics) and a Major in Music. I have been told by several people, a lot of whom have this degree that the only thing they can do with that degree is teach music. I don’t even like teaching my band thier parts. Anyways, he says that statement is false and the people who said it don’t know what they are talking about. Of course, no…he has no music degree, but he is working towards his masters in technology or something. I just think that its rediculous for him to try and make me believe that the ONLY way I’m going to amount to anything in the music industry is by taking this Bluegrass course offered here at ETSU. That’s the biggest turd I have heard in a long time. I can’t think of many of the people in the bands that I’m influenced by that went to college, even for music. J. went, but it was for dentistry. Steve Vai went for music at several schools and theory is his favorite thing, and he has had 17 (or more now maybe) teachers for music and can now arrange music for an orchestra and not even know how to play the instruments. Commendable, however…this isn’t what I want to do with my life. I have talked with a distributor from Mesa/Boogie for a while about working at Mesa. He designs and builds cabinets, and he has said that all I need is the electronics program to work there with him. Everyone that works there has had that training. (He even has the former guitarist of the old band Metal Church working for him there). So, I’m thinking that the music degree is in fact NOT the only way into the business. All I really want to do is be a performer…that’s it. I don’t want to teach, I don’t want to do things anyone elses way either. He’s telling me that this is the ONLY way to do this, so it’s fueling me to prove him wrong.

Anyone feel this crap? Is Randy Jane only a dream that will never come true? Should I just start teaching and doing more things with my life that I hate?
RJ