Dear online music diary,
This isn't one of my normal music review posts, or a post about the gigs I've been to, or a post about a cool new band you should check out. Instead it's one of my "other music related type things" posts. Today I've read 2 posts and a Facebook status from 3 different people, discussing the difficulties of their chosen careers, or jobs they've been forced into, and how they feel about it, which made me think hey I'm going to write my own post on this, so here goes.
I've always loved music. When I was 11 I was determined to play for the BBC concert orchestra when I was older. When I grew older I realised I was good at flute but not THAT good, but it was okay because I realised that I loved going to gigs, and talking to bands and watching them smash venues, so I decided I'd do that instead. Of course, going to a private all girls school where everything was purely academic a career in something that involved GETTING STUCK IN and plugging in cables and changing guitar strings and sorting out bands wasn't what was meant for me. "You're good at remembering pointless things like song lyrics and not actual things" "you go to too many gigs make sure you revise" etc etc. I asked around, if there was some way that I could learn about these things, I was mocked by nearly everyone and told to look for a real course and stop being stupid. I could have just taken this, I very nearly did. I had a place to study Classics at Royal Holloway, it was what everyone wanted, it was what everyone convinced me I wanted, it was nearly what I had. BUT I took a risk, and on results day I rang the university to reject my place, and I'm so glad I did. Since then, I've applied and accepted a place at Birmingham City Uni to do Media and Communications in the Music Industry, I've found, attended and passed a course at Cato Music with distinction, I've met some really fun and honestly great people and I'm finally chasing what I want to be doing. I've been to Ticketmaster HQ, I've visited Shure microphones, I've applied to work at Glasto, I've been rejected from working at Glasto, I've been offered some other work, and I've got myself some experience lined up for The Umbrella Fair. Being knocked back is hard, being rejected is tough, but it's something I've come to realise is going to happen. If you don't ask you don't stand a chance, and if you do ask the worst that can happen is a "no". It's important to remember why you started chasing something in the first place. Rejecting an offer at a good university wasn't easy, and it definitely was a risky move on my behalf. I didn't throw all of that away for nothing. Don't stop working for what you want. It may be difficult now. You may be working on small things. You're not going to go straight in at where you want to be. I know for a fact that I'm not going to turn down opportunities no matter what size, and I'm not going to stop looking for them either. I've got a ladder to climb but I've got my feet firmly on the first rung.
This isn't one of my normal music review posts, or a post about the gigs I've been to, or a post about a cool new band you should check out. Instead it's one of my "other music related type things" posts. Today I've read 2 posts and a Facebook status from 3 different people, discussing the difficulties of their chosen careers, or jobs they've been forced into, and how they feel about it, which made me think hey I'm going to write my own post on this, so here goes.
I've always loved music. When I was 11 I was determined to play for the BBC concert orchestra when I was older. When I grew older I realised I was good at flute but not THAT good, but it was okay because I realised that I loved going to gigs, and talking to bands and watching them smash venues, so I decided I'd do that instead. Of course, going to a private all girls school where everything was purely academic a career in something that involved GETTING STUCK IN and plugging in cables and changing guitar strings and sorting out bands wasn't what was meant for me. "You're good at remembering pointless things like song lyrics and not actual things" "you go to too many gigs make sure you revise" etc etc. I asked around, if there was some way that I could learn about these things, I was mocked by nearly everyone and told to look for a real course and stop being stupid. I could have just taken this, I very nearly did. I had a place to study Classics at Royal Holloway, it was what everyone wanted, it was what everyone convinced me I wanted, it was nearly what I had. BUT I took a risk, and on results day I rang the university to reject my place, and I'm so glad I did. Since then, I've applied and accepted a place at Birmingham City Uni to do Media and Communications in the Music Industry, I've found, attended and passed a course at Cato Music with distinction, I've met some really fun and honestly great people and I'm finally chasing what I want to be doing. I've been to Ticketmaster HQ, I've visited Shure microphones, I've applied to work at Glasto, I've been rejected from working at Glasto, I've been offered some other work, and I've got myself some experience lined up for The Umbrella Fair. Being knocked back is hard, being rejected is tough, but it's something I've come to realise is going to happen. If you don't ask you don't stand a chance, and if you do ask the worst that can happen is a "no". It's important to remember why you started chasing something in the first place. Rejecting an offer at a good university wasn't easy, and it definitely was a risky move on my behalf. I didn't throw all of that away for nothing. Don't stop working for what you want. It may be difficult now. You may be working on small things. You're not going to go straight in at where you want to be. I know for a fact that I'm not going to turn down opportunities no matter what size, and I'm not going to stop looking for them either. I've got a ladder to climb but I've got my feet firmly on the first rung.
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