Is a Jazz Degree worth it?
I HATE AI. I do! And I simply do not care about your plights of “Oh, but it will help automation” or “Oh, but it can write emails for me”. I believe although AI can be an instrumental tool for the development of society and for the possible equalization of the wealth-playing field, all it is doing is instilling fear in the hearts of artists, as they view generated paintings being celebrated, generated songs being listened to, and generated copywriting being the norm. (It also instills fear into the hearts of women, as they view generated pornography of themselves circulating the internet forever).
I hate the progression of society towards a completely technological entity, I hate the removal of our connection with nature. When was the last time you felt soil in your toes? Think about the sound of birds and cicadas without the sound of cars and horns blending in. There is no money to be had in having a pure heart anymore. Playing the stock market will be more important moving forward than playing any instrument.
If it is such a bleak future for artists, then should one even consider going to art school? It is a bit incredulous, to give thousands to an institution to get a degree that won’t serve you much in your field; If you are an amazing player, no one cares if you have a jazz degree. They do not ask you for your academic CV upon entering a jam session. There are endless resources online for ear training, jazz theory and improvisation, so why pay for regurgitations?
I will argue that although maybe not financially wise, going to art school is not only important, but almost radical. To look at a world full of cruelty, war, screens, and gore and to choose to love. To choose to play jazz.
On a less emotional note, jazz school is important educationally (despite being annoying at times). It completely transformed me, as someone who needs to be taught concepts, and has given me endless opportunities. Paramount to this is just the notion of being in the right room. To be a part of any city’s artistic scene, one must be lucky or extremely extroverted. As a woman, scared of taking up too much space or messing up (therefore making ALL women jazz players look bad), being introduced to people in an academic concept was perfect for me to form bonds, friendships, connections, and networks of musicians.
I was very quiet in cegep. I was not a great player, didn’t really know what shedding was, nor did I feel comfortable speaking in french. I went from being loud and obnoxious and unavoidable at my tiny high school to lost in a sea of people I felt I had next to nothing in common with. This paired with the year and half I lost due to covid resulted in an underwhelming music school experience. I had phenomenal teachers, and I did learn a lot technically but I never once went to a jam session. I never hung out with my bandmates after practice. This is all due to my own lack of confidence and self-awareness, but this is just to point out that although all my teachers were fantastic, I feel that I wasted those years purely because of my lack of socialization.
Jazz school is reliant on you and the way you interact with the people around you. If you spend 3 years doing the bare minimum to get the sheet of paper then jazz school was the biggest scam you could have fallen for. However, spending your time after classes jamming with your friends, attending your professors’ shows, and making your voice heard in your program transforms this degree into an extremely wise financial investment.
So, should you get a jazz degree? I mean, yeah, if you’re realistic about the state of our economy and the place that artists take up in society, for sure, follow your dreams. If you’re expecting a 401k and a six figure salary straight out of your undergrad, then maybe reevaluate.