Music is a product of many factors. The more avenues an artist can draw upon, the more original their music will tend to sound. For many aspiring musicians, there exists a notion that being self-taught, often in a rather unorthodox fashion, is what being a successful musician is all about. Although it is true that some rare musicians will thrive with this philosophy, the reality is that these individuals are quite rare. For many musicians, the better path to take is to obtain a formal music education. This will not only involve an intensive introduction to music theory, but it will also help to expose the student to the cultural basis and implications of music in general. This sort of education benefits both the musician and the broader music industry in which they operate. The following reasons will help to explain why this is the case.
The primary point of a formal education in music is to make an aspiring musician literate in the language of music. The ability to read notes, understand rhythmic patterns, construct interesting melodic phrasings and convey these ideas to other musicians ensures that musicians will be able to properly communicate with one another on a professional level. This makes collaborating with other musicians far easier when everyone can follow along.
The music industry depends on artists who grasp the value of creating quality music. In many situations, artists that have no depth of knowledge in music theory lack the dynamic flexibility that comes with knowing how to employ theory to ensure that a piece is a quality composition and has all the right elements to attract a paying audience.
Because music is such a powerful tool of expression, people’s very behaviors will often be altered by the music from which they listen. To better grasp the relationship music has on how people behave, a musician may also find it interesting to obtain a masters in behavior analysis. Music will often help individuals experience every emotion from happy and calm to intense stress. The way tension builds and resolves within a piece can trigger a wide variety of emotional and behavioral responses from those who listen. Knowing how to write music that evokes specific behavioral responses is a key to getting a musician’s audience to exhibit precisely the types of reactions they want to produce with their music.
The power of music arises from artists who are truly aware of what music is all about. The more a musician learns about music and how it affects people, the better they will be able to reach out to their listening audience. Musicians who are able to make a genuine connection with their audience through their music tend to become noticed in their industry as the true innovators of sound and musical expression.