When I graduated from Taylor with a BS in Music Marketing, I found myself in a saturated, over-educated job market. Success was not guaranteed, especially in the arts. I found that being a musician requires creativity, imagination, flexibility, and a commitment to continuous development. The beauty, and perhaps the terror, of this field is that it is ultimately up to you to decide what success means. There are so many ways to make a living in music. None are easy, nor are they easy to find. But with grit, cleverness, and flexibility, a way can be found. Since graduation, I have performed with orchestras in concert halls, with rock bands in bars, with punk groups in dirty basements, with choirs in church halls, and more. Music has at times been my main source of income, at times an auxiliary source, but it has always been present. My wife and I have built a successful band poised to release our first original record after years of hard work. A few short months ago, I moved from Chicago to Indianapolis to begin a new stage in my music career as a church worship leader. Though the city and this segment of the field are both new to me, I am confident that the foundational skills and knowledge I gained at Taylor, combined with the wisdom of experience, will enable me and my band to navigate this change and enter the best phase of musical life yet.
My most valuable experiences at Taylor were without a doubt my performance experiences. Playing in an orchestra, a big band, a jazz quintet, along with various rock and worship groups and my voice and piano lessons, gave me a well-rounded musical base that has enabled me to pounce on various performance opportunities as they arose post-graduation. In particular, managing that jazz quintet, searching for shows, and negotiating compensation was crucial in preparing me for how life as a musician actually works. Some of these experiences were formal, in-class experiences, and some were opportunities I found elsewhere, but all were made possible because of the existing Taylor community.
While my performances were most important to my success, having a thorough musical education gave me the knowledge required to make the most of those performances. The music technology classes I took also opened me up to the field of audio and video technologies, a lucrative sister field to music that has been a critical piece of my financial puzzle since graduation. My marketing classes also gave me a way to look at markets and find my way to success within them. Through all of my college education, my relationships with professors made a significant impact on my development. Small class sizes meant that my professors often directly invested in me as I grew and developed as an artist. With distance, I realize more and more just how significantly my professors have shaped me as a musician.
Taylor's foundational core exposed me to a variety of subjects, some of which have become significant in ways I did not expect at the time. For example, I am currently studying to earn a Master of Arts in Worship from Visible Music College. The Bible classes I took at Taylor helped prepare me to work on this degree. Even walking through Irish cathedrals during "Art as Experience" in my first semester of college has provided insight in my studies of theology and the Church. Finally, my non-major classes required me to learn things that have helped me to connect with others. When I meet someone who is not a musician, but a biologist, I have enough foundational knowledge to take interest and learn new things when I converse with that person about his or her field.
Be on the lookout for opportunities. Very little will be provided for you once you graduate, especially in the field of music. Taylor presents abundant chances for you to hone your musical abilities, but nowhere else is it so easy to find places to play music. If you keep your eyes and ears open, use your imagination, perform with skill and professionalism, and treat others with respect and kindness, you will be able to find your way to success in the field of music.
