To Music School, or Not to Music School?

01/21/22 • 54 min

Greg and Alison want to tell you why you should (or shouldn't) go to music school. In this episode, they explore what it's like to take a traditional path through music school, including how music school might be beneficial or detrimental depending on your own musical goals.
It's a magical mystery tour through a diverse set of of topics, including the differences between composers and songwriters, learning how to music on YouTube, Greg's mentor George Rochberg, the creative process in general, Stephen King, Thom Yorke, start-ups, Vangelis, musical embodiment, why Modest Mouse kinda sucks, and production music libraries.
Greg is a Doctor of Music in piano and composition from the Eastman School of Music (ooh la la!) and Alison has a master's degree in music theory and quit a doctoral program in music theory and cognition at McGill University, so they're well versed in the ins and outs of music school. They've both been students and professors, but each decided to leave the academic path years ago, and have been making it on their own in the rough world ever since.
Greg's website: https://gregwilder.com
Alison's website: https://alisonwilder.net

Doctor Body is Alison & Greg's experimental electronic duo.
PatternSonix is Alison & Greg's niche consulting firm focusing on the intersection between sound and AI.
Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform or check us out at toomuchmusicpodcast.com
Music, blogging, & more from your hosts: Dr. Greg Wilder | Alison Wilder

Next Episode

Two Nerds Talk About What Music is Worth

It's official: the internet has been a game-changer for music. Alison and Greg dive into how music is and isn't valuable today, both monetarily and culturally.
As usual, their conversation is far-reaching. They talk about the usual suspects: Spotify, major labels, Napster, machine learning algorithms, and music for media. Of course, it doesn't stop there. You'll also hear about the desensitization of listeners by reality TV danger music, the Faustian deal we make as musicians, the sheer brilliance and stupidity of Hans Zimmer's music, making beats for Drake, Lawrence Kramer's defense of classical music as still relevant, and music's current value as your mood for sale.
Greg's website: https://gregwilder.com
Alison's website: https://alisonwilder.net