<p>i guess the question i should really be asking is whether or not a degree in music is worth it. i know that i want to make music my life, or at least fail trying. but i don’t have the desire to be, say, an accomplished member of a symphony. my interest lies more in making (contemporary) music, along the lines of indie music. the music that i’m most interested in is folk (perhaps rock)-based with strong elements of jazz and classical music; if interested, do a quick youtube search for grizzly bear, anything off of their album entitled yellow house. anyway, i’ve had enough experience playing some type of instrument to know that this is what i want to pursue. the reason i became interested in music schools is because i’ve noticed some of the bands i listen to (including grizzly bear) have members who have degrees from music schools, particularly jazz programs. i want to become as good as i can at actually playing the instrument, and have a foundation in theory. </p>
<p>so my question is, would a music school program be overkill? is the proficiency i’m seeking at guitar (and piano) achievable with only private lessons? i’m not necessarily looking to have world-renowned technique, but i am still aiming to be quite good.</p>
<p>as this seems to be a very classically-oriented forum, perhaps this isn’t the right place to ask. but seeing as most programs are classically-oriented and everyone on here seems extraordinarily knowledgeable, i think there is probably some very valuable advice to be had.</p>
<p>sorry if this has been beat to death, but i couldn’t find anything through the search function, and i scanned the first 10 pages of threads and found nothing, so if it has been thoroughly discussed, could someone point me in the right direction?</p>