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Does anyone here have a graduate degree or teach college classes? Questions

Amp360

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 16, 2012
Messages
852
My world stopped when COVID-19 happened, as live music shut down and even my corporate clients cut way back on what they were farming out.

I'm not the most learned person. I hardly graduated high school because I'm dyslexic, and I never knew it until I was out of college. I'm not good at sitting around and doing nothing, so I decided to enroll in a Master's course just to have something to do. I ended up enjoying it (Music Business/Berklee), and when it finished, I decided to enroll in an MBA program. A couple of months back, I added a dual concentration to that and am studying Business Management and Data Analytics and am almost (hopefully) done.

I also enrolled in a MM program and am entering my second semester. Honestly, the MM program thus far is kind of a joke. I'm shocked that many of the people in the program are teaching and seem clueless. It's pretty affordable, and I hope it will be better once it gets moving a little more.

Anyway, I have zero interest in working for a corporation. I've learned a lot of valuable skills in the MBA program and it's really helped with my writing and understanding of what I need to do to take my business to the next level. I would really like to teach some college courses when I'm done. I don't have any formal teaching experience aside from private lessons, which I did for a few years and I was also a substitute teacher in Boston while I was in college. I have a lot of experience working in educational publishing, but mainly as a manager and composer/engineer.

By the end of the summer, I'll have:
BA - Berklee College of Music - Music Production & Engineering/Music Synthesis (dual major)
MA - BCM - Music Business
MBA - Business Management/Data Analytics (dual concentrate)
MM - Southern Utah University - Music Technology

If anyone here teaches college courses, I was hoping to get some advice on how I can get into doing that. I love my chosen career, but I would really like to give back and feel like I've had kind of an interesting path and would have some unique perspectives to offer to a school.

I'm not looking for a full-time position or to change careers. I'm just looking to do something else while I continue what I'm already doing.

Thanks for any advice!
 

rialcnis

Active member
Joined
Jul 5, 2019
Messages
221
After watching "Sun Records," the Paramount series, this past week, it reminds me once again, it's always about the music and inspiration If it's always about commerciality and making big money, alone, then it is easy for inspiration to dry up.

I don't regret my career path veered from music to my degrees as a Laser Holographer (physics) , and working in a mental health system as a Psychiatric Nurse then a Psychologist to support my family. I had to pay the bills of my family. My creativity was on hold for many years, but is still strong. If one has a bonified MA or higher and experience, jobs are available as teachers, without the usual teaching credentials.

Would you have no interest in a corporation if you started it and were the CEO?
 
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Amp360

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Joined
Feb 16, 2012
Messages
852
I already own/run a business, but it's an LLC, not a corporation. I didn't want to form a corporation because I like the flexibility an LLC gives me with regard to taxes, how profits are distributed, etc.

I worked as a salaried employee at two large corporations - National Geographic and Compaq. The former for a long time and the latter for a short time. I was never that comfortable in the corporate environment. I did get along well with my co-workers, made some great friends, and was able to advance. It's just not a lifestyle that I particularly enjoyed. At this point in my life, I would never go back to that type of job, although I'm sure there are people that would much rather do that than what I do.

Have you done any teaching? I've seen some postings that have piqued my interest, but I'm, waiting until I finish (end of summer) before I start seriously looking - if it's something I'm actually able to do.

I would love to pursue my Ph.D., but I'm not sure what I could study. I figure if I get a teaching job maybe that could give me some insight into that. I'm not looking to get rich teaching, it's just something I think I would really enjoy.
 

KoP

Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2016
Messages
62
I’m a teacher of building codes in my state’s building codes division, and also for a local community college. My career path was much different than yours (construction for 15 years to building inspection and plan check since 2006), so I don’t have much advice to give you in becoming a teacher. I was hired and now teach because of my specialized knowledge and experience in building codes. I have only around 50 college credits from like 1990-1992. I never completed my AA. lol I had to work and was trying to ‘make it’ with my band.

I would say that perhaps some of your education and experience could get you into a specialized teaching position where they can waive the typical teaching requirements, like a degree or minimum hours as an assistant. That’s what they did for me and the other instructors in my department. We were all hired based on our specialized knowledge and experience.
 

rialcnis

Active member
Joined
Jul 5, 2019
Messages
221
Educational systems in general, public or private, can feel pretty "corporate.." Always people shoving you into their way of doing things with a smug attitude and pecking order.

My teaching experience was within my profession, as a state employee within the mental health system and as a specialized lecturer in psychological/meditation philosophy.

Unless you plan to go full academic, or full corporate, a Ph.D in music business seems pretty unnecessary. You probably know a lot about it though. I'm sure you are well aware what your passions are. Financial reality is always there and sometimes that cones first. I am technically, retired,, but my passion is still there and I live on two retirement pensions plus social security, and have no mortgage, on my house, so I am free to dream and create. When inspired, you know what you need to do.

I began very young in my father's restaurant business and entrepreneurial instinct was trained into me. Then I became a licensed commodity broker while in college. I made 3 grand my first day after licensure, on the job but after 2 years knew I had to get away from the financial, selling, game.

After my retirement I started a company teaching computing to small business and housewives.. I was very free to work or not work on any given day. I did have to be too busy at times, driving around town, but it was a relaxed drive around a small but wealthy town. After years working in Psych Wards, I had seen everything and that helped with dealing with customers.😀
 

Amp360

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 16, 2012
Messages
852
After watching "Sun Records," the Paramount series, this past week, it reminds me once again, it's always about the music and inspiration If it's always about commerciality and making big money, alone, then it is easy for inspiration to dry up.

Educational systems in general, public or private, can feel pretty "corporate.." Always people shoving you into their way of doing things with a smug attitude and pecking order.

My teaching experience was within my profession, as a state employee within the mental health system and as a specialized lecturer in psychological/meditation philosophy.

Unless you plan to go full academic, or full corporate, a Ph.D in music business seems pretty unnecessary. You probably know a lot about it though. I'm sure you are well aware what your passions are. Financial reality is always there and sometimes that cones first. I am technically, retired,, but my passion is still there and I live on two retirement pensions plus social security, and have no mortgage, on my house, so I am free to dream and create. When inspired, you know what you need to do.

I began very young in my father's restaurant business and entrepreneurial instinct was trained into me. Then I became a licensed commodity broker while in college. I made 3 grand my first day after licensure, on the job but after 2 years knew I had to get away from the financial, selling, game.

After my retirement I started a company teaching computing to small business and housewives.. I was very free to work or not work on any given day. I did have to be too busy at times, driving around town, but it was a relaxed drive around a small but wealthy town. After years working in Psych Wards, I had seen everything and that helped with dealing with customers.😀
Thanks for the reply. I won't get a phd. I'm just saying that I think it would be something I would really enjoy doing, as I've enjoyed being back in school so much.
 

Bob Womack

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Joined
Apr 8, 2002
Messages
2,191
After years of working as a recording engineer/producer I decided it might be easier to teach the subject. Because he was a college professor at the state university before he left to become an environmental engineer, I ask for my father's advice. I told him that I was tired of all the corporate politics and wanted to teach. He said, "Son, you will never find an environment that is more burdened with corporate politics than a university. You are assigned under a department head who runs his little fiefdom HIS way, can dictate your every move, and upon whom you are utterly dependent for funding." And thinking back, my professor of Music Composition, a PHD who had his pieces debuted around the world, said the very same thing.

I have taught at universities, but only for second income and only in an adjunct capacity. And you know what? My father and Comp professor were absolutely right.

Bob
 

dnabbet2

Active member
Joined
May 31, 2017
Messages
211
A local university should have a part-time and continuing education department or faculty that provides night-school and summer type courses. In my experience they prefer teachers with teaching credentials, but often, in specialised subject areas such as yours, there are no candidates with both subject area expertise and teaching credentials.

While I was in grad school and gigging and holding down a job, I had a teaching assistantship as my only teaching experience -- yeah, I juggled it all; I was young -- and that was enough to get me a few unusual teaching gigs with my hometown university and, later, on the coast, largely on the basis of my broader skill-set.

Check and see if you have such a facility near you.?
 
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Gridlock

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Joined
May 16, 2019
Messages
287
I got my Masters thinking that I could teach when I retired. Not there yet but I still may give it a try.
 
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