What do you study/work with?

[Ricky]

I'm curious what you guys and girls either study or work with. Feel free to include as many details as you want. I will start.

I've noticed that many of you either intend to study music or already do study music. Well, I'm not that lucky I guess. I'm at my 2nd year of my electrical engineering studies. The education is in total 5 years out of which everyone studies pretty much the same courses during the first 3 years and the last 2 years consist of a master that you choose (and specialise in a narrower area). I'm considering choosing either a master with focus on the environment or a master with focus on electrical power engineering. So why did I choose my education? Well, ever since the 8th or 9th year of elementary school (in Sweden we have 9 years of elementary school, 3 years of upper secondary school and ofc higher education for those that want) I've been wanting to do something about the issue of environmental destruction and global warming. I thought I could do the most by choosing upper secondary school education focusing on technology and so I did. I realised that the best choice after that would be electrical engineering. After all the main issue (in the global warming problem at least) is how we convert energy (sadly by burning coal or oil in many cases) and there's also the issue of how to store and transport the energy and so on. So batteries, grids, photovoltaic cells etc. are things that need to improve.

Now I'm very interested in music too. Why don't I study music instead? Well, the thing is that I've only got into in music when I was like 15 years old (and I listened to hip-hop then). I did like music before then (for example when I played video games) and I admired people in my surroundings that could play the piano or something else. I just didn't have the enviroment for music I guess. EIther way when I was 16 I've started playing piano and in the beginning I was totally lost, not knowing what I should be doing and in a sense I've always been a little lost in my piano playing but I think I'm currently on the right track. Either way slowly my interest for hip-hop faded away as the interest for classical music grew stronger. I've learnt reading notes, I've started learning music theory (especially from Lypur's music theory series), I've started doing ear training. A little more than two years ago I've started reading The Oxford History of Western Music (I finished the books in about 10 months or so) which further got me into classical music and I've gained an even better understanding of music. A few years back I came to the realisation that I want to compose and since then I've been getting closer and closer to my goal. I've started hearing original music ideas in my head about two years ago and all I need is a good ear and I can start working on actual compositions.

It seems like everyone who composes says that they started to play an instrument when they were like 7 years old or even younger or maybe even started composing back then. It can be somewhat discouraging but I won't give up. I believe almost anyone can compose if they got the right circumstances (knowledge of music theory, a good ear, let ideas flow etc.). Either way I will keep working on music theory, ear training and start composing asap. I do intend to study music some day in the future when I'm done with my electrical engineering education. Maybe I can take some music courses in the meantime. My future job will probbaly not be in music but it most certainly is and will be a cool hobby.

I guess what I wrote there would be more suiting in the introduction thread but either way, your turn.

[GaryOak]

I'm a statistics major. I chose this education on a whim but I'm actually starting to like this shit. Not gonna go into any detail because I'm pretty sure it would probably be very boring.

I also had one year of electronics engineering studies but that didn't suit me.

I rather keep music as a hobby just because most of the pro musicians I know are very poor.

[Jompa]

I am 16 years old. Which means I am a first year in high school.
The high school I go to is kinda special. You can either apply to it as a normal "studying specializing"-student, OR...
You can apply to it as a music student on the high school's special program.
Getting inn is extremely hard - like I mean just nuts! Your grades have to be at least 5 out of 6, and that is totally nuts! And in addition, you have to pass an entrance exam on your main instrument that is very hard. When I graduated from junior high, I had 5.4, which was the best result anyone else got that year! So basically, I made it into music-high school and am feeling very privileged about it!

My school-day is extremely long, because it has so much music in it, and if the special program is gonna give us the same options as the normal students, later on in life, we need to have 6 hour school-days every day!
But that is just fun, because it is all about music!
My main instrument is the tenor saxophone, and my two bi-instruments are song and piano.

If anyone is wondering, I have played sax and doing music related stuff for three years - piano and singing, I've only been doing since I started at the school. But don't go around thinking that "oh, he's only played for three years, he must suck", because I am a hard worker when it comes to music, and I definitely wouldn't have passed the entrance exam if I sucked!

The different subjects on music I have are:

• Music theory
• Music theory 2 (which focuses more on audability)
• Sax lessons with a teacher
• BIG BAND <3 <3
• Choir
• Bi-instrument 1 (song)
• Bi-instrument 2 (piano/harpzicord)
• Dance -.-
• Drama -.- -.- -.-
• Music in perspective (heavier music theory, because I chose to have it)
• And also another subject called "Deeper music theory" (focuses a lot on arranging and composing - I also chose to have this)

So yeah, that is fun!

[SlowPokemon]

Next year I'll be studying music composition in college.

[Roz~]

I'm studying translation from English to French and French to English. But mainly from English to French. I'm also taking Japanese classes so that one day I can translate stuff from Japanese. I could also translate stuff from Spanish but I don't really feel like it.

[FallenPianist]

I'm studying Aerospace Engineering, hoping to focus on astronautical engineering.

We have absolutely no life during the session, but it's worth it (I hope ).

[KefkaticFanatic]

I totally thought this was a spambot based on the giant wall of text with one link stuck in the middle.  But I guess not..

I'm an electrical engineering major ending 2nd year of studies.  However, the first 2 years are mostly prereq and fundamentals so I haven't done much EE besides basic circuits and signals courses.

I thought about music when I was younger, but it's one of those things where very few can be truly successful, plus I felt it more of a hobby sort of thing.  The same with my Japanese studies.  I got through the first course in the 3rd year series but had to stop after that because it was just too much work with my other classes

Though, I'll probably continue through summer classes or community college at a later time~  That along with Mandarin ^^

[ETFROXX]

I have no fucking clue.

I should figure that out.

[FSM-Reapr]

I study with my computer.

THE TITLE IS MISLEADING BTW.

[Ricky]

I study with my computer.

THE TITLE IS MISLEADING BTW.

Well, if you have a suggestion for a better title then go on and tell me.

I totally thought this was a spambot based on the giant wall of text with one link stuck in the middle.  But I guess not..

I'm an electrical engineering major ending 2nd year of studies.  However, the first 2 years are mostly prereq and fundamentals so I haven't done much EE besides basic circuits and signals courses.

Oh well, I guess I like writing (too much) sometimes. Either way, I've had many preparation courses too such as 5 math courses (plus the one I have now which is called statistics and signal processing (it is what it sounds like)) two physics courses (one with mechanics and wave physics and the other is about quantum/material physics with topics such as the free electron model, semiconductors etc.). Either way we had curcuit analysis first year and the second year has had more EE courses. Except for the math and a project course we had the physics course with semiconductors etc. which I've mentioned, a course with electromagnetic fields which deals with the very basics like Maxwell's equations and I currently have an electronics course and a measurements technology course (with mostly EE specific measurement tasks).

I'm studying Aerospace Engineering, hoping to focus on astronautical engineering.

We have absolutely no life during the session, but it's worth it (I hope ).

I've heard that is one of the hardest types of education. Good luck. 


@Jompa, in general I've heard that studying music and getting work after it is quite hard. Firstly there is ofc a big competition as you say, at least in the case of studying performance. You have to have luck to start early in life with music and you have to work really hard. I've heard that even if you manage to get in and complete the education chances of getting a job in music are pretty bad. But don't get discouraged by it. Keep working on it and you will reach your goals.

[FSM-Reapr]

I was only kidding lol

[Jamaha]

I've noticed that many of you either intend to study music or already do study music. Well, I'm not that lucky I guess. I'm at my 2nd year of my electrical engineering studies.

Hey!

But yeah, electrical engineer here. Third year of a (supposedly) five-year degree, as the majority of students take something like 6-7 years. Officially it's three years for bachelor's and two for master's. Should get my bachelor's degree by the end of this year, so half a year later than the official three years. But yeah, need to write my thesis next fall.

I'm majoring in electronics for my bachelor's degree and minoring in automation. Automation wasn't as interesting as I thought, so I'm probably switching minors for the master's degree. Maybe radio engineering (if next summer ends up being fun) or signal processing.

[Jompa]

@Ricky, yeah I know, if you want to be successful in music, you basically have to be best! And I don't consider myself there yet - Norway's greatest saxophone player is in the same class as me!!! D: But he's classical, though 
You may have read that I wrote that my school day is extremely long, because we need extra school to get the same opportunities as the normal students. Basically, when I'm done at Foss I have the exact same opportunities as anyone else, so I am by no means bound to become a musician just because I am in music high school.
I will be more than satisfied if I can continue playing saxophone as a hobby, perhaps my band will continue after I graduate, or maybe I'll find a big band to play in, or something

[FSM-Reapr]

I got my electrician papers after a year of apprenticeship training. Just so I'd have something as a plan B for life. Ya know, kids, money problems, bad economy...

Officially I'm currently on a break from school because of my sickness, but I'm doing my best keeping up with the others so I wouldn't have to spend an extra year in school than I'd have to. This unfortunately means that I won't have a summer holiday this year. It sucks.

But I'm on my way for a MD from jazz music. (<--wow in here I haven't hit the language barrier since last fall!)

[KefkaticFanatic]

I'm majoring in electronics for my bachelor's degree and minoring in automation. Automation wasn't as interesting as I thought, so I'm probably switching minors for the master's degree. Maybe radio engineering (if next summer ends up being fun) or signal processing.

Yea my "concentration" right now is signal processing, as that has the most interesting sounding classes in my opinion.  The wireless communication one also looked pretty cool though.