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Manolito_Mystiq
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16 Jun 2012, 2:09 pm

Let me explain:

I started with college in 2006.

Applied Mathematics → I felt I had to sacrifice a lot of my music activities and realized how much it meant to me, so I prepared myself to audition for:

Jazz Guitar → I saw an interesting preparation course from the Musical Theatre Academy, so I went on to audition for:

Musical Theatre → I also was introduced to Flamenco Guitar and took lessons from a student which were so successful that he recommended me to audition for:

Flamenco Guitar → I passed the entrance exam, went to study Flamenco Guitar, but was introduced to and interested by other subjects:

Acting
20th Century Composition Techniques
Pop Singing
World Music Composition in Practice
World Music Singing
Musical Theatre Performance
Classical Music Theory
Classical Music Composition
Jazz Music Theory
Music Production

The exam committee said that I was incredibly talented and creative, but that I had a lot of trouble of letting myself go into the music, so they decided to not let me finish the school after having studied there for four years:

I tried to work hard on my difficulties, especially my social skills and my wanting-to-do-everything-perfect-behavior. I took:

Formal Classical Singing Lessons (weekly) → I decided to go back to my technical academic beginning studying:

Industrial Design Engineering / Aerospace Engineering → I realized that yet again, music is my love, quit and went to become a

Lead Singer for a Progressive Metal Band → for which we won 2nd Prize, but then kicked me out, because they couldn't work with me efficiently.

Still I had problems with my social skills, so I took acting lessons again and applied for:

Musical Theatre and Dance Academy → which turned out to be a terrible school. And they kicked me out for an invalid reason.


Now I'm here, just after my Asperger's Diagnosis results that I have it. And wondering what I should do, how to move on.

I started studying when I was 20, now, I'm 27. I've learned a lot, especially last year, but I still feel like I'm 20. Actually, I still feel like a teenager. I'm still so clueless about my future. I still live with my parents (I went to live on my own for a while, but I had to leave because I quite studying at the conservatory).

Fortunately I can stretch my amount of years of studying because of my Asperger's, but I'd definitely like to have a degree in something. Something worthwhile. I can manage to study something like Typography, but I think it's a waste of using my study budget, because I'm already doing a lot with it by myself.

I think I'm rambling now, so I'll leave it now.

Mano



poppyfields
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16 Jun 2012, 2:42 pm

My advice is controversial, but it is to study something you actually can parlay into a job in the real world. Everyone I know who studied something more practical had a lot easier time finding a job than those, like me, who studied something that didn't have a clear job path. (Well my degree does have a job path but I didn't get into graduate school which I need so yeah).

But it depends on what you are good at.



outofplace
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16 Jun 2012, 2:44 pm

Well, here's how I see it. While it's great that you have a love and talent for music, very few people ever make a good living at it. Thus it is not logical to pursue it as your sole career path. Think of it as something you can poke at and play with in your spare time. Instead, find something that you could enjoy doing but that also provides for steady employment and that has a shortage of qualified people who can do it. That way you are assured of being able to find a job and keep it as it will be difficult to replace you.

Now once you get that job, it is imperative that you learn to live beneath your means. After all, if it is a sought after field that pays well then others will try to do it as well, decreasing your advantage over time until your age becomes a disadvantage. Many companies don't want workers over a certain age because they lack the fresh training of a new graduate. Thus, they will find a reason to replace you and it will become difficult to replace the job you had. This is why saving your money and putting it into a diversified portfolio is a good idea. Nothing is guaranteed in life and so you need to always think about lean times during the good ones.


_________________
Uncertain of diagnosis, either ADHD or Aspergers.
Aspie quiz: 143/200 AS, 81/200 NT; AQ 43; "eyes" 17/39, EQ/SQ 21/51 BAPQ: Autistic/BAP- You scored 92 aloof, 111 rigid and 103 pragmatic


Manolito_Mystiq
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16 Jun 2012, 4:34 pm

My sister studied Political Science, she has two master degrees (MA MSc), but has the same job I had at the Royal Institute.

What is making a good living? I talked to some mathematics students who were classmates when I studied there, asking me what I can do after I graduate conservatory. Not because they thought the possibilities were slim, but because they didn't know either.

You can more easily get a job after you've done a technical study, yes. But you need to work for it to find a job you also really like.
The hourly rate as me being an artist has been quite high. I agree, though that you need to keep showing yourself to have a consistent income.

Going to the conservatory is the most crazy thing you can do, but if nobody would do that, we wouldn't have many of the greats of the arts. It's a risk, yes.

I most definitely want to continue studying music. Sound Design, Music Production, Acoustics, are the 'safer' studies. I was hoping some musicians or other artists would have an idea, or tell their path of studies.



Amajanshi
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30 Jun 2012, 3:17 am

poppyfields wrote:
My advice is controversial, but it is to study something you actually can parlay into a job in the real world. Everyone I know who studied something more practical had a lot easier time finding a job than those, like me, who studied something that didn't have a clear job path. (Well my degree does have a job path but I didn't get into graduate school which I need so yeah).

But it depends on what you are good at.


I second this. Unfortunately in the real world, the degrees that have a more practical/secure career pathway are the ones that are more likely to bring in the money.

I know that for ASD individuals, there's that very difficult dilemma of having to choose between a College/University course relating to one's special interests, or one that has more job security (along with possible networking required). IMO unless you're lucky and can study a course that is both, you'll have to make a compromise, and then engage in your special interests/hobbies in your spare time as leisure.

Have you considered something like Nursing? You'll learn/practice social and communication skills, but in a more structured manner.