A fork in the road of life

[dwaynehoover]

Hey guys!

19 year old dude here feeling INCREDIBLY confused about his future and would love some insight

Before I begin I would like to say that I'm not trying to boast or sound pompous in anyway, I'm only trying to express the circumstances o the siutation.

So I graduated high school this past spring and originally had plans for school this winter but ended up moving out of state for awhile, but now here I am looking at school in the fall.
These are my options: Music and Writing.
I've been writing since I was about 8 but didn't get very serious about it until mid high school. By the end of senior year I was involved in creative writing / composition classes which were supervised by more than one teacher, sometimes even 3. Now MULTIPLE of my teachers and mentors outside of school have expressed THOROUGHLY to me that I should be a writer because it is a natural gift that I have. Teachers that I don't even know have left notes in my journals expressing their appreciation for my abilities and their opinions that I should share what I can do.
Now I love writing and you might think "okay so if you have this talent and you enjoy it why wouldn't you pursue it?"
Because I'm also a very talented musician and I feel so incredibly passionate about music at a magnitude that I cannot entirely convey. I play the drums and I've been thinking about becoming involved in percussion in college and ending up as a music teacher. I think about what an enlightening and horizon-broadening experience it would be to work with my peers and professors to study the history, theory and dynamics of music. To play in jazz bands and orchestras and ensembles. I think about it if I wasn't so behind on my rudimentary practices I would just go to school for that. But I am VERY behind. Percussion / Jazz Study / Music majors require a decent bit of experience with your instrument. I only have a few months to learn all of the rudiments, play them dynamically and rhythmically, learn theory and sheet music for percussive instruments such as the drum kit, timpany and xylophone types. I should be familiar with scales and keys and progressions and express ability to learn and exert individual playing feels. This is a LOT to learn and I am very behind and I imagine that most who go into school to study percussion or music have been doing it for quite some time. College would be a shark den and I am a mino.

So I'm very torn. What do you guys think?

[-broken winged angel-]

Hey there!

I'm about to graduate high school this spring and I just turned 18. I figured it make you feel a little better to have someone around your age to give you advice.

But I've always been told to follow my heart. Which is hard to do when you're torn in two different directions. I honestly don't think that music is too good of a career. For the reason that soooo many people are fighting for it. Music is a great pass time and a wonderful hobby. I thought about a music career. But if there's soo much to learn with percussion, think about how much pressure you can take. It's gonna be a lot, especially since you're behind on it.

As for writing. I think that if so many teachers have commented on it, I would look into it. That's just me.

But when it comes down to it, it's what you feel like you want to do for the rest of your life. I mean you could always go back to school and do percussion if you choose writing or the other way around.

My advice? Think about it loong and hard. Whichever you feel your calling for, go for it (:

College is scary. It scares me sometimes even thinking about the idea of it all! It's all hard. It's suppose to be.

I hope it goes well. Keep me updated on your decision! Good luck!!

[PassedExpectations]

The beauty of writing is that you can do it anywhere. If you go to school for percussion, there is no reason that you would have to give up writing. You might have a little less time for it... but then again, depending on what sort of writing you enjoy, you could write music reviews of performances or new releases and really combine your two passions... Also, many colleges will let you double major, and most will require a major and a minor. Don't think that you have to pick one or the other.

[The Stranger Stranger]

, I'd cut out all the pros and cons and ask yourself what do you want to do

And if the answer is both you could go for writing first which will give you more time to learn the musical stuff. And after studying writing you could study music.