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Should You Attend Musicians Institute in Los Angeles?

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Thinking about getting a degree at Musicians Institute in Los Angeles? I asked some friends who attended and graduated from MI. These are some of their thoughts.

In short, Musicians Institute can be a great place for pushing your creative and performance abilities.

However, high tuition and fees, loans, and vague career opportunities leave some students wanting more.

Musicians Institute in Los Angeles can be a good option for those looking to jump into the music business. But it’s not a magic bullet for finding long-term success.

Overview

Musicians Institute is a music and entertainment business school located in Hollywood, CA. They encourage students to do their best creative work and prepare them for careers in the music and entertainment business.

They have a few hundred active students at any given time. Classes are small.

Programs include things like:

Music Performance
Recording Arts
Instrument Repair and Craft

Can Musicians Institute Help Me Get a Job?

Yes and no.

The value of a place like Musicians Institute isn’t in their career placement services. Although, they offer them and mention them a lot.

The music business is notoriously a who-you-know industry. That means that getting a job or finding an opportunity has less to do with your skills and more to do with your network.

Musicians Institute can help you understand the basics of many music disciplines. But it’s up to you to make something happen with those skills.

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With so many guitarists and musicians in Los Angeles, working as a guitar tech can be very lucrative. And Musicians Institute has a number of in-depth guitar repair and tech programs available. But there are very few paths from a repair program into a luthier or repair job. You’ll have to make connections with other musicians to spread the word about your skills on your own. Although you might meet many musicians at MI, most of your career building work will happen outside the classroom.

Networking at Musicians Institute

Even with millions of people living in Los Angeles, it can still feel hard to meet other musicians.

Going to a music school like Berklee or MI is an easy way to surround yourself with dozens of other like minded musicians.

You can also check out weekly or monthly open mics and artist events around Los Angeles to get to know the local scene.

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Review from a guitar student: “I went to Musicians Institute for 2 years. I got an associates degree in guitar performance. The students who did the best in my program had great teachers. They were also proactive about trying to get into classes with other guitarists who would help them improve the most. At our performances, it was obvious which students spent the most time one-on-one with teachers and practicing. Just like any other modern music program, everyone who auditioned got in (or so it seemed). The skill levels were kind of all over the map. If I had the opportunity to go again, I would. The performance opportunities were the best part of the degree. I got to jam with and play out with other musicians around my age. Playing live in Hollywood was a dream for me like lots of other musicians I’m sure. Although many of the musicians I went to school with moved back home because of COVID-19, I still hang out with many of the players I met. MI was a great introduction to the LA music scene.”

How Hard is it to Get Into Musicians Institute?

Musicians Institute accepts about 70% of the people who apply.

It costs $100 to submit an application and you must submit at 250-word essay about why you want to be a musician and how you believe MI can help you achieve your goals.

You must have a minimum SAT of 500 for math, writing, and reading. A minimum ACT score of 21 is required.

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“They accepted nearly everyone when I was there. It felt like a money-grab. Good to learn the basics of the craft. But an expensive ‘school’ at the end of the day.”

You’ll need to prove you graduated from high school and have at least three years of study on your primary instrument (Guitar, piano, singing, etc).

Learning at MI

Should you pay to learn music and the music business?

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Advice from a pop producer in LA: “The advice is cliche, but it’s still true. Want to work in the music business? Get a job as a roadie for a tour. Find an internship at a recording studio. Take photos for a band. Go work with a guitar tech or at a guitar shop. Be eager to help and keep making friends. Don’t ‘pay to play’ by going to a music school. There’s no shortcut. You’ll likely have tons of debt when you graduate. The biggest reason people give up on music is because of debt or other financial stuff hanging over their head. Anything you can learn at music school can be learned with a library card and a YouTube account if you’re determined. Don’t pay $100k to get a degree or a certificate. Use it to pay your bills and meet people.”

Berklee vs Musicians Institute

Musicians Institute is more of a technical school, whereas Berklee is a traditional college.

You can learn many of the same things at both schools, but Berklee is more focused on “complete” musician training. You can learn jazz, classical, song composition, country, or even fingerstyle guitar.

MI is primarily focused on one-off certificate programs or intensives, whereas Berklee is mostly focused on four-year educational programs.

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One perk to both schools is access to recording studios and rehearsal spaces. If you’re not a student, you’ll likely be renting both.

That said, Musicians Institute also offers Bachelors and Masters degrees in things like performance, composition, and songwriting. But their credits are only transferable in certain circumstances.

There are many great teachers at both schools. Musicians Institute also features frequent workshops with studio musicians, touring personel, and recording artists.

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“At its core, Berklee is a ‘jazz school’ with tons of great programs in composition and performing. It also has plenty of name recognition. But that doesn’t mean it’s the right music program for you. Finding a program that meets your goals is more important than finding a magic bullet. For some, that may be having a dedicated program to force them to practice guitar more frequently like Musicians Institute. For others, it may be using their school as a networking hub. Passion is what drives a music career. You may be nervous to audition for both MI and Berklee. But don’t try to only play what you think the panel wants to hear. Professors want to hear your true self. Shredding on guitar or playing scales quickly on bass isn’t going to guarantee your a spot. passion is. Express yourself on your main instrument in the ways that you normally would. Don’t try to change who you are just to get into Musicians Institute or Berklee.”

Conclusion

Musicians Institute in Los Angeles offers a wealth of opportunities for aspiring musicians to hone their skills, gain valuable experience and make valuable connections.

However, it’s not for everyone.

From classes and private instruction to its renowned Performance Program, MI can give you tools and confidence in your music career. But it should be weighed against high costs and its effectiveness at actually breaking into the music business if that’s what you’re after.

Overall, Musicians Institute in Los Angeles can be a great place to get started in your music life. But it’s not a silver bullet to a successful music career.