Dear Eb:
This question is really specific and I thought you could give me some insight into it. Well I know you got your master's from NYU in music business. That is the field and school I have been considering myself. I just have some things that I am sorting out. For one I have already applied to Columbia College Chicago's music business program and was rejected. My GPA is about a 2.6 , and this is my second rejection letter for Graduate school and I'm thinking it has alot to do with my GPA. So my question is, do you have any advice of any thing I could do to make my application stand out and supplement my low GPA. I thought about taking a community college course in Accounting or something like that. What do you think.
~IntrospectiveGoddess
Hey lady,
First of all you need to access what exactly you want to do in the Music Business, chances are you don't need a graduate degree to do that. My focus with entering graduate school was to just have an edge on the game. I was already connected in the industry having worked in radio, and a lot of label friends I have asked me repeatedly why I even went to grad school. This industry is solely based on who you know and knowing the music business is not something you can get from reading text books. I went to grad school because I wanted to have a Master's Degree under my belt and it just so happened that I found a program to get a Master's degree in that reflected something I love. All the program taught me was that I didn't want to pursue being an A&R anymore (because of the politics that putting out good music isn't really the focus) and really didn't want to work for a label unless it was in digital media at that point. As far as the curriculum was concerned, I knew most of that stuff already.
In regards to your question in general, yes its going to be extremely hard getting into grad school with your GPA in a program that is specific to Music Business. The program I was in at NYU only let 40 something students in per year and I was the only black person that was in my class. I'm not sure what my competition for getting into the program was being African American but I did graduate magna cum laude from undergrad so I'm sure that gave me an edge. My program wanted to make sure I was already connected in the industry so one thing you may want to do is volunteer your services. Being in chicago I know Jive has an office there so you may want to find a mentor from someone that works out of that office. Not being in school I'm not sure how their program is with getting an official internship but most employers won't let you intern unless you are enrolled in school.
That's the best advice I can give you not knowing exactly what field you want to go into, but the first task for you should be to get connected to the inner workings of the music business circle in chicago.
Hope that helps,
Eb
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