[Dixielandjazz] RE: musicians as programmers

[Dan Augustine]

>From: "Edgerton, Paul A" <paul.edgerton@eds.com>
>Date: Mon, 2 Dec 2002 12:01:05 -0600
>
> > This same person told me that nowadays, a suggested college
>> degree for musicians (who want both a music degree and a solid career)
>> would be to double-major in both music and programming. Hmmm....
>> Mr. Edgerton or Mr. Williams: Any comments on this???
>
>There are many musicians in the IT field. Studying music is beneficial in
>many ways, but I'm not sure I would recommend a music major along with that
>computer science degree. That would be a very full load. Then again, I have
>only the music degree and may be suffering a bit of professional jealousy.
>Maybe a music minor, or just fill out your humanities requirements with
>music courses.
>
>Paul Edgerton, who is thankful for this second chance in life.
>Systems Engineer, yada, yada...
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    Almost every musician i have ever known has been able to handle computers fairly easily.  Don't know why, but then there's the fact(oid) that music and math sometimes go together in the same vessel, although being good in one does not guarantee being good in another.  But generally, most mathematicians i have known and studied under have also been good in music; the contrary, however, has not necessarily been true.
    I got my bachelor's in math, then master's and doctorate in music theory (substituting computer science for French), and programming seemed simple and obvious to me, after i failed to get a job teaching college music theory and became a programmer (trained in an six-month program).
    For one (not necessarily the most important) thing, musicians are used to getting some kind of approximation of the sound they want ('output'), and then they refine ('debug') it until it meets the specifications.  We're also pretty patient and are willing and able to concentrate hard on one thing. 
    As Paul said, though, i wouldn't suggest a double major in music and IT.  In fact, I don't know of any more useless (i.e., not functional in helping you get a job) degree than a bachelor's in music (unless it's one in philosophy).  Marvelous avocation, though.

    Dan
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** Dan Augustine - ds.augustine@mail.utexas.edu             **
** Office of Admissions, University of Texas; Austin, Texas **
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