The other day I accepted an offer to do a guest lecture at NYU. More specifically, it’s in the “Clive Davis Dept. of Recorded Music” of the Tisch School of the Arts. For me at least, that’s all kinds of impressive. I’ve guest-lectured a bunch of times at Berklee, UMass, Emerson, and a few other places, but this one seems just a bit more special. It’s not like I expect Clive to be sitting in the back of the classroom (ok, maybe just a little…), but it’s still a big deal.
But as I start to prepare, I’m trying to decide what to talk about. What does tomorrow’s industry need to learn from the current one? It’s not about the old war stories, and it’s not about “gee, with the Internet anyone can be a superstar.” I guess I’m looking for the grand statement, the summary statement, the “holy crap” type conclusion that’ll propel these students forward in a way that makes sense in today’s “shifting landscape.”
The work beings anew today, I guess. Your thoughts are welcome and encouraged 🙂
Honestly? I think the message that the up and comers need to hear is that hard work doesn’t always pay off, and stardom isn’t a guarantee, no matter how popular you are.
How ’bout “with a degree from NYU in Audio Engineering you can at least get a Masters in something that will pay well…”?
YIkes. I may as well just tell ’em there’s no Santa Claus…