When I was at U of M, the RC did several things to let me really advance my music career.
Creativity:
Mark Kirschemann's "Creative Musicianship" class (which I took in '03) opened up my musical world in terms of how to write songs, different styles to write in, different instruments, and more. Being original is of the utmost importance in today's music world so Mark's class was a huge influence in how I write my music. I still perform a few of the songs I wrote in that class.
His "Improvisation" class was absolutely paramount in broadening my musical horizons as well. He exposed me to so many artists and genres in that class... wow, just WOW. It blew up my musical world. Furthermore, I met some of the most talented musicians in the whole school and I still keep in touch with them today (Sara Curtin, a phenomenal singer and musical talent in general, sang on my debut album "Earlier Work" which is now signed to an Indie Label in Japan. John Paul Dutka - who I knew for years before, but brought me over to U of M - played in my first professional band "Darktown Saints" for 3 years on electric violin. Isabelle Carbonell - an emerging photographer and filmmaker - has been my partner for 3 years now after we met in Mark's class. She has been one of the single greatest influences on my music, career, and life and the RC allowed me to meet such a talented, hardworking, and inspiring individual.) The opportunity to meet so many talented people is a rare privilege that the RC music program made possible.
Mike Gould's "Afro-Cuban Percussion" class taught me so many different polyrhythms and different cultural approaches to music. Because of him, my percussive skills got to a professional level so that I was able to play drums at different Blues clubs and piano bars around the US. Also, my piano playing has taken a leap in its complexity by incorporating elements I learned in Gould's class like Clave (son and rhumba). Finally, I can put a little bit more technique into my drum circle jamming on hand percussion than most.
Although she was retired, I took private singing and Alexander Technique classes with Jane Heirich and they have had a profound impact on the quality of my voice (and health). The RC made this possible and gave me credit for services I would have gladly paid for OUTSIDE of college.
They Let Me Work:
Thanks to Katri Ervamaa's Indie Studies in Music (and thanks to the approval of Mark Clague, Jennifer Meyers, Charlie Murphy and co.) I was able to earn 8 credits for TOURING in the summer before my senior year. This is just amazing. Taking 4 months of your life to play for small crowds in venues from Boston to Los Angeles is difficult enough and I ALMOST dropped out of college to do this (as well as the album I recorded the summer prior to), but because the RC let me make it a PART of my education - by writing a 30 page summary, keeping a journal, and documenting logistical aspects of the trip like finances and merch sales - I was able to graduate in '06 and not '07, '08, or maybe never.
Furthermore, Katri also let me earn 4 credits during my senior year for working on some very important demos in my home studio. I reported to her every few weeks with all the songs I was writing and she gave me some very valuable feedback. Katri and Mark are just out of this world and the RC is so very lucky to have them. The two of them would have been more than enough to say my music experience at the RC was a success, but I was just so lucky to have even more successes with Mike Gould, Jane Heirich, and the RC Players.
Resources:
I didn't own a piano, and although I could have used North Campus, the RC was two blocks away from my house on Packard. I practiced on the pianos there for hours each day and I honestly gained most of my chops on the upright in that Tyler 18 room (the number might be wrong, it's the door with the number lock which I still remember...). So just having access to musical instruments was a big deal for me as far as honing my craft.
Musicians - I met so many creative musicians who moved me and shaped my musical identity. Because the RC is a breeding ground for not only education and intellectuals, but for EXTREMELY creative behavior, I was infected with the "freedom of expression" bug. I just learned to let go and allow the music or lyrics to flow through me, and this helped me gain a truly unique and personal perspective in my songwriting. Whether it was writing music for a short musical about Nietzsche or performing my own songs in Katri's Music Ensembles class, I found many outlets for my expression (which is essential - having an OUTLET. It's of varying degrees of difficulty to be creative, but it's definitely work to arrange or just perform your music... and it really helps your drive and motivation to have something, a public performance or class, to put your efforts towards).
The Auditorium - I performed so many shows on that auditorium stage... with my band, by myself with a piano, in Evening of Scenes (on the piano), in other short theater productions. In fact, the entire reason I came to U of M was the Aud. I was a freshman at Eastern Michigan University down the block and I wasn't feeling challenged enough so my friend John Paul Dutka (Jip) asked me during that year if I wanted to be the "music director" of a few short scenes for EOS with the RC Players. Having the time of my life, I decided that THIS was the place for me and my sophomore year saw me transferring.
That's the bulk of it, the RC helped me creatively, with resources, and they LET me get into my career by supporting it and making my education coincide directly with my chosen path of a touring musician and songwriter (which was already developing OUTSIDE of school because of decisions I had been making since my first year of university).
See, that's the thing. Nobody at U of M can truly contribute to one's success by just opening doors for students in the business world. That's not what school's about. It's about learning. I had to contact all the clubs I played at before I got a booking agent. I had to put together my own recordings, press kits, and photo shoots. I had to put together a live show that was entertaining and yet original... impressive, but still humble. In your face, but not corny. I had to do a LOT on my own. I gave up 90% of my college weekends to playing a piano bar (JD's Key Club in Pontiac) while other kids were partying aimlessly or numbing their minds in one way or another on their parents' dime. There, I made the money to support my career (thousands of dollars invested into instruments, touring, making albums, and even paying my bands that I worked with over the years).
In short - I would have to say that my music career would still exist today without college, but it wouldn't even be close to the same level of success I've appreciated thanks to the RC's education and inspiration. And this is important to note, because its the truth - college is a LEARNING place, it doesn't guarantee you a job or gigs or record deals. People have to make those things happen on their own. But the RC truly did prepare me to be at the very top of my field. Crucial elements of my career (my songwriting, live shows, musical expression, and creativity in general) are directly affected by my education at the RC and because of this I will always be grateful and help them in whatever way I can to continue their excellent tradition and encouraging creativity, diversity, and learning.
Truth.
-Drew De Four
2006 RC graduate and professional musician