--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Being a classical musician, you can go to…" description: "\"Being a classical musician, you can go to school for it; you can go get a degree. Even as a composer, there is a certain career path you can follow, bu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/387/bryce-dessner-9086_career_being-a-classical-musician-you-can-go-to_1423256.png" --- # Being a classical musician, you can go to school for it… ![“Being a classical musician, you can go to school for it; you can go get a degree. Even as a composer, there is a certain career path you can follow, but becoming a rock musician is a much more elusive career. How do you learn that or do that?” quote by Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/387/bryce-dessner-9086_career_being-a-classical-musician-you-can-go-to_1423256.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/387/bryce-dessner-9086_career_being-a-classical-musician-you-can-go-to_1423256.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/387/bryce-dessner-9086_career_being-a-classical-musician-you-can-go-to_1423256.png) > “Being a classical musician, you can go to school for it; you can go get a degree. Even as a composer, there is a certain career path you can follow, but becoming a rock musician is a much more elusive career. How do you learn that or do that?” [Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Classical music offers formal education and clear routes, while rock relies on informal learning, networking, and experience. **In simple terms:** Classical music is structured; rock is informal and network‑driven. Key Takeaway Cultivate skills, build relationships, and stay adaptable. Themes career development music education networking creativity industry dynamics Mood determined hopeful realistic Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - joining a band - self‑producing music - securing gigs - collaborating with producers - building an online presence Key Concepts formal training informal learning skill acquisition social capital Questions to Reflect On - What steps can you take to gain practical experience in rock music? - How can you balance formal training with creative experimentation? A Different Perspective Rock careers lack standardized curricula, making progress harder to measure and plan. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career/) [Career path](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career-path/) [Classical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/classical/) [Classical music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/classical-music/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Path](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/path/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) ## Related quotes > [Strangely enough, through all those school years I decided at 13 or 14 I was going to be a musician and so school was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-lee/strangely-enough-through-all-those-school-years-i-decided-at-13-or-14/) [Alvin Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-lee/) > [For a composer of concert music, 40 is actually very young. But for a rock musician, 40 is almost past due, where you think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dessner/for-a-composer-of-concert-music-40-is-actually-very-young-but-for-a/) [Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) > [I wasn't a jazz player, but a classical musician, and I improvised arrangements of popular songs using classical motifs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/i-wasn-t-a-jazz-player-but-a-classical-musician-and-i-improvised/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [Despite being a classical musician, I keep poking my nose in other genres of music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shankar-mahadevan/despite-being-a-classical-musician-i-keep-poking-my-nose-in-other/) [Shankar Mahadevan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shankar-mahadevan/) > [A lot of people ask how I ended up doing classical music given that I'm in a rock band. The truth is that it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dessner/a-lot-of-people-ask-how-i-ended-up-doing-classical-music-given-that-i/) [Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) > [I liked rock music going back to the '60s, but I never ever had any desire to be a rock musician and when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-branca/i-liked-rock-music-going-back-to-the-60s-but-i-never-ever-had-any/) [Glenn Branca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-branca/) > [Growing up, I fantasized about being a rock musician and that somehow it would be really easy. I didn't realize that it's so much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-lennon/growing-up-i-fantasized-about-being-a-rock-musician-and-that-somehow/) [Sean Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-lennon/) > [A rock musician's career is short-lived. To extend it, you need to do other things to keep yourself fresh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cave/a-rock-musician-s-career-is-short-lived-to-extend-it-you-need-to-do/) [Nick Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cave/) > [I have always felt I was more accurately a Hard Rock musician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geddy-lee/i-have-always-felt-i-was-more-accurately-a-hard-rock-musician/) [Geddy Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geddy-lee/) > [That's the gamble that you make when you decide to become a rock musician. It's totally unpredictable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-joe-armstrong/that-s-the-gamble-that-you-make-when-you-decide-to-become-a-rock/) [Billie Joe Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-joe-armstrong/) > [I don't have any desire to do something that sounds explicitly rock. Like, I don't have a burning need to be a rock musician.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-gordon/i-don-t-have-any-desire-to-do-something-that-sounds-explicitly-rock/) [Kim Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-gordon/) > [Being a rock musician is already like ego-tripping hardcore. You're self-consumed, and you're always thinking. It's really easy to say, "I'm going to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-adams/being-a-rock-musician-is-already-like-ego-tripping-hardcore-you-re/) [Ryan Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-adams/) > [I'd become a corporate rock musician. I worked for 'Chris Rea.' He felt like another person. I even talked about him in the third…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rea/i-d-become-a-corporate-rock-musician-i-worked-for-chris-rea-he-felt/) [Chris Rea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rea/) > [At the end of the day, what are genres? I've spent my whole life trying to fit into some sort of box. Am I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laufey/at-the-end-of-the-day-what-are-genres-i-ve-spent-my-whole-life-trying/) [Laufey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laufey/) > [I love it that my father is such a classical musician and such a traditionalist, and at the same time has had a wild…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anoushka-shankar/i-love-it-that-my-father-is-such-a-classical-musician-and-such-a/) [Anoushka Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anoushka-shankar/) ## More by Bryce Dessner > [Obviously there are pieces of classical music that are some of the most beautiful music ever written, for me anyway is a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dessner/obviously-there-are-pieces-of-classical-music-that-are-some-of-the/) [Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) > [You don't come to our shows if you want to look cool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dessner/you-don-t-come-to-our-shows-if-you-want-to-look-cool/) [Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) > [Typically, people think, 'Oh the hippies and the punks hated each other,' or that those things don't go together musically. Sometimes that is true,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dessner/typically-people-think-oh-the-hippies-and-the-punks-hated-each-other/) [Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) > [Art is a way of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dessner/art-is-a-way-of-life/) [Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) > [When I'm writing instrumental music, I try to find musical and non-musical inspirations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dessner/when-i-m-writing-instrumental-music-i-try-to-find-musical-and-non/) [Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) > [With 'Boxer,' we made the kind of music we wanted to make and didn't really worry about what the expectation was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dessner/with-boxer-we-made-the-kind-of-music-we-wanted-to-make-and-didn-t/) [Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) > [I like to write on tour busses and airplanes. Something about moving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dessner/i-like-to-write-on-tour-busses-and-airplanes-something-about-moving/) [Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) > [In terms of the music, it feels almost like trouble's a good thing - you never know when a song is going to surprise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dessner/in-terms-of-the-music-it-feels-almost-like-trouble-s-a-good-thing-you/) [Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) > [When we learned to play in bands, what we were covering was equal part the Velvet Underground and the Grateful Dead. That would defy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dessner/when-we-learned-to-play-in-bands-what-we-were-covering-was-equal-part/) [Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) > [I love the physicality of instruments, and instruments as objects, like dancers are bodies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dessner/i-love-the-physicality-of-instruments-and-instruments-as-objects-like/) [Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) > [Me, who's educated classically, I went toward rock music 'cause it was sort of a natural evolution from where I was playing with my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dessner/me-who-s-educated-classically-i-went-toward-rock-music-cause-it-was/) [Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) > [My background in music is classical - I did graduate school in music. At that time, I was studying composition, but I was studying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dessner/my-background-in-music-is-classical-i-did-graduate-school-in-music-at/) [Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) > [I've got this diverse education, growing up in classical music and existing between that and music that is more visceral, so for sure, I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dessner/i-ve-got-this-diverse-education-growing-up-in-classical-music-and/) [Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) > [A good song is a nice set of chords and some good lyrics; a great song is a song that reinvents itself over time.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dessner/a-good-song-is-a-nice-set-of-chords-and-some-good-lyrics-a-great-song/) [Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) > [The thing I realised about composition is, we remember most composers for four bars of music. Four singable bars of music. Pretty much any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dessner/the-thing-i-realised-about-composition-is-we-remember-most-composers/) [Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) [Explore all 75 Bryce Dessner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) ## More Career quotes > [“Don’t allow anyone to pressure you into taking a job in a field that doesn’t feel right in your gut. You are the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-james/don-t-allow-anyone-to-pressure-you-into-taking-a-job-in-a-field-that/) Alison James > [In every province, the chief occupations, in order of importance, are lovemaking, malicious gossip, and talking nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/in-every-province-the-chief-occupations-in-order-of-importance-are/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [One needs more than ambition and talent to make a success of anything, really. There must be love and a vocation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessye-norman/one-needs-more-than-ambition-and-talent-to-make-a-success-of-anything/) [Jessye Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessye-norman/) > [There are so many things you can do with your life, you can go to school and study toward your career, you can become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simphiwe-scientist-dumi/there-are-so-many-things-you-can-do-with-your-life-you-can-go-to/) [Simphiwe Scientist Dumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simphiwe-scientist-dumi/) > [I always knew I wanted to have a good career, so I made it happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chord-overstreet/i-always-knew-i-wanted-to-have-a-good-career-so-i-made-it-happen/) [Chord Overstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chord-overstreet/) > [I am a very big fan of Brian Eno, of his work as an artist and making his music, and as a producer. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/i-am-a-very-big-fan-of-brian-eno-of-his-work-as-an-artist-and-making/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [If I can beat a proven champion like Canelo, that will take my career to a different level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennady-golovkin/if-i-can-beat-a-proven-champion-like-canelo-that-will-take-my-career/) [Gennady Golovkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennady-golovkin/) > [My non-career. My excuse for a career? Honestly, I never think about the word 'career.' I've had managers, the minute they say it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-verlaine/my-non-career-my-excuse-for-a-career-honestly-i-never-think-about-the/) [Tom Verlaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-verlaine/) > [“The vocation of a man lies in his vision.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/the-vocation-of-a-man-lies-in-his-vision/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [I started off as a model maker, so the first part of my career was a model maker and then a motion control camera…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/i-started-off-as-a-model-maker-so-the-first-part-of-my-career-was-a/) [John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) > [Growing up I did commercials and things like that, but nothing serious. As I got older, my family is really hardcore into academics. 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