Applying as a musician....need input

[GuitarFreak]

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Hey guys

So here's the deal. I'm a musician and sound engineer and have been for about 8 years now. I was fairly mainstream in Pakistan as I've received radio play and worked with numerous bands back there, before I moved to the US. After moving here (5 years ago) I continued to do music performing all over New England. I was offered a record deal with a major label last year but I refused it because my interest in medicine weighed more. I have been continuing to do music and have a single set to be released on iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody etc in mid June.

Obviously getting to this point took a lot of discipline and determination but my question is, how much should I highlight that in my apps? I have talked to a bunch of people about this and everyone seems to have a variety of opinions. Should I mention the record deal thing in the apps or is that something to discuss in the interview? What about the release of the song on iTunes etc?

My concern is that A) if I highlight it enough, they can always be like "why dont you just do music instead?" and B) a medical student who advised me not to mention the song in the app said that they might look up the song to judge me ... in terms of judging an applicant thru superficial means like facebook etc.

What is the correct amount of detail I should include in the AMCAS application?

Thanks in advance !! 🙂🙂

 

[Stratego]

I'm sure opinions will vary, but I think your background is interesting and unique. It seems to me that having a song released gives you something to list under "Publications" or possibly under "Other." Of course if the lyrics are promoting sexual license or drug use, it might not reflect well on you, so if that's the case, I wouldn't bring it up.

 

[GuitarFreak]

Oh no .. not at all .. its an R&B ballad ... haha

What about the whole record deal business?

 

[tkim]

Oh no .. not at all .. its an R&B ballad ... haha

What about the whole record deal business?

Do you think that that would impress an adcom?

It would be more impressive if you actually cut a record deal, became well known and then quit to go into medicine.

I would indicate that you are a professional musician, but mentioning a record deal that you turned down in order to go into medicine sounds like grandstanding. If it comes out during interview, fine.

 

[GuitarFreak]

Thanks for the replies guys ... really appreciate it! 🙂

Anyone else have any other opinions?

 

[Mobius1985]

How could they judge you negatively from a song with socially-acceptable lyrics? If it was poor quality music, it wouldn't be getting released.

I guess I don't know enough to understand why you wouldn't accept a record deal if it would make money. Is there an implication that you've be contractually expected to do more work for that label? Is there more song-writing or singing involved than you already did? If not, then refusing it seems like refusing to cash in a winning lottery ticket.

 

[GuitarFreak]

Hey Mobius ... It was extremely lucrative but the opportunity came around the April of last year. They basically were not going to give me the time to finish up my degree and wanted me to relocate to New York by August. That was the primary reason.
But there were a number of other reasons like my parents' mindset about the whole thing. They'd left a very comfortable life back home to come here so I could continue my studies and go into the field of medicine (like my father).
Another contributing factor was creative freedom. I had talked to another musician who told me that initially big record labels do not give you much creative freedom and you sort of have to do exactly what they tell you to do.

 

[Mobius1985]

It might be beter to leave out the contract offer so you don't have to explain all this other stuff. It's impressive enough that you got a song released. It sounds like you made the right choice.

 

[GuitarFreak]

Alright. So I'm gonna mention the release of the song but record deal. Thanks so much !!

 

[Stratego]

Yeah, that's what I'd do too.

 

[radxbandit]

Alright. So I'm gonna mention the release of the song but record deal. Thanks so much !!

dude, i have to go the other way on this. i play in a group that, for a while, was trying to get a record deal. that is a huge accomplishment, and you should be extremely proud of that, because 99.99% of musicians can only dream of that happening. don't for a second hesitate about whether or not you should brag about that, regardless of the fact that you turned it down. i don't see that decision as arrogant or mistaken, but rather it shows that you know what you want and you are not willing to compromise what is most important to you. the only mistake would be not to discuss it, as it is a worthwhile topic.

you are in the perfect context to explain why you turned it down, and you should do so in detail. imagine you were more certain you wanted to do music, while also pursuing medicine, and ended up getting an acceptance offer at a medical school. could you live with yourself knowing that you chose a career that prevented you from pursuing your greater passion (in this scenario, professional musician)? now flip this, and it is exactly what you went through when you received a record deal offer, but instead chose to pursue medicine. a major record deal is not a short-term pursuit, it is equally binding, financially, and it surely tests where your true commitment lies. it takes a lot of personal integrity to turn down such a tempting offer, and you could emphasize that it really tested, and helped you reaffirm, your commitment to pursuing medicine. i think your decision is very commendable and shows a lot of self-respect, and i think any medical school would feel the same.

ps i'm interested in hearing your music, do you have any links that i can visit?