Wondering how many (if any) musicians out there have degrees in music. I don't, mainly because I haven't yet learned to play the piano, due to lack of opportunity. Here's hoping there's still hope for me!
I don't have a music degree, but I have taken three or four music theory courses in college. Most of my music theory and performance training has been self-education as well as pointers from older jazz musicians who shared their knowledge with me. I would like to take some more advanced theory courses, but it would probably have to be at the graduate level since I know about as much as a typical senior in college for music composition would know because I have played music (and studied theory simultaneously) for 12 years. I would be interested in advanced harmonizations of exotic modes and scales and even intermediate Serial composing.
You could probably be of a LOT of help to me right about now, as I am wrapping my head around making some bass guitar pickup changes. Of course, being the nerd I am, I have to essentially teach myself the entire gamut of guitar pickup electronics before I feel confident to mess with anything. In my sophomore year in my Physics curriculum in college, I took a one-semester course in Electronics, which actually covered quite a bit, but, still, I wish I knew more. I had a 'trick' for figuring out the voltage and current at "point A" in the circuit because I knew Linear Matrix Algebra (from also being a Math Major), and all you have to do is set the series or parallel arrangement correctly into an "n by m" matrix and solve for the current via Gaussian Elimination. It completely eliminates the drudgery of calculating the amperage and voltage at every resistor, capacitor, inductor, or whatever.
REALLY?? Holy crap. That is awesome. Like I eluded to in my above post, that degree would be of quite much value to me right now! Do you mind if, in the near future, I send you some intermediate-level questions regarding routing for new pickups and wiring the new pickups? It would save me the money of getting a professional luthier to do it for me. The guy I see is amazing but a bit pricey (worth every penny however).
