These days, school and heavy metal are mixing in a variety of ways. Many musicians in our local Alberta bands are also pursuing a post secondary education, but getting a university degree or a college diploma is not an easy task in first place. Throw in the commitments of a band, and your workload seems to increase exponentially. Certain considerations will come up, such as choosing between your band and school. If that opportunity to tour say, Europe, comes up in the middle of a semester do you drop all your classes to go with the band? Or do you essentially let your band mates down by refusing to go. Sometimes, even just a single show down the street from your jam pad can be challenge enough.

The ideal time to tour is, of course, during the summer, which makes taking off easier. During December and January, the amount of concerts diminishes, so if a fall or winter tour were to be arranged, there might be some notice. You could take the time off school or another musician could be asked to fill in for the tour. However, if it’s the first big tour for your band, it is probably not going to be something you want to miss. You need to discuss your goals with your band mates. They need to understand how dedicated you are to completing your degree and how committed you are to the band.

While classes are in full swing, the biggest challenge has to be time management. You must find time to jam, to do your homework, practice/write tunes and in some cases find time to work. Student loans, whether through the Government of Alberta or a bank of your choice, may be the only way to cover the ever-rising tuition fees, rent, food and other living expenses. Just remember, if you stop being a student for any reason, you’re going to have to start paying those loans back almost right away.

Working in the summer is always a good way to save up for tuition and the upcoming school year or to put some money towards paying off loans. But the summer is the prime time for touring. Venturing outside of Alberta may mean long driving times between gigs. A Canadian tour may bring in just enough money to cover the actual tour – if you’re lucky. Be careful of this when you’re budgeting.

I joined my first gigging band in my second year of University. I had just switched from Bio-Chem to Physics and was taking a full course load, as well as working part time. I sacrificed sleeping well to be able to do all this, and also learned how to work out physics problems in my head while practicing scales, finger exercises, etc. Finding a way to multitask definitely helps, and I taught myself not take on too much at once. The degree may have taken a bit longer to finish once I decided never to take a full course load again, but it made factoring in music much easier.

It does help to find people with goals similar to yours. Two universities in Alberta have started clubs specifically about metal and for the most part are run by students who are musicians. The University of Alberta has christened theirs the Heavy Metal on Campus Club. We’ve also conducted an interview for this month’s issue with the president of the Headbanger’s Society at the University of Lethbridge that can be found in our Homegrown Hellions section. While the clubs may not be exclusive to students, they are good places to share your love of metal while in school and perhaps discuss the brutality of trying to be a musician and student.

The University of Calgary doesn’t have a home for its metal heads (at least for now) but its music department allowed a class on heavy metal to run in the winter 2009 semester. Brad Mahone and Ralph Maier created a music history and literature class, “The History of Heavy Metal,” open to all majors, and will likely be offering this course again. It’s an awesome class and easy marks if you need an option to fill. If you know your metal, how hard could it be to play name that tune for part of your exam?

If you are ever struggling with the insane amount of things to do and choices, find someone to talk with. If you look, you’re bound to find someone who can share some advice and their experiences, whether they’re musicians who are currently enrolled in classes, or those who have been in the trenches and survived. And if you ever have to decide between your music and school, remember to do what you love and that it is possible to find a way to do both if that is what you really want.