Rafael Bittencourt has a degree in Composition and Conducting, but sees a complicated situation in higher education courses in this area in the country
Not all professional musicians, popular or not, have academic training in music. According to the Guia da Carreira website, there are 108 colleges certified by the Ministry of Education (MEC) that offer higher education throughout Brazil. Still, many people who want to continue in the field do not consider the possibility of graduating.
In the view of Rafael Bittencourt, there is a reason for that. The Angra guitarist, who has a degree in Composition and Conducting from Faculdade de Artes Santa Marcelina, believes that music colleges in Brazil have a big problem: they don’t teach how to make money.
The reflection was made during an interview with the podcast Venus (via Whiplash). In the view of Bittencourtnational institutions should “offer professional courses” to cover different demands.
“I started to like music college, but it had its problems. I think that in Brazil the music university needs to open its range to offer professional courses. It’s nothing like that. For example, if the guy wants to score a film, there’s nothing specific for that in there.”
Still according Rafaelthose responsible for higher education courses in the area in the country “hate” those who make money from their own compositions.
“In the composition course it’s not like that. It is complicated. It’s a course very much focused on academic composition, not on making money from it. They hate it! Imagine making money with composition? Not that!”
Rafael Bittencourt and profitability in music
When you finish your thought, Rafael Bittencourt reinforced his criticism of the positioning of music colleges in Brazil. The Angra musician highlighted that, often, academics only value those who have never been successful — as if this were proof of the quality of their work.
“The poorer the artist is, the more noble he is. Like: ‘look at my song that’s never been played, but I spent years coming up with a theory that I endorse’. Dude, I didn’t want to starve! I wanted my music to be heard.”
Concern with compositions
In another interview, from 2021, with Brazilian Association of Music and Arts (Abramus), Rafael Bittencourt He told us a little more about his career as an artist trained in Composition and Conducting. The guitarist made it clear that he had always wanted to make his compositions the guide of his career in the area.
“I also had the great opportunity to study outside Brazil, I studied guitar in the United States. When I came back I went to music college – I have a degree in Composition and Conducting – and my main path within music is composition. For me it was always very clear that I wanted to know how to compose a good song. In composition you don’t need such sophisticated techniques, but you need to have a feeling. I’ve always tried to compose songs, that is, music with lyrics for a band (rock band). This ‘want’ was always very clear in my head, so all the information, experience, learning in general, I converted to this need. That’s why it’s so important to be clear about what aspiring guitar players really want for their career, to know how to filter what really matters to them.”
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
