Scott Henderson Discussion

[Kasym]

Hello!
At first, I would to thank you for your advice that you gave me about jazz environment, transcribing.
I Overcame my limiting belief, and it really helps, I have even more energy and motivation to practice) I had struggled a lot and had been in frustrations to find right ways to practice. but now I feel that i`m in a right way. So this year was the most benefitial for me, and it keeps improving


My question is about MI

Is it real for me to become a student In MI? and have scholarships?
Bare with me pls

I`m from Kyrgyzstan. I`m 20 years old. I study at the local conservatory. I`m finishing the 3rd year. We don`t have any jazz studies. Our musical community is too little, we have just several jazz musicians. Also` I`m the only guitarist who has a goal to become proffesional jazz musician.

I want to be in a place where I can find the greatest musicians giving their gigs, in a place where i can find a lot of peers who interested in jazz, and I want to be challanged,( something wrong with being the best in your home , Just because you are the only)

Our country has very low econmics, which makes me unable to pay for education in US ,I can find money that will make my life very good in my home, but certainly not in US

and even if would be accepted in an University in US, the student visa will not allow me to work there.( I`m willing to work at any crappy jobs , for the opportunities it would open)

But anyway, I`m searching for scholarships that will make studiying in US possible for me.


Here are examples of my playing, if you would want to see for some reason
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT5TFXdm-Kw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLyxR1h-BbU

P.S I Decided to leave the videos with all the imperfections in my playing that i have. it was the first take, so it will show my level as honest as possible. ( after seeing thar i wanted to rerecord the videos, I practiced hard for a week, playing with metronome on2 and 4, than just to 4, improvsing on tracks, finding new ways to play over chord changes, transcrabing....but when i recorded, I found that everithing became much worse, my rhytm was ruined, lines were absoulotuely nonsense, and I had a lot of tention in my playng)that exeperience also taught me a lot)

Obviously my level of playing would be nothing in US.
and it is probably not worth these 70 000$ that they charge in Universities.
but i`m trying because i want to learn, if i would be a world class musician, there would be no reason to study in Universities.

[Scott Henderson]

Although I think moving to the US would help because you'd be surrounded by many great jazz musicians, MI isn't really a jazz school and you'd be one of the better jazz students there. You would benefit more (and save a lot of money) by getting a good private teacher - many great jazz musicians teach privately, and they don't charge 70,000 a year! This way you could play gigs with your work visa and study jazz without relying on a scholarship, which is very difficult to get.

[Kasym]

Thank you for your advice) i would defenitely try it)
but there is a problem with getting work visas, and even tourist visas)
someone form US should invite me work, than I can get a work visa( In US there are lot`s of great musicians, and nobody is going to invite someone from Kyrgyzstan)
and it is unreal to get a tourist visa, they don,t give it to 20 y.old students. they give only to mature people who has very good social connections with their country, they afraid that a student or young people will never come back and stay there illegaly)
that means that i can`t even save money and go to US for a week just to see concerts of the gtreatests).

So, applaying to any University and getting a scholarship would be one of the easiest way to at least to be in US.

I don`t even know what to do now)

Maybe, i just need to look at my situation from another perspective

[Scott Henderson]

I'm sorry, I meant to say artist visa, not work visa. I'm not an expert on visas, but I know people here in their 20's who got an artist visa to stay in the US for 2 or 3 years. They're from Brazil, Turkey, and Japan.

Of course a scholarship would be the best way. I've only known one student who got a full scholarship, and it was to Juilliard. Maybe you should start applying to schools and see what happens.

[Kasym]

Okay) thank you for advice))

yeah, to get an Artist visa I have to become an outstanding musician at least in my country)...and I`m 100% responsible for that)...

so, will try to apply to universities and see what happens)...if nothing, I will try get the artist visa



Thank you very much for your response!! I really appreciate it!
Thank you for spending time on it! nothing feels better when someone you admire respondse to you!

[Kasym]

I wanted to do an Update,
I'm currently in U.S. Louisville KY. I graduated music school here last year. they gave me full ride scholarship, so I had to come here.

I ended up gigging a lot in the area. As well as touring whole U.S with a funk band.
that was an amazing Journey.
now I`m finally getting ready to get the artist visa.

https://youtu.be/WniybhhYCH0

https://youtube.com/shorts/ssGqORphNtQ?feature=share



I have hoped to see your live concerts here, but it seems you don`t travel U.S much .It feels like I had more chance to see you in Kazakhstan. Crazy! (but I don`t blame you, I experienced very low pay with touring U.S myself, I had to leave)

P.S people here in U.S always complement my tone. I always tell them I was influenced by Scott Henderson. ( I have Xotic v2 RC booster, and that SH-9 pedal)
In Louisville, I play with a bass player Patrice Jones, he said he studied with you and Jeff Berlin at MI, and used to see you every day. He also says his uncle is Elvin Jones.
https://youtu.be/d2NLcy0pv_o?si=O67tErAK0Tn2Dqfk
what a small world........

[Scott Henderson]

Hi Kasym,

Thanks for the update and I'm glad you made it to the US and are playing gigs! Congratulations on the scholarship too!

I'm sure you learned a lot more about music by playing every night than you learned in school, but it's nice to have both environments too learn from. I left college after one year to tour with a funk band, and it was the right decision. I kept up my studies with private lessons, and I was lucky to have some great teachers, but the experience of playing almost every night for years in a row was priceless.

All the best! Scott

[Kasym]

[Scott Henderson]

I don't feel like I'm qualified to answer your question about NY - I've never lived there and don't know the scene. I'm sure there are opportunities to play gigs there, even if you're not a "world class" player, but I don't know how much the gigs pay compared to living expenses. The east coast is more expensive than the west coast in general.

About school, unless it's free, I don't think it's your best choice, since there are plenty of great musicians to study with privately, for much less money. We can do a lesson after I get back from touring, and I would also suggest getting some lessons from keyboard players and horn players, not just guitarists.

All the best!

[Kasym]