Should I take my keyboard to uni?

[MyOwnWay]

Hi there. I play both the violin and the keyboard - have played the violin in various groups for years, but I've never played the keyboard as part of a group before, and I thought uni might be a good time to start. There'll be lots of new people there, and hopefully quite a few musicians! This is my situation:

 

- Started playing the keyboard 6 years ago, having started playing the violin 4 years previously. Had a few lessons, but since then have been self-taught.

- Play both by ear and from sheet music. I'm pretty sure I know most of the basic chords, but I've still got a lot to learn!

- Still own the Yamaha PSR-280 that I started learning on, but for the past few months it's been wired up to FL Studio on my dad's computer, which I'm slowly becoming familiar with. However, I'm not sure if FL Studio would be able to come to uni with me, as I don't know if it'd be able to transfer from dad's computer to my computer when I get it.

 

So, bearing all this in mind, do you reckon it'd be worth taking my keyboard to uni, or should I just take my violin? Would I be in with a chance of joining some sort of group with my keyboard skills?

 

Any advice appreciated. Thanks!

[ITGITC]

MyOwnWay, welcome to The Keyboard Corner.

 

By uni, I'm assuming you mean university.

 

How far away is the university? How long will it be before your first visit home?

 

If I were you, I would bring nothing but the bare essentials with you. It's most important to get acclimated to your new surroundings and get locked in with good study habits, since that's why you're there.

 

If you come home for a break after a few months, you'll know if you should return with your violin, your keyboard, or both.

 

True story:

 

My first year in college I knew no one. My roomate turned out to be one of the biggest cocaine dealers on campus. Nice guy, but a big druggy.

 

I had worked all summer and recently purchased a brand new stereo system that I had carried with me to school. Needless to say, I got pretty nervous that someone was going to see it and rip me off. So the first chance I got, I went home and purchased a cabinet that would hold the stereo system. I even put a huge lock on the front of it so I could secure it when I wasn't around.

 

Sure, that sounds really paranoid, and my roommate wasn't happy about it... But, my stereo system never got stolen.

 

I later purchased a Fender Rhodes and kept that in the dorm. But I had to keep it locked up in a storage room since there really was no space for me to keep it set up.

 

Dorm rooms are pretty small and you never know who is going to get into your stuff when you're not there. I don't know how much money you've invested in your violin and your keyboard, but you may want to give it some thought before you run the risk of getting them ripped off at the university.

 

Good luck.

 

Tom

[MyOwnWay]

Thanks for the welcome!

 

You assume right, I do mean university. I'll be going there in September.

 

It's actually pretty close - about an hour away by train - so it wouldn't be hard for me to come back home. And seeing as my birthday will be a few weeks after I leave, I'll hopefully be able to go home at the weekend for that.

 

That's good advice, thanks. I'd be a bit worried about getting out of practice if I don't play either instrument for a while, but I have been away from them both for a month before and not had a problem picking them up again, so I should be ok.

 

Good idea about your stereo, and that's great it never got stolen! Unfortunately I haven't had a chance to see the accommmodation I applied for, but I'm pretty sure it's single rooms...even so, I don't know how secure they'll be. If I take my violin, I'll probably have to do something like that as well, as I'd hate for it to get stolen - I love it. (I could take my old, cheap one, though...might be an idea, actually.) I can't remember how much my keyboard cost, but it's pretty old, and also pretty basic, so I'm not sure if people would be interested in stealing it!

 

But anyway, I will give it some thought. Thanks again for your help.

[Joe Muscara]

Unfortunately, sometimes there are people in dorms who will steal anything. They think it's funny, esp. if they are drunk. There's also the risk of your stuff getting damaged by said clowns or drunks.

 

That said, my roommate in college was really cool, we're still good friends and keep in touch (he's in San Diego and I'm in Texas), and I had no qualms about having my stuff there.

 

Here's another thought, maybe there's a music department at uni where they have pianos or keyboards you can use. My school had tiny little practice rooms, but the pianos were all beat up and out of tune. I'm sure the students who were in the department had access to better treated instruments, but for characters like me, not so much. Maybe you'll have better luck than I did with that.

[MyOwnWay]

Good point, hadn't thought of that. That's great you had no problems leaving stuff in your room yourself, though!

 

Good idea, thanks! I won't be in the department either, but it's worth a try.

[Bobadohshe]

MyOwnWay, where in Scotland do you live, and where are you going to uni?? I used to live in Edinburgh, now I live in L.A..

 

Here's my two cents (or 2p).I think you should take your keyboard with you. I spent many hours growing as a musician my first year at Uni, and if I hadn't had my keyboard with me throughout my 4 years at UCSD, I wouldn't have chosen the path in life that I did: keyboardist, instead of structural engineer.

 

What kind of keyboard do you have? If it's just a 61 key portable I don't think it will get stolen because it's probably only worth a hundred quid, if that.

[MyOwnWay]

I'd rather not say which uni I'm going to, but at the moment I live in Perthshire. Good to see another Scot (or ex-Scot)!

 

Thanks for your two cents (or 2p). I doubt I'll ever have a career in music, really - I've wanted to be an engineer since I was about 13 or 14, and I don't plan on changing my mind. But I would like to play the keyboard as part of a group, just to see what it's like. I love playing in orchestras and ceilidh bands with my violin!

 

I have a Yamaha PSR-280 - not sure how many keys, but it's pretty old, and I don't think it cost very much.

[stepay]

Originally posted by MyOwnWay:

Hi there. I play both the violin and the keyboard - have played the violin in various groups for years, but I've never played the keyboard as part of a group before, and I thought uni might be a good time to start. There'll be lots of new people there, and hopefully quite a few musicians! This is my situation:

 

- Started playing the keyboard 6 years ago, having started playing the violin 4 years previously. Had a few lessons, but since then have been self-taught.

- Play both by ear and from sheet music. I'm pretty sure I know most of the basic chords, but I've still got a lot to learn!

- Still own the Yamaha PSR-280 that I started learning on, but for the past few months it's been wired up to FL Studio on my dad's computer, which I'm slowly becoming familiar with. However, I'm not sure if FL Studio would be able to come to uni with me, as I don't know if it'd be able to transfer from dad's computer to my computer when I get it.

 

So, bearing all this in mind, do you reckon it'd be worth taking my keyboard to uni, or should I just take my violin? Would I be in with a chance of joining some sort of group with my keyboard skills?

 

Any advice appreciated. Thanks!

My advice is NEVER EVER take a keyboard worth anything to a University. I would NEVER take anything like that to a school unless I lived in an apartment by myself, and even then I'd want to know what the crime was like in the area and I'd get renter's insurance. Someone will take your keyboard to piss you off, or because they hate someone who is a keyboard player, or because they want to sell it or super glue it to the side of a building...whatever. My advice is NO WAY do you take it to school. I'm sure there are some here who did without problems, but as far as I'm concerned it's too risky. A big enough percentage of college kids are punks who don't have it together yet that you risk it being stolen or vandalized. I strongly recommend against it.

[MyOwnWay]

Thanks for replying, stepay. As I've said before, I don't think the keyboard is worth that much, but the crime is pretty high in the city I'll be staying in. I'd hate to have to leave my instruments behind, but as Joe Muscara suggested I could always try and find a keyboard in the music department to use, at least.

[GBell1961]

This was decades ago, but my first year I was in a dorm and didn't bring any gear. But I was a music student and ended up having access to some more interesting gear than I currently had.

 

Following years I moved into a house with fellow students. I also switched majors (Computer Science), but ended up bring my toys with me (Rhodes, Organ, MicroMoog). Never had a problem once I was in a house situation.

[MyOwnWay]

Thanks for replying, GBell1961. I'm guessing the keyboards at uni will probably be better than the one I own, but then again seeing as I won't be in the department I might not get to use them! I'll be going to an open day in March, that's something I can ask. That's good you didn't have a problem with your keyboards once you'd moved into the house.

[Bobadohshe]

It's not worth much; many people probably have similar instruments: it won't be stolen. Put it under your bed when you aren't using it.

[keysplease]

Originally posted by MyOwnWay:

I'd rather not say which uni I'm going to

Now that's what I like -- school spirit!

[keysplease]

Originally posted by MyOwnWay:

I'd rather not say which uni I'm going to

Unless it's West Virgina Univ., then I'd understand (kidding...a little)

[Bobadohshe]

You're going to school in Glasgow aren't you.

[MyOwnWay]

Originally posted by Bobadohshe:

It's not worth much; many people probably have similar instruments: it won't be stolen. Put it under your bed when you aren't using it.

That's what I thought - the school I'm at at the moment has very similar keyboards in the music rooms. I still think trying to use a keyboard in the music department would be the best idea, but if that's not possible, then it's good to know it's not too likely to get stolen. Thanks again!

[MyOwnWay]

Originally posted by keysplease:

Originally posted by MyOwnWay:

I'd rather not say which uni I'm going to

Now that's what I like -- school spirit!

Hey! It's not that I'm ashamed - I just don't give out information like that online. (I'm a little paranoid. )

[orangefunk]

From personel experience, when I was an undergraduate I found it was impossible to get access to university instruments unless I was taking a specific music class. In the end I became a PhD student and befriended a few music students and finally got some access.

 

During my UG years I had a Yamaha SY35 in my room triggering sounds in my PC (a lowly AMD 350 MHz back then in 1999)

 

As long as you lock rooms you should have no problem. The only thieves I came across at uni were non student drug addicts from the city centre who would frequently make trips to the uni and open every door, if they found someone in the room they would make some crappy excuse about trying to find x, y and z.

 

Lock your rooms! :-)

[Ducksual]

I was the complete opposite when going to uni. My view was more one of "Right, I'll need my keyboard, my bass, a guitar... ok, what's left... Ah. I might need some clothes, and maybe a pen."

 

I got into musical groups as soon as I got to the university, so it was definitely worth doing.

[orangefunk]

Y'know the problem I had was actually finding musicians who could play properly and who had gear. In 6 years at uni I've found one very good drummer and no good jazz guitarists or bassists...

 

It seems that university music students just seem to like classical music and thats it. I've tried everything, advertising, you name it... I've lost interest myself by now mind you...

[ITGITC]

Originally posted by MyOwnWay:

Hey! It's not that I'm ashamed - I just don't give out information like that online. (I'm a little paranoid. )

As well you should be.

 

You'd be surprised at the images you can find if you Google: Is There Gas in the Car?

 

(Thanks again, Trill.)

[stepay]

Originally posted by MyOwnWay:

Originally posted by Bobadohshe:

It's not worth much; many people probably have similar instruments: it won't be stolen. Put it under your bed when you aren't using it.

That's what I thought - the school I'm at at the moment has very similar keyboards in the music rooms. I still think trying to use a keyboard in the music department would be the best idea, but if that's not possible, then it's good to know it's not too likely to get stolen. Thanks again!

Every university is different. I had total access to all the grand pianos I wanted when I was in school, and I played them frequently. Not sure if you'll have the same luxury or not.

 

I wouldn't be too sure that your keyboard is unlikely to get stolen though. Even though it might not be worth anything, that doesn't mean some schmuck who doesn't know anything might think it is. Also, if your playing annoys the wrong person, it is fair game. College kids turn over cars and set couches on fire. All it would take would be a party that got slightly out of control before someone grabs that keyboard and wonders what it will look like thrown out of a 5-story window. Regardless of how much it is worth, if it is important to you in any way, I would NEVER take it to college. It's DEFINITELY not guaranteed safe.

[MyOwnWay]

Originally posted by orangefunk:

From personel experience, when I was an undergraduate I found it was impossible to get access to university instruments unless I was taking a specific music class. In the end I became a PhD student and befriended a few music students and finally got some access.

 

During my UG years I had a Yamaha SY35 in my room triggering sounds in my PC (a lowly AMD 350 MHz back then in 1999)

 

As long as you lock rooms you should have no problem. The only thieves I came across at uni were non student drug addicts from the city centre who would frequently make trips to the uni and open every door, if they found someone in the room they would make some crappy excuse about trying to find x, y and z.

 

Lock your rooms! :-)

Thanks for replying, orangefunk. Don't worry, I'll definitely be locking my room!

[MyOwnWay]

Originally posted by Ducksual:

I was the complete opposite when going to uni. My view was more one of "Right, I'll need my keyboard, my bass, a guitar... ok, what's left... Ah. I might need some clothes, and maybe a pen."

 

I got into musical groups as soon as I got to the university, so it was definitely worth doing.

Wish I could be like that, but I'm not sure if my parents would like it. For the musical groups, how much experience do they expect you to have? As I said in my first post, I've never played the keyboard as part of a group before.

[MyOwnWay]

Originally posted by Is There Gas in the Car?:

Originally posted by MyOwnWay:

Hey! It's not that I'm ashamed - I just don't give out information like that online. (I'm a little paranoid. )

As well you should be.

 

You'd be surprised at the images you can find if you Google: Is There Gas in the Car?

 

(Thanks again, Trill.)

Thanks for understanding. Some people find it strange I give so little information out about myself, but it's kept me safe online for over 2 years!

[stepay]

Originally posted by MyOwnWay:

Originally posted by Ducksual:

I was the complete opposite when going to uni. My view was more one of "Right, I'll need my keyboard, my bass, a guitar... ok, what's left... Ah. I might need some clothes, and maybe a pen."

 

I got into musical groups as soon as I got to the university, so it was definitely worth doing.

Wish I could be like that, but I'm not sure if my parents would like it. For the musical groups, how much experience do they expect you to have? As I said in my first post, I've never played the keyboard as part of a group before.

There are some really really bad college bands out there, so your lack of experience probably means little. You'll get better playing with a group.

 

Good luck and enjoy college. I had a blast in college.

[MyOwnWay]

Originally posted by stepay:

Originally posted by MyOwnWay:

Originally posted by Bobadohshe:

It's not worth much; many people probably have similar instruments: it won't be stolen. Put it under your bed when you aren't using it.

That's what I thought - the school I'm at at the moment has very similar keyboards in the music rooms. I still think trying to use a keyboard in the music department would be the best idea, but if that's not possible, then it's good to know it's not too likely to get stolen. Thanks again!

Every university is different. I had total access to all the grand pianos I wanted when I was in school, and I played them frequently. Not sure if you'll have the same luxury or not.

 

I wouldn't be too sure that your keyboard is unlikely to get stolen though. Even though it might not be worth anything, that doesn't mean some schmuck who doesn't know anything might think it is. Also, if your playing annoys the wrong person, it is fair game. College kids turn over cars and set couches on fire. All it would take would be a party that got slightly out of control before someone grabs that keyboard and wonders what it will look like thrown out of a 5-story window. Regardless of how much it is worth, if it is important to you in any way, I would NEVER take it to college. It's DEFINITELY not guaranteed safe.

That's true. I'll definitely need to check if I can use the uni's instruments while I'm there, can't believe I didn't think to do that at the last open day!

 

I only ever play my keyboard using headphones, so my playing annoying people shouldn't be a problem. (Although violins don't have headphones...) And the accommodation I applied to is apparantly pretty quiet. You're right that it's not guaranteed safe, though. Maybe I could check with the uni to see what other people in a similar situation have done?

[delirium]

Simple solution:

buy a big, heavy ATA case with strong lock and chain it to the wall.

Install also some motion alarm system and insure the whole thing. 24/7 Monitoring would be nice too.

Cover all with blanket to imitate a bed when it's not used.

good luck

[MyOwnWay]

Thanks for your advice, delirium, but I think that might be a bit over the top! Insurance is a good idea, though.