BY: AL GENTILE
“It sounds cliche, and it wasn’t super comforting, but as the process goes on, you really do end up where you’re supposed to end up.”
A Winding, Less Conventional Musical Journey
There are students whose musical journey is anything but typical. Some of these students come to the music school application process with particular challenges like being an “outsider” in the musical world, or not growing up with an academic background. While this may seem insurmountable to some, one student found his success through a process of self-discovery, to find the path less traveled.
Mario Williams, pursuing a music business major with a concentration in Commercial Songwriting, learned much on his musical journey. From the sports arena to the marketing department at Severance Records, even he says his path is not so straightforward.
From an early age, Williams found a love of music through the sport of hockey. His father worked for the Pittsburgh Penguins which provided a rich childhood of concerts and hype music, and an early fascination with performance.
“I’d always been around music my entire life in kind of an unorthodox way,” Williams said. Furthermore, an early love of musical theater afforded him a well-rounded background in performance and practice. But that would start to change.
“It slowly morphed into playing piano, then writing my own songs. It slowly started going from a love of performing to a love of making music and actually learning about music,” Williams said. “As I got older I just started to grow away from theater, and really dove into songwriting, especially right before COVID.”
Music School Consulting to Help Come to Terms
When he and his family began the college search for the right music program, they didn’t know where, or how, to start. While some students come from families with deep musical and academic backgrounds, Williams struggled with these limitations – he knew he needed help, and that help came in the form of a word from a family friend.
“They told me they knew of these guys who run a consulting agency helping kids do exactly what I was looking to do,” Williams said. When he first contacted Inside Music Schools, he knew from the first phone call he would be pointed in the right direction.
“It seems it wasn’t just a business transaction, it really was very personal and it was very genuine,” Williams said. “That’s when I was like, ‘for sure, I’m totally in on this.’”
From there, William’s songwriting major journey took off. With a portfolio review, he was able to develop material that expressed how he saw himself in the musical world. With new connections to practicing music school faculty he would perform mock auditions; that aspect of the music school application process, guided by experts at Inside Music Schools, helped him face one of his biggest insecurities.
“Studying music is scary. It’s like you’re being put on review,” Williams said. “That was a big thing they helped me with.”
From there, IMS founder Steve Lipman and staff went through a process of identifying what Williams found were quite individualized needs. A process of self-discovery and personal development gave him clarity on his more nuanced needs for artistic and professional achievement. This meant looking outside the box at songwriting programs that weren’t necessarily at the most competitive music schools. Williams knew he needed help to find the music school that would suit his particular needs.
“I was very nervous that I was going to hate where I ended up going,” Williams said. “Through talking with IMS and Steve, and starting to understand what your preferences are, you will find that fit.”
A Focus on Songwriting at Middle Tennessee State University
And where is Williams today? His journey took him to Middle Tennessee State University pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Music Business with a Concentration in Commercial Songwriting. His summer internship at Severance Records also turned into a part-time job in their marketing department, a great stepping stone for him professionally and artistically.
“They decided to keep me on part-time for the school year,” Williams said. “It was a really cool way to get connected with a lot of people.”
With all this going on, Williams still finds time to work on his own art — as a songwriter in his own right, he is looking forward to independently releasing his first song this November 2024. Throughout this crazy musical journey, Williams knew he needed expert guidance to meet his goals. That guidance came in the form of collaborating with an organization from the music school world that enabled him to uncover his interests as well as direct and elevate his artistic and professional life.
“It’s about trusting them, and trusting the process,” Williams said. “It sounds cliche, and it wasn’t super comforting, but as the process goes on, you really do end up where you’re supposed to end up.”
Al Gentile
Al has crafted prose on music big and small for nearly 10 years, as well as in the spheres of music education, advertising and in the newsroom. He’s also a lifelong guitar player and songwriter, performing with several bands throughout the Boston area for the past 20 years. In his off time, Al is dedicated to his record collection and his growing plant family.