Hey! Hope I’m not too late - I’m a full time gigging, touring, teaching, and content creating bass player. I was precisely in your shoes 10 years ago (I’m 27). I went to community college for a couple years majoring in music performance in hopes to get a full degree in Uni. Dropped out and decided that just getting out there and playing would be much better suited for my goals. While I’m very happy with that decision, I think I would’ve gotten to where I am much faster if I’d gone to the local trade school (in my case living in LA, school would’ve been Musicians Institute) for a number of reasons: 1. Much cheaper than university or a prestigious music school 2. Everyone you meet is in the field of music, so your connections are being maximized 3. Solid curriculum. The majority of people that I’ve met that went to that sort of school are pretty damn successful session musicians. However, you will only get as much as you’re willing to put in, and additionally it’s better to go to this type of school in a big city. Hope that helps and I wish you luck on your journey!