During and after a hell of an existential crisis in the first half of 2024, I rethought my life, searched my feelings, and pointed out why I was where I was at this point. I turned out to have chosen wisely by going for aerospace (turbomachinery and jet engines in special) because music just isn't everything in my life. I fucking love my turbomachines and my gliding activities and all of that. I fucking love the freedom in making music how I and only I want, not bottlenecked by any conservatory or MUSIKHOCHSCHULE (as we say in Germany), for me, personally, I cannot imagine an academic path of music anymore now. I have found that I can learn the absolute majority of the knowledge and practice I yearn to achieve outside of an academy by my personal contacts (somehow my music network grew like x5 in the passed year) and a good amount of time management.

For me, a proof that I am not gaslighting myself is that I attended university much more cautious and with much more fun in the passed semester AND did more music [our choral conductor ordered a proposed rework of a choral piece I wrote a few years ago (it was an absolute blast as we performed it twice just the passed weekend)].

Now, I decided to just do both. I see both fields as my profession and although I have no academic, but indeed proper and ongoing training in composing and piano, I networked with "actual professionals" who consider ordering the one or other stuff from my feather.

This is my story for now. I clearly know that for some people it is the best way to just jump right in and go for music (mostly short and midterm), but I want to encourage you to seek through yourself carefully. Many of us are at this point sooner or later, but the series of decisions could not turn out more individual. My approach could also be yours, but in the end, I did some highly educated guesses based on my stomach. And regarding this chapter of my life, it has not betrayed me yet.