Time was when if you wanted a successful career in the music business, you had to make things up as you went along - sort of. And even then it wasn't so much a case of what you knew, but who you knew.
And that held true whether you were Bach, Beethoven or the Beatles.
Times change, though and the most recent example of those changes is Manchester College teaming up with registered charity Inner City Music's Band On The Wall (BOTW) in the city centre's Northern Quarter.
BOTW and Manchester College will be offering courses in music management, sound engineering and - for those who've always dreamed of being in the spotlight - performance.
Those courses are going to be a mix of lectures, workshops and actual concerts, and it's all kicking off this September.
And it's not just learning the how behind it all - these are foundation degree and diploma courses, designed to fast-track participants into viable music careers.
BOTW's Chief Executive Officer Gavin Sharp says partnering with Manchester College would "nurture today the stars and music industry professionals of tomorrow".
Tim Burgess of the Charlatans says he "would have given my right arm for this when I was setting out", adding that the courses would help "continue Manchester's great tradition of producing many of the UK's finest artists".
And we say that if BOTW and Manchester College had partnered up when we needed them, back in the days of our quest for musical superstardom (while meeting some very interesting people on the way) then the entire UK music scene might well be completely different today.
But then again, listening to the demos we’d made up as we went along … maybe not.
Courses start in September. Book now to avoid disappointment.
