I get a lot of people that send me questions about MI (musicians institute). So I'm going to try to answer most of the questions I get in this article. Please note that the following text is not speaking for or against MI in anyway. Everything is based on my own experince.

What is MI
MI is a music collage which lies on the hollywood blvd in CA, USA. It has a lot of diffrent apartments like PIT, RIT, KIT etc. I did GIT (guitar institute of technoligy).

The education

 The education of MI is divided in 3 levels. Each level takes 6 months to finish. When you're starting at MI you will be taken a test the see what level you are at the moment when you start GIT.
This are the following subject your studing:
Rythem guitar
Singel String (solo guitar)
Theory
Eartraining
Note reading
LPW ( live playing workshop)
RSW (rythem section workshop)
Privit lesson
And all diffrent kinds of electives.

MI has alot of diffrent electives. Check out their site to see them all.
You probly wonder what LPW and RSW is. They are kind of the same thing but on the lpw you play with other students and on the rsw you play with Teachers. The basic concept is you'll be given a chart every week. Learn the song and go up and play it. You'll be playing with diffrent students everytime a the LPWs. RSW is more like a class prefomance in a class room and LPWs are more like a real live gig with lights, smoke machine etc. The rsw tunes are not eligible but the lpw is. There's a lot od diffrent LPWs. Here's a few of them:
Hardrock
Modernrock
ClassicRock
Blues
Metal
Funk
Counrty
Schroder (jazz standards)
Reaggea
R'n'b
Fusion

I think MI has very well written curriculums. All of them are written by teacher or x teachers at MI.
Another cool thing with the education is the open counselings. Every teacher at MI have open couselnings once or twice a week. At the open counseling you can jam with teachers, ask questions with stuff you are struggeling with or just whatch them play.
You'll also having 1 hour of privit lesson each week. It's really hard to get the more famous guys as you privat teacher.


The teachers
Almost all of the teachers is old stundents of MI. But there are really good. They really know what they are doing. Some of the theacher at GIT is Scott henderson(mainly doinf open counseling), Dan Gilbert (singel string, rythem guitar, Fusion guitar...), Carl verheyen (open counseling, advance guitar styles), Ross bolton (funk guitar), Bruce Buckingham ( singel string, rythem guitar, chord melody, barsilian guitar) Bill Leflaur (singel string, rythem guitar, theory, eartraining) among others.

Clinics and conserts
Every know and then there's a clinic or a conser at MI. Thay are really awesome. The clinics and the consert gets more personal than the gigs at the clubs and bars. You get chance to see them play literaly in front of your face. One of few guys I seen is Allan holdsworth, Robben Ford, Paul Gilbert, Andy timmons...
Sometimes they also give lesson. I had a privat lesson with Paul gilbert which was kick ass.

The building
Most of MIs stuff are really good. There's a libery where you can watch videos, surf on the internet, listen to CDs. There's also a few practise rooms and reahersal rooms. There is a big consert/ preforming stage called p-100 on the first floor. It's has a really good PA, lights and kamera stuff. But the guitar amps sucks. Almost everything PA stuff is carvin but the guitar amps are fender. They sucks. All of MIs guitar amps are fender. A lot of them doesn't work from time to time due to the amount of abuse and time there are played by students.

 

Is it expensive?
Yes, it's expensive but not more then other colloge in americe. And the apartments in LA costs a shit load of money. And some of the apartments are shit. I live really close the the school and that the only good with that place. Sometimes it gets loud during night because of drunk idiots.

The Students
Most of the students has been playing far a while before the starts at GIT. I think most people think that everystudents at GIT kick ass. That's wring. Why would you go to GIT if you already kicks ass? But remember, a year or a year and a half is pretty short time. You're noting going to go from noting and end up like steve vai when you finish GIT. You going to have a shit load of knowledge of the guitar and theory and you're going to know what you need to work on the become a great musician.
It think MI as way to many GIT students. The LPW gets full fast as hell and the reregistration is a pain in the ass due to the amount of stundets. At the moment I belive there is something like 300-400 guitar stundents compaired to 200 drumers and maybe 80 basplayer.

It's it worth the money?
That is kind of a hard question to answer. Now i think it's totally worth it at the time. You learn a lot and you get so inspired of all the great guitar players the comes to GIT. But It's a lot of money and it's going to take some time to pay it back. But you have to spend money to make money. I think the nummber one reson why people doesn't go to MI is because of the money.
One think that suprised me among the students was that there are a lot of students that do not want to work with music for living after mi. I called that a waste of money. Sure you'll have a good time at MI but it's just to expensive to just pay that amount just to have a good time.

I hope that answer some of your questions of MI. Please go to MIs webpage to know more. WWW.mi.edu