Formal music education - hindrance or help?

[Grub]

Following on from the previous post, I'm wondering about the value of a formal education in non-classical music like you get at Berklee. Sure, some great players have been there or at other music schools but many great rock and jazz players have never had a formal music education. What are your views? does a formal music education stifle creativity and innovation or help it?

[Slow Diver]

I think that if you go to a music school you will sound as a guy who went to a music school. You know...I don't have time to explain what that means. Also I notice that guys with a degree in music are often been kind of treated as "not 4 real" by others, the "street wise", so if you go to music college yo should expect this. But I guess that this really doesn't matter quite a lot since human beings like to divide into all kinds of groups.