Opalrebel

Hi everyone this is my first post here and I'm planning on putting it on various music forums because I'm at my wits end here. I don't wanna subject people to my entire life story but I seriously need some help as I'm really suffering in my current situation and some advice from people who know what they are talking about would be my saving grace. I'll preface this with a bit of information about what I need help with and a little something about my situation. First off, I'm a 21 y/o male living in the wrong town in the UK and have failed many things in my life... music courses at 2 colleges and jobs because of depression, a bad friend group, drugs and a seriously messed up family situation. I need help getting out of this as my only interest is music and having some kind of career dedicated to it. Yes we all have to take the steps in life that we don't like to take sometimes to get stable income and survive, I know that but I also believe you should follow whatever dream you have as long as you have the willpower and skill set. I wouldn't be pursuing music if I was unsure of how good I was...

I need a band to play with so I can get the necessary experience in live shows and want to go back to college to find the right band that aren't going to just **** around and not turn up. It's ridiculous how much effort I've put into friendships and balancing my life, just for everyone to quit and I am quite bitter because of it. I still have energy in the tank though! I am determined not to screw my life up because I couldn't hack the hard work required to achieve my dreams and I know I can do it. My original plan was to get some music education in either performing, music technology, writing techniques, live shows with lights or all of the above. While doing this I wanted to find a band that would be dedicated in meeting and writing for a few months so we could actually get out there and go to bars, events etc to make a name for ourselves and earn a little money on the side. SO the main question to any of you with the experience is: Where do you think is one of the best music colleges in the UK for me and my skill level? (or outside of the UK with accommodation that I could contact for more information).

I play guitar to a little above an intermediate standard and have a unique flare about my playing that I get compliments about a lot. I am also an ok singer (not great but hard to practice that properly when living with your parents) and determined poet and writer. My background in writing stems from the fact that I used to write very well in school, even as a child. I have all the equipment necessary for this. 2 pretty decent electric guitars, a £4-500 Orange amplifier, recording software/hardware laptop and mics. I'm fairly approachable, if a bit quiet and quirky around strangers (the artists disease). I have GCSE's as my highest qualification... thats it.

I see no future for me in my current state... I have mostly quit drinking and drugs and started to get a level head about what I want out of life but I have lost all contact with my friends and can't get a job... People don't truly understand what it's like to have barely any human contact and not for lack of trying. It's degrading and miserable and though when on my own I can still be fairly happy 90 percent of the time, the lows are getting worse and I feel as if I'm running out of time.

So again if it was hard to gather what I am asking I will repeat the question:

Where do you think is one of the best music colleges in the UK for me and my skill level?

I know it is a long post... thank you for reading. If you'd like to share your own experiences with life struggles as a musician (lord knows it's a tricky career to have for most), I'd love to start a dialogue.

*Edit* I will note that at the time of writing this, term has just started at colleges in the UK. I am in the works with a friend of my Dad's to work for a year or so till the start of next term, and may save some money for a deposit on a flat in a city with a much more active music scene. So that's just another option on accommodation if I have to move away somewhere.