As I'm entering my fourth month of being a Music Education major, I look back at who I was in August on that first day of band camp. Excited beyond belief, scared and nervous and everything in between. The world was my oyster and I was going to do amazing things.
Well, I still am. I am filled with love, passion and excitement for what I am pursuing in life and I cannot wait to see where I go.
I'm also a little more enlightened, a little wiser to the reality of college and more aware of the stress and struggles it takes to be a Music Education major. This path I've chosen may not be the one less traveled but it is hard. And so, I've learned a lot in these few short months, and now it's time to reflect.
1. The professors care more than you'd ever imagine and it's great.
I always thought as I came into college that none of my professors would care about me or my peers and see us as just faces in the crowd. The amazing group of instructors here at UW-Whitewater have proved me wrong time and time again with their consideration and kindness. Despite teaching a large group of students, they know everyone's name. Most of the time, they even remember your primary instrument. You feel as if you matter and that you're noticed for the hard work you're doing, and you are.
2. You never practiced enough before you had better learn that now.
In high school, you can more than likely skate by without practicing for days, weeks, or months at a time. I know for a fact that from about freshman to junior year I only practiced if I had a competition coming up. College shook up that viewpoint from day one. Without daily practice, you don't advance and excel the way you're supposed to. You fall behind. You show your professors and your peers that you aren't as serious about this as you need to be. Let me just tell you, skipping practice really does matter, it does make a difference and you'd be surprised to know how much.
3. Everyone will be an amazing friend... they're also competitive as hell.
I have met some of the most amazing, fun, inventive, interesting, and beautiful people in the world by coming here to UW-Whitewater. I'm blessed and so happy to call them friends. To go on crazy runs to McDonald's after rehearsal, or sit and eat lunch together, and be able to have people I know I can talk to and confide in. On the flip side of this happy coin is the competitive nature a lot of people don't realize exists in college. Places for ensembles, different parts, competitions, the list can go on but there's an underlying tension no one ever mentions. It's that tension of knowing that you and your friends are all trying to win and achieve the same thing, and despite how much you like them, you still want to win. But it's okay, these things don't have to ruin your new budding friendships, you'll live.
4. There is so much more than just playing to music and it is so beautiful.
In my last four months here I have gone to countless recitals and performances, workshops, colloquiums, and guest speakers. I have gone to classes that have begun to show me the deeper workings of "blowing into a horn and making noise". I have seen the beauty of all that music encompasses and it is mind-blowingly impressive and inspirational. The realm of this crazy musical world I've dived into is expansive and amazing and I cannot wait to learn more and more. You never quite realize how much there is until someone (like amazing professors) open your eyes.
5. There are going to be those freshmen (just like you) who think they're the world's gift to music...
Just smile and nod and let them keep on keeping on. One day they'll be humbled by a professor or master class instructor and hopefully, it will teach them some humility. Just because you were on top in high school doesn't mean that you are in the university. We're all freshmen, we're all young. My advice to you is don't listen to all their comments, critiques, and condescending remarks; just focus on bettering yourself and doing the best you can. That's the best way to show them that you're just as good as they think they are.
6. People are always going to act as if your major is easy. Ignore them.
Countless times in the past four months I've had people laugh, snicker, or give me incredulous looks when I say being a music major is difficult. I've even had people straight out ask me, 'Well, just how hard can it be? It's just music". To that, I'd like to blow up and go on a ten-hour rant, but that's typically frowned upon so instead I smile and say, "It's harder than you'd expect", and I walk away. I walk away because, for a lot of people, they don't see the hours of study and practice it takes to do what musicians can do. They don't see the classes we take. They just assume we sit in a room all day blowing air into a metal tube. The best thing here is to walk away because ignorance is bliss and sometimes the ignorant cannot be changed.
7. Freetime is an abstract concept that only exists when you slack off.
This one in all honestly, kind of sucks. Now it may change from person to person, but personally, I have had very little downtime that wasn't detrimental in some way to my academics. Whenever I come back to my dorm to nap or watch a movie, I really should be practicing. When I'm with my section having a bonding dinner, I should really be practicing aural skills. Heck, when I'm writing these articles I should definitely be working on theory homework. Alas, that isn't how the cookie crumbles and sometimes small (very small) sacrifices have to be made. As long as you're willing to put in the extra work, you'll be fine, just beware the lull of Netflix and your non-music friends.
8. Your planner is your life. Cherish it. Love it.
Right around the first day of classes, I realized that if I hadn't bought a planner for school, I would be dead about 15,000 times over. Logically, the human brain cannot even try to keep track of the countless events and obligations you have as a music student, therefore the planner is endlessly helpful. Imagine remembering your classes, homework, meetings, rehearsals, deadlines, concerts, recital attendances, recitals, master classes, studio classes, lessons, etc, etc all in your head. Yeah I know, it's impossible. So please, please, please, love your planner like you love life.
9. There's no shame in feeling discouraged, but you can never give up.
More than once I've walked out of a class, lesson or exam and thought to myself, 'I should really just quit. I'm terrible at this and I will never succeed". It's horribly depressing to work so hard and then to have it crash down among your feet. Yet, everyone has those days where nothing goes right, and everyone has those moments where they wonder if they made the right decision. What it really comes down it is do you love it? Do you love playing your instrument for hours? Do you love to perform, or teach, or play? Do you find joy in everything that you're doing? If you answered yes, then you are in the right place, you will succeed, and you are not a failure. It's just a rough day.
10. The people around you not only make wonderful friends, but they make fantastic connections.
While you may think that you're just casually making friends with your peers, upperclassmen, or professors, you're actually doing far more. You're building an invaluable network that can help you now as a student and years down the road as a teacher. That theory and comp. major who helped you in Theory 1? Well now you're conducting a major orchestra in the city you live in and he's going to compose a piece for your ensemble to play. Or maybe it's the cellist who was your peer mentor as a freshman. She's a guest speaker at your high school to inspire your student body to join and support the orchestra. These people are connections, resources, and irreplaceable friends. You can benefit from each other both casually and professionally and even musically. The options are endless, so take those chances.
Ten bullet points cannot exactly sum up the total of what I've learned here at Whitewater in four months. Ten bullet points is not enough to show anyone the beauty behind being a Music Education major. Yet, I hope these few bullet points have shown you a tiny sliver of the greatness I experience on a daily basis. I love what I do and I cannot imagine doing anything else. How about you?
