Majoring in music takes a whole lot of hard work and dedication. People don't typically understand what we put ourselves through or why we are always so busy. Although people outside of our majors don't understand the crazy life of a music major, here are 15 things we all know to be true.
1. Music is “easy”
Whether it is someone new or a family member that asks you what you are studying in college, it never fails. Once you inform them you are studying music, it only takes a few seconds for them to drop the bomb. “Woah, you are going to school for music! You must have it so easy!” Let's get this straight: Music is no cakewalk, my friends. We spend a majority of our time in rehearsal or practicing, and we are usually walking around the music building until 2 a.m.
2. Practice time
Practice time for us has to be scheduled in just like classes. Chances are, if there is any small amount of free time during the week it is going to be overtaken by practice time. Practice is key to a good musician, right?
3. Mass amounts of classes, small amount of credits
Overload, overload, overload. We have to take Gen-Eds, music classes and are in a mass amount of ensembles. Our schedules are hectic and most of our classes are only worth a credit or two. If you add education on top of the music track prepare to be way in over your head.
4. Crippling self-doubt
No, we don't think we are the best at music whatsoever. Chances are you are staring at that outstanding freshman that just waltzed through the door, wondering where in your life you went wrong and how to be better. Don't even get me started on child prodigies!
5. Making weird sounds
Between lessons and even communicating with other people, the amount of strange sounds that come out of our mouths overtakes the amount of beautiful music we make some times.
6. Analyzing music anywhere at any time
Knowing so much about music can be a blessing and a curse. We can't even listen to the radio without analyzing bits and pieces of every song that comes across the station.
7. Practice rooms
Our practice rooms are far from soundproof. Essentially, anyone can hear that crack you just had and you should just assume you're giving a performance every time you practice. And, at times, we just like to use them to de-stress.
8. Concert attendance
If there is a concert at school or around the community you are guaranteed to see about every music major there and quite often we make up the majority of the audience.
9. Strange eating habits
Our eating schedules are strange because of rehearsals and we basically live off of the cookies, coffee, and tea provided at recitals.
10. We own a lot of black clothing
No, I am not going to a funeral. Concert black is a real required thing, so just embrace it. At least black is slimming.
11. Learning several different languages
Music majors aren't proficient in just one language. It's a constant struggle to get a new piece of music with a whole new language -- you'd better get your translations down.
12. Gen-Eds are our worst nightmare
We are music majors, meaning we really like music and often excel in it. If you take the musician out of their normal comfort zone, the results aren’t going to end up well.
13. Comfort zones don't exist when it comes to music
If you are used to being comfortable, music probably isn’t you. Chances are you are going to get thrown into a new ensemble or are going to have to learn a different instrument on the fly. If you ever start to feel comfortable during your musical career, you are probably doing something wrong. Once you start to feel good about your repertoire you are going to be pushed more.
14. Anticipating Juries
It's our favorite and least favorite time in the semester. We can almost taste freedom and the end of the semester, but that means Juries. These can be the most stress inducing few minutes of our lives, all the hours of lessons and practice comes down to this 10-minute span of time where you are being intently watched by all the faculty for your instrument.
15. We enjoy it
We are doing exactly what we love to do, make music. Sure, the music-major life isn't easy and sometimes we want to give up, but we are passionate about this. Imagine all the new venues we will experience playing at and all the great people we will meet through the power of music. It's our passion and we wouldn't trade it for the world.
