To the freshmen entering Syracuse University's music school or anyone at all interested in the music program: Hey! I'm a rising sophomore at the Setnor School of Music, and I'm here to give you the ins and outs of the program and our beautiful home—Crouse College.

First, we'll start with the outside. A beautiful building with many names: Crouse College, Hogwarts, and to people who are confused by which of the three Crouse named buildings on campus they are trying to find, the one that looks like a castle. Out of all the buildings on campus, this is by far my favorite (no bias here, it's seriously the most interesting building on campus). From the outside, it's one of the most photogenic buildings ever. If you're a music student, you probably have at least five pictures of it on your phone, possibly with the words "beautiful <3" or maybe some emoji hearts on them. Or perhaps it's just of her natural beauty at Golden Hour (see the article cover photo for evidence). For all you incoming freshman, this is your new home. You'll spend hours here practicing, having class, making friends, and chilling in the basement lounge catching up on classwork (or sleep).

Crouse is a four-story building with an elevator that you really shouldn't take if you're running late and can easily be outrun by someone walking up the stairs. If you thought the outside was mysterious, just look at the inside. At first glance, the high ceilings and the copy of Winged Victory greeting you just through the front doors show the Visual and Performing Arts school's flair for dramatics. But as you roam the old halls with their creaky floorboards, you start to notice locked doors and mysterious rooms that are only opened for those on a need-to-know basis. On especially windy days, the front doors will swing open and slam closed repeatedly. The 138-year-old building loves to creak as it settles, and since there isn't air conditioning, you know it isn't the sounds of machinery whirring on and off. You could blame all the noises on natural causes, sure, but you won't get through your first day without hearing about the "Crouse Ghost". And really, where's the fun in chalking every noise up to the wind? All of Crouse's beauty and mystery just add to her charm. For new music students, you have 24/7 swipe access into the building with your SUID, and I can say with certainty the mysteries and secrets hidden within the building get a lot more interesting at night.

Now it'd be a lie to tell you that everything about music school is as beautiful and mysterious as its exterior because—please don't do this I promise it won't help—I've seen how bad it can get after someone inevitably pulls an all-nighter in a practice room. If you're applying to music school or were accepted, then I don't have to tell you that practicing is going to take up a big chunk of your time. The only thing I'll say about practicing is you shouldn't let it control you. If you can't practice every day, it's okay. Now onto classwork. Even though classes can be difficult and very stressful (I'm looking at you, Ear Training 1), there are lots of opportunities to learn in Setnor. The professors are all there to support you and push you out of your comfort zone and the community is small enough that after a week or two you really get to know the people you see every day. Every student who has lived through freshman year at Setnor will know exactly how you're feeling (whether it's stress, stage fright, you locked your keys in a practice room, or you just need some class help, most people will gladly help you out).

Which brings me to a final point about music school: the people! Setnor is a small community, which means it does tend to be like high school sometimes due to rumors and gossip, but I can say with confidence that I've made some pretty amazing friends in my first year of college, and the closest ones are those I met in the music school. It's pretty easy to find similarities with everyone because at one point or another we were all the "band/choir geek". Now we've all graduated high school and become "music nerds", so it's easy to find someone you can bond over music memes with (hint: literally anyone roaming the halls). If you don't make super close friends right away though, it's okay. I didn't become super close friends with anyone until a month or two into school. You'll find your people in your own time, and once you do it'll be great!

So, to all new freshmen, welcome to Setnor! I hope you find your first year at the music school to be as rewarding and interesting as I did!