So, You Want to be a Music Major?

Close to a year ago now, I got accepted into the music program that I am currently completing. There had been other acceptance letters and emails, but I very vividly remember getting the email stating that there was an update on my admission status. Clicking the link, and seeing little music notes floating on my screen. I knew the moment I saw them, I was in and I was home.

This all being said, I was very green to it all. Heck, I still am. But here is a brief list of things I wish I had known a year ago.

1. It’s a lot of work

In all fairness, I knew it was going to be a lot of work. I knew there would theory and ear training, and ensembles, and practicing, and rehearsal, and performances and lions and tigers and bears, oh my! But I don’t think I fully grasped the amount of work. Do not be fooled, just because your getting 0.5 credit, or even no credit, doesn’t mean its easy and you can just blow it off.

2.The Self-Doubt

It’s real. You will look around in everyone of your classes and start picking yourself apart. Why? So and so is a better singer. So and so has perfect pitch. So and so can play the piano upside down, underwater with their eyes closed. And what exactly can you do? Its tough. But everyone goes through it, and while you mad that someone else has developed a skill to a different point than you,there probably jealous of you. For me, apart of my self-doubt is that I haven’t been playing for nearly as long as a lot of my peers. But it is also apart of my self-empowerment. I haven’t been playing for as long as them and someone decided that we both met criteria to go to school together! I have to be doing something right! Being a musician is a journey, and the only person your competing with is who you were yesterday.

3. Ensemble Envy

This very much could just be a me thing. I am part of my school’s non-audition choir, and my school’s newly reinstated guitar ensemble. I very much get jealous when the audition choirs get to sing arrangements of the Beatles, while I have to sing Estonian. And yes, part of me goes “Well, at least people know what instrument I play”

4.Everyone is a musician

I could about five blog posts about this. It is probably my biggest pet peeve. But, just don’t be that person okay? If someone says they are a music major, or a musician, or however the express it. Choose your words wisely. If you used to play, leave the past in the past. If you know nothing about music just go that’s cool. If you play the same instrument as a hobby, or know a little, proceed with caution. I am guitarist. I also don’t want to know that your aunt’ uncle’s dog’s fish’s cousin’s neighbor used to play guitar, and the taught a single chord. There’s a big difference here. I am the one who pays the big bucks to learn this stuff, let’s just say I know a little bit more?

5. Enough-ness

So your a musician, but like what else? So, like besides, music what are you into? Breathing. Eating. Drinking water. I would say sleep but I am a music major, so that doesn’t happen as much as I like. Oh, I have a blog.

Really? Like I wish I was making this up, but no people will ask you questions like this. They are ignorant and need to figure life out not you.

Yes, you should totally pursue things outside of music. But it’s also completely normal, and fine if it feels like everything you do somehow comes back to music. I like writing, and a part of that is I like attempting to write my song lyrics. I like makeup, and fashion, but a lot of my inspiration comes from the bands I listen to. It just about all comes back to music in someway, and I am fine with that. I am dedicating my life to music, not microbiology for a reason. Being just a musician is enough. I am enough as just a musician. I am enough.

6. Recognition

Pre-Med and music are often the two most rigors lines of study, solely from a course load perspective. But society likes Pre-Med students more the music majors. People will look at you funny when you remind them, that you are in fact taking the maximum number of allowed credit hours this semester. Resist the urge to stick your tongue out, until after you have been handed the Grammy.

7. The Degree

So, what are you going to do with that degree? What’s the end goal here? You REALLY think you have what it takes?

Here is what I going to say. Most music majors I know have a plan A through ZZZ. Which is much more responsible and realistic then deciding on a career, choosing a major in a related field and than asking if they are hiring. I get it, most people don’t keep their lights on solely from being a musician. But a) I am not most people and b) just because something isn’t easy or common doesn’t mean its impossible

8. It is it’s Own world

You will go home for Christmas and attempting to have and realize, that thing you though was common knowledge is in fact not. You will snap in the middle of your mother’s rant and she will look at you like you have five heads. You will then realize this only make sense in the confines of choir. You will take a music course, designed for none majors and nearly laugh when someone asks why a V/V chord not simply just labeled as a X chord. You will have to explain the difference between aural skills and oral skills, it will be awkward. You will have to explain to the same person repeatedly what a jury is and why you have to do one. They still will not remember or understand You will attempt to explain to people why a song only having four chords is not full and complete justification for it being crappy. They will not consider you expert opinion on the topic. Do not fear. Your friends in the music department will love you anyway!

9. Talent vs Dedication

My high school director read the same book, the summer before every year I had him. In all honesty, i don’t actually know if he read every year. But every year I had him, within the firs two weeks of school. He would read us a passage from a book called the Grit test. The Grit test basically says the only thing that stand between you and your goals, is dedication .

It was there I started to detest the word talent. I am talented I am dedicated.

Talent implies luck. There are parts of being a musician that are luck, race, social class, gender, location, education, parental involvement various opportunities, and so on. But the end of the day, its dedication that matters.

It ticks me off because for whatever reason sports and music are seen entirely differently, when there are some similarities. The main ones being the amount of practice, and dedication and skill it takes to be truly successful. But with athletes we talk about that, we revere them for spending hours everyday training. Musicians learn quiet quickly not mention how many hours a day practicing. It is either not enough to ever good, or way too much and now your a weirdo. We call athletes skilled, and musician talented. In other words, we say athletes earned this, and musicians got lucky. The irony here is that it is easier to get a job as a musican, then an athelte.

I have put in blood, sweat and tears to be where I am. I have spent hours practicing, the same things over and over again. I earned my spot. And what comes next is entirely up to me, not a magical little fairy, me.

10. General Misconceptions

No, I do not just sit around practicing all day. No, my homework rarely includes the Foo Fighters. Actually, its aural skills not oral skills. There’s a difference. No, my jury is not Wonder wall. No, I just don’t sit a practice room having mental break downs ALL day. No, I can’t hit that note. No, I can’t play that instrument. No, you can’t hold my guitar. No, I can’t have rehearsal.No, I can’t I will screw with my voice and I have a sight signing quiz tomorrow. No, my ensemble is not play Metallica. Any other questions?

Here’s the takeaway

Being a music major isn’t for everyone. But that’s what makes it awesome. I like the fact that no one just wakes up one day and goes I am go to declare a music major. I like know that everyone around me is dedicated to music like me. I like knowing that there was a faculty member that watched my audition video, and read my application, and said yes she belongs here. I like knowing that while I am apart of something, who I am as an individual matters. Yeah there’s though days, but I can’t imagine doing anything else. Its worth it, I promise.