TIPS FOR FIRST YEAR MUSIC STUDENTS
FIND YOUR SUPPORT SYSTEM. What I mean by this is find a group of people that will catch you when you fall. Or a people. It really doesn’t matter how many there are or where they’re from. They can be your studio mates, professors you really click with, other people in your year, whatever. Hell, tumblr alone has roughly a million music majors. Just find people who will support you, because you will need it.
ALSO FIND PEOPLE WHO WILL BE HONEST WITH YOU. Hopefully, these two groups will overlap. It’s incredibly important to find people who won’t just tell you how great you are. You need people who can tell you what to work on, as well.
PLAY IN MASTER CLASSES. Jesus H. Christ, play in master classes. You will hate it. It will probably one of the most nerve-wracking experiences of your life. But if you can play in front of a large group of your peers (particularly the ones that play your instrument), you can play in front of anyone. Seriously. Trust me on this.
TAKE EVERY PERFORMANCE OPPROTUNITY YOU CAN. Literally the best way to get better at performing is to do it a lot. After you do it enough, you’ll figure out a system or a ritual or something to calm the nerves. Just remember- no one wants you to fail. Everyone in the audience wants you to do well. Nobody is out there just waiting for you to mess up. They are there to support you. They will love you even if you screw up. We’re musicians- it’s what we do.
GO TO CONCERTS. Go to master classes that aren’t necessarily for your instrument. Go to lectures. Learn things. That’s why you went to college.
ONE BAD PERFORMANCE DOES NOT DEFINE YOU. Neither does one bad practice session, or lesson, or jury. What matters is how you bounce back. You auditioned and got accepted into your major for a reason. You can do it. I promise.
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, SLEEP. Drink water. Eat real people food. Take care of yourself. Do not be like me and go to rehearsals on the brink of death. Your health> just about anything. Take it from the girl who went to a rehearsal while her ears were full of fluid and ended up with a double ear infection that kept her out of classes for a week and a half.
TALK TO PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF YOUR STUDIO. For that matter, try to talk to people outside of the music department/school. Otherwise you’ll forget that there is life outside of the practice rooms. I understand social anxiety, so if talking to people in person is too difficult for you, try talking to people on tumblr or other social media sites.
LISTEN TO MUSIC OTHER THAN WHAT IS ASSIGNED TO YOU. Seriously. You will grow to hate JS Bach. Listen to music that makes you happy and reminds you why you loved music in the first place.
PRACTICE AURAL SKILLS. Every. Single. Fucking. Day. Again, do not be like me. Do not try to cram the night before the test. It does not work.
PRACTICE IS MORE THAN JUST PLAYING. Record yourself. Listen to professional recordings. Sing your part. Meditate on your part. RECORD YOURSELF. It’s amazing what you’ll hear.
MUSIC IS HARD. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise (which they will try to do, believe me). But you’re also in this field because you love it. Remember that.
YES, GEN EDS ARE STUPID. Yes, you have to take them anyway. Accept this and grumble about it to your friends.
DON’T BE A DICK. Seriously. You never know when you’ll run into these people again. The music world is very, very small. If you’re nasty to someone, it will probably end up biting you in the ass.
I LOVE YOU. So do a lot of people. If you ever need to vent or cry on someone’s shoulder I am 100000000% here for you. I believe in you!
jacobvanloon
areudirty
baratheonpilled
