my advice to young music majors
Next week, I’ll be graduating with my degree in music performance, and I’ve been thinking a lot about what I’ve learned, and some of the common issues I’ve witnessed or dealt with during my time here.
It’s okay not to know everything. If you knew everything, you wouldn’t need to be at school. You wouldn’t be at school. Don’t be embarrassed for not knowing everything, because you are at school to learn. (This might be my most important piece of advice.)
It’s okay to ask questions. See point two.
It is not okay to think you know everything. You don’t. See point two. You are not the hottest shit since sliced bread, at least not now.
Be open-minded as hell. Listen to weird music. Accept criticism openly. Accept compliments openly (this is just as important).
Drink coffee. All the time. It’ll help you play faster. Probably.
Have performance anxiety? Sure, eating bananas and taking deep breaths will help you, but the only way to overcome performance anxiety is to perform as much as you possibly can. Invite a friend or three into your practice room and perform your solo for them. Join ensembles. Take gigs. Treat your practice sessions like you would a performance. We practice playing music all the time, but we also have to practice performing.
Maria Schneider came to my school a while ago, and left me with this fantastic quote (which I paraphrase now): “When you’re stuck aiming for perfection, you sacrifice the freedom that comes with making mistakes and experimenting.” One of the best things that could have happened to me musically was when I messed up a passage in one of my vibraphone pieces in a lesson, and played really awkwardly and out of time. My teacher told me it was the hippest thing he’d heard, and to play the entire piece with that in mind. It was awesome.
Take frequent or as-needed breaks. Mental health, sleep, food, and socializing are all important. Don’t feel bad about taking a day or two off from practicing. Go to a party and dance/drink your ass off. Enjoy your time in school, because living it up is part of the college experience. Life is about balance.
On that note, burn out is real. I nearly dropped out last year for various reasons, but I chose to stick it out and this year, I have found a second wind even stronger than the first. I just needed a break - I took the summer off entirely from music. Sometimes people need a break, even if it’s from something they love. That’s perfectly fine. It does not make you a lesser human being or a lesser musician.
Also sort of on that note, if you’re having serious trouble with a certain piece or passage, take a break from it. Revisit it in a few days or so, and you may be surprised what your subconscious has done for you.
Analyze the music you play. Study the composer, look up program notes. Be an expert at what you do.
There is much much more to music than the Romantic era. Listen to medieval dances and Renaissance polyphony. Listen to Xenakis and Ligeti. Be a well-rounded musician.
Don’t be ashamed about listening to and enjoying music that isn’t “refined” or “cultured” according to your history textbook. There is much more to music than Mozart. Dance your ass off to Kesha. Enjoy what life has to offer, even if it isn’t the most intricate, sophisticated, or “classy” material. Life is too short to spend it avoiding the simple pleasures. (Also, you don’t want to be an elitist or a party-pooper.)
Along those lines, listen to and play music from those who are living. Music has to evolve with time, and if we want it to survive and thrive, we have to embrace music of the present just as much if not more than music of the past. While it is important to know the main themes from Beethoven’s symphonies and understand the importance of Schubert’s lieder, there is music being made today by people just as talented as the greats of the past, but they are greatly ignored because they are not Beethoven. Old music deserves appreciation, but it cannot be the focus of your musical studies.
Write new music. If you want. Or arrange music you like for your instrument or some cool ensemble. If you want.
Practice. Love what you do. Be unrelenting in your love for what you do.
Relax, you’re doing fine.
