Ver Studies Music

If it sounds like the composer might be a vampire, it's Bach.

If it sounds like the composer is mansplaining to you, it's Wagner.

If it sounds like the composer is playing Star Wars 60 years early, it's Holst

If it sounds like the composer is drunk, it's Schubert.

If it sounds like the score to a Western, it’s Copland.

1) IT’S OKAY. This is typical, not only did you just change up your schedule pretty severely, this time last year was majorly confusing, scary, and difficult, so there’s a good chance you’re getting some residual anxiety or even PTSD from all that. There is every reason for you to be having a hard start to the school year, and none of them are your fault.

2) You are not alone in this - this is a very universal experience at the moment, because pandemic. It’s okay. You’re still in the process of living through a historical event. It’s completely understandable that you’re having a hard time. It’s okay.

3) It’s okay if your ‘best’ now looks different than it did before this mess started. We’re not living in the same world that we did in 2019. The important thing is that you’re doing what you can at the moment. Sometimes that means you got all your chores done for the day and socialized. Sometimes it means you just managed to keep existing. Both are good. Both are amazing achievements. I’m proud of you.

4) If you have a file on your phone/computer of funny memes or cute animal pictures or comfort characters or something, now is the time to keep that on stand-by, maybe set aside 5-10 minutes when you can to look through them, giving yourself an occasional mood booster like this will help in the long run (and hopefully in the short run as well)!

William Tell Overture- Rossini (Most famous part at 8:45, but why not listen to the whole thing?) I’m adding hints, at least to the ones I recognized culturally. This one is “go, horsey, go!”

Also Sprach Zarathustra- Strauss Slow, dramatic entry scene, IN SPAAACE.

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik- Mozart People running out of a fancy wedding or something. Also known as DUN, dun DUN, dun DUN dun DUN dun DUUUUN.

Symphony 94, Mvt. 2 “Surprise Symphony”- Haydn ?

Toccata and Fugue in d Minor-Bach Halloween organ!

Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2- Chopin Picture a tiny old woman playing piano in a sunlit room with lots of flower vases, about the spill the tragic secrets of her past to some timid young visitor.

Rondo alla Turca- Mozart the babysitter from The Incredibles: “Time for some COGNITIVE ENRICHMENT!”

Sinfonie de Fanfares: Rondeau- Jean-Joseph Mouret Royalty is coming. Or someone is getting married. Or royalty is getting married. Also the PBS Masterpieces theme.

The Four Seasons: Spring- Vivaldi (I just linked to the whole thing because it’s great) Again, someone is getting married, but this one is strings instead and a lot less frumpy.

Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring- Bach That one that amateur guitarists love where the notes are all up and down but all the same length. Also used in movie weddings.

O Fortuna (from Carmina Burana)- Carl Orff SONG OF DOOM. Also song of “baby on fire!” in The Incredibles.

Funeral March- Chopin ?

Orpheus in the Underworld: Infernal Galop (A.K.A. Can Can)- Offenbach Well, “aka can-can” says it all.

Pomp and Circumstance (You probably graduated to this)- Elgar Oh yes, Baaaa dun dun dun duun duuuuun… Also if you were a bandie you had to play it for 3 years before graduating to it.

Gayane: Sabre Dance- Aram Khachaturian Comically hectic productivity, a circus clown juggling while standing on a ball, or perhaps a rapidly-approaching termite infestation. Could go any way, really.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Wedding March- Mendelssohn The song movies play right AFTER they both say “I do.”

Carmen: Les Toreadors- Bizet I can’t be the only one who remembers when ‘Hey Arnold’ did this. “Bullfights and swordfights, rolling in manuuure!”

The Ride of the Valkyries- Wagner Good song for a naval battle I guess? I can only think of the mini golf course I went to as a kid with the creepy castle on Hole 18 that played this.

Für Elise- Beethoven That one every amateur piano player loves to play because the beginning is just E and E-flat over and over. Also ballet and piano recital scenes in movies.

Dance of the Hours- Ponchielli Hello mudda, hello fadda, here I am at, Camp Granada…

Rigotello: La Donna e Mobile- Verdi More than a few sophisticated movie villains (or snobby good guys) have this playing on a Victrola. Also, tell me you don’t picture Pavaroti no matter who’s actually singing.

Night on Bald Mountain- Mussorgsky ?

Romeo and Juliet: Love Theme- Tchaikovsky More movie-love, usually building up to admitting they live each other.

Entry of the Gladiators- Julius Fucik I have one word for you: CIRCUS.

Lakmé: Flower Duet- Delibes OMG ALIAS. Nadia’s spy  backstory in Film Noir!

Peer Gynt: In the Hall of the Mountain King- Greig Mischievous Tiptoeing in Movies song. Also something growing out of control, slowly at first and then quickly, and (comically) exploding.

Rodeo: Hoedown- Copland The title says it all tbh.

Peer Gynt: Morning Mood- Greig Sunrise/waking up Movie Song du jour.

New World Symphony Mov. [2][4]- Dvorak Well now I’m thinking of “An American Tail” and I’m crying…

Ave Maria (You knew this, but did you know that it was by Schubert?) Nothing to add. I’m not a music snob, really, but if you didn’t know this, YOU SHOULD.

Canon in D- Pachelbel This is the one that the pretty Trans-Siberian Orchestra Christmas song comes from. :-)

Flight of the Bumblebee - Rimsky-Korsakov Oh come on, everyone knows this one! It sounds too much like the title for you to forget what it’s called! Also: Drumline.

Finale to the 1812 Overture - Tchaikovsky Naval battle! Cannon! Fireworks! 4th of July in ‘Murica! Even though it’s about that *other* war going on in 1812!

Der Holle Rache kocht in meiner herzen (aka the Queen of the Night aria) - Mozart The one that fancy ladies in movies use to try and break champagne glasses.

Libiamo ne’ lieti calici - Verdi ?

Largo al factotum - Rossini Does your cartoon need a classical tune for your rotund Italian chef to sing while tossing pizza dough? Have we got a song for you!

Overture to The Barber of Seville - Rossini Fast-paced, sneaky-things-are-afoot movie song.

The Blue Danube Waltz - Strauss Da-da-da dum dum. *plink plink* *plink plink*. As heard in Jack’s entry to First Class in “Titanic,” and a million other places. (Veggie Tales “Stuff Mart,” anyone?)

Moonlight Sonata (mvmt. 1) - Beethoven The ultimate pretty-and-sad piano and/or ballet scene song.

Symphony No. 5 - Beethoven dun dun dun DUUUUUN.

And

Hi everyone! I have a few tips that I’ve gathered over the years to help cope with your brain not working like everyone else’s.

1. Find a way to turn part of your brain off.

For me, this means having something that is stimulating in the background, like a podcast or loooong video. I really like stuff like Critical Role, if it’s too funny it just distracts me so I recommend something serious but not really important to know.

Conversely...

2. Find a way to turn your body off.

I do this by crocheting. It’s like productive stimming, it’s fun, the progress mounts super quickly, and you can redo something over and over if you need to. I use this time to listen to something important. Because my hands and eyes have something stimulating them, my ears are free to listen intently. This is when you should listen to an audiobook or a recorded lecture.

3. Don’t read and have someone speaking in your language at the same time.

That’s a recipe for not understanding either thing and having your time be wasted, essentially. If you’re reading, keep any background to something that you can tune out but still have in your mind, like lofi or classical music. Sometimes I’ll even use albums that I’ve listened to hundreds of times because my brain goes on autopilot for those.

4. Keep your workspace as busy as you need, but don’t let it get cluttered.

If you are a maximalist like me (or love hoarding stationery) your desk might be a little... much. And that’s okay! As long as you can work with visual stimulation. This comes down to personal preference, but if you know that having few things helps your focus, try to downsize, or vice versa!

5. Structure your study time and plan your breaks.

Structure is so important for my mental health and function, so I always recommend it to others. Plan your study time, lay out what you want to learn by the end, and have some sort of timer or cue for when it’s time to take a break. I recommend short breaks every 90 minutes or so, and a long one after 4+ hours. If studying in tiny chunks doesn’t work for you, don’t do it! If you need bigger blocks of time that’s totally fine, don’t feel guilty about not being able to focus properly on 10 minute sessions.

6. Repetition is soooo important for conceptual things.

Math and science can be especially difficult for people with ADHD due to memory problems. It is very important that you work at these problems and repeat them over and over to get the concept memorized in your long term memory so you can reach it continually. So, do your assigned problems, do the other problems in the book, find some on Khan Academy, and do them until it’s ingrained. It’s so worth it, I promise.

7. Set your own deadlines and STICK TO THEM

If your procrastinate until the 11th hour and then produce decent work, I completely understand and see you. However, work with your executive dysfunction and trick your brain. Set deadlines for yourself and rewards for sticking to them, punishments if you don’t, and actually enforce them. Maybe if you don’t finish your rough draft by Thursday night, you have to finish it before you can FaceTime your friends. If you do finish it on time, call and play some games together. It helps to have a study buddy to keep you accountable and set deadlines with so you can both motivate each other and be accountable. ***Be very careful to not let this affect your mental health!!! Do not burn yourself out and lose your friends, your mental health comes first!!!***

Finally

8. Do not beat yourself up for not being entirely productive all the time.

ORGANIZATION SERIES PART II: MY PENCIL CASE

for as long as i’ve been in this community, the “what’s in my pencil case” tour has seemed like a quintessential part of studyblr culture. and for good reason! all of my everyday school supplies, the ones that come with me to every class and to every study session, are in this case.

it has my #2 pencils, a sharpener, and an eraser for exams. a mini ruler and compass for math class, and reusable mini chopsticks for lunch. sticky notes, a pencil highlighter that doesn’t bleed or smudge, a pack of sticky notes and a whole book of differently colored page flags for when i need to annotate things. an xacto knife, collapsible scissors, and a mini stapler for in-class projects. a usb adaptor and flash drive for my computer, and a set of nail clippers because you just never know.

it has a red ballpoint pen for lecture notes, and a red one for corrections, white out for my mistakes. papermate flair pens for when i want to be neat, a micron fineliner for when i want to be precise, and a sharpie for when i want to be bold. 

i’m obsessed with this painting called tomato king and i’m even more obsessed with the man who drew it. his name is stuart dunkel and he is a classical oboeist and he also paints tiny little oil paintings of mice living their best lives. he looks like this.

Some people are without the luxury of such thoughts: the disabled person who keeps reading statistics about how they’re unlikely to have a job, and are therefore hoping for anything good; the person living in a stressful household whose only objective is to be able to afford to move out…