The Life of a Vocal Performance Major

Hey y'all! So I don't post about my personal life here on social media very much, but I had something I wanted to share with my followers! I've been on a health journey over the past year, being more mindful about working out, eating right, and keeping my body in good condition. Whether this is directly affected or not, my technique has also greatly improved! It hasn't been super complicated, and it gets easier the more I do it, but the progress has been amazing. I follow a schedule of weight training, cardio, and fitness classes such as yoga/Zumba/spin which make me feel super fit and energized throughout my week! I don't weigh myself (I've always had a bad relationship with the scale lol) but I've dropped 3 pant sizes and I look a lot healthier and happier! More than anything, I feel more connected to my body, and I feel strong, as if my body can brace anything that comes its way for a long period of time. A lot of my friends, musicians and non-musicians, have reached out to me for advice on working out and eating cleaner, and I am always willing to talk to the, about what I have learned! So I just wanted to offer that to my followers. If you want to talk to me about anything, hit me up! Because this journey has really improved my singing as well!

Pisces: late to the rehearsal because they were crying in a practice room

Especially in intimate recital settings, try to avoid contact with friends and family in the audience! That really throws me off my game and either causes me to break into laughter or anxiety.I try as best as I can to truly become the character of whatever I'm singing, especially with art songs because you often don't have he "crutch" of a pre-defined character as you would with an opera role or an aria performance. This helps me keep my technique in line, my focus razor-sharp, my nerves settled, and my momentum building.My undergrad voice teacher always says "don't expect to be perfect" because if you're worried about being perfect the whole time, the most insignificant of slip-ups can feel catastrophic. I usually go in with the mindset of doing the best that I can. And honestly, I usually mess up in the first piece, which realizes my fears and anxieties, and then I relax because I got through it and the rest of my recital feels so much better because I know I'll be okay.Some of this may sound confusing. I hope it helped!

Don't tell me what to do.

When your talented friend finishes an aria and you just want to give them feedback.

That’s my rant.

*Insert Audio Clip of “Baby Lock Them Doors and Turn the Lights Down Low”*

The best and most affordable programs for non conservatories are usually going to be state schools, especially in your home state! I got scholarships for California state schools, some of which have conservatories within them, (Long Beach) and some do not! (San Jose, Fullerton) Being from California, I have the most knowledge about those state schools. But I also know that NY has some incredible state schools like SUNY Purchase and SUNY Binghamton. I really don't know much about any other state and their public universities, so you may need to do some more research.The other thing to point out is that some schools are conservatory ONLY, some schools have a music DEPARTMENT within their university, and some schools have a music CONSERVATORY within their university. I would recommend the last one. I went to a private liberal arts university that happened to have a music conservatory within it, so I got a music conservatory education, while getting a private liberal arts general education. I didn't want to go to a conservatory only for my undergrad, because I wanted the full college experience.

Hi! The good news is, you have plenty of time! It's good that you have a teacher who is guiding you and inspiring you! And that feeling of both passion and anxiety is the feeling many (if not all) performers have, so you sound like you're on the right track.I would say, do a lot of research on what schools you may want to attend, what they want, what they have, what they can do for you, and continue focusing on that goal. If you learn a lot of repertoire in the next year you'll be fully prepared to audition for all of these programs (maybe even early admission, in hopes of getting more scholarships)As far as the parent situation, I am fortunate to have parents who have emotionally and somewhat financially supported the performance dreams of both me AND my brother. Not to say that they don't support you! I just understand that parents may hesitate on wanting their child to pursue a career in the arts. I think keeping them updated, showing them successful alumni of schools you're applying for, and talking to them about solid job opportunities in the post grad world may help quell their fears. The education/performance double major is a very common choice for musicians. It prepares them to teach should they decide that they don't want to perform anymore. I would make sure to look for schools that have good programs for both! My undergrad (Chapman University) has a 100% placement rate for their Music Education majors. That means that, should the graduate choose to continue with music education, they are guaranteed to be placed in a job or graduate school after graduation. It's a good stat we like to tell parents ;)Sorry for the late response, I'm awful at checking my inbox