So, You're About to Major in Music... (Part Three)

Guys, I could do dozens of these blogs about going through a college music program. I'm not. I'm just sharing some of my thoughts on things that I wish I'd known going in and things that might be helpful. Ultimately you have to make your own path. You are going to have successes and failures. Celebrate your success, reflect on and learn from your failures but dwell on neither for long. There's too much to do. Here are a few more tips that I think incoming students need to know.

• At some point you're going to have to play in front of people. If this is a problem, look for books and videos on performance anxiety. Jeff Nelson has a series called Fearless Performance. I'd look into that or similar programs. Beyond that, I hate to sound mean but you chose the major. Suck it up, buttercup.
• With the solo performance (unless you're a piano major), comes a collaborative pianist. A few schools have people paid to do the job. Count yourselves as fortunate. If not, understand that their fees are part of your expenses as a music major. They are doing a job and deserve compensation for that time and effort. 

THE NEXT FEW SUGGESTIONS ARE GOING TO BE IMPORTANT. READ THEM!!!!!!!

• When working with a pianist, you are establishing a relationship which may well run the course of your college career. Keep these things in mind.
• A collaborative pianist can make you sound better or much, much worse. Keep that in mind when choosing one.
• Even if they are paid by the school, gift cards, gift baskets, and other such niceties will go a long way to show the pianist that you appreciate what they are doing.
• If you know you have a recital, convocation, or jury performance, approach and communicate with the pianist AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE. They are people too and have schedules and deadlines just like you.
• Get with them early and often about scheduling rehearsals and for goodness sake, SHOW UP PREPARED. Few things are as frustrating for a pianist as wasting their time while someone is still trying to hash out notes.
• No, a single half hour rehearsal is NOT sufficient to get a piece together to perform. 
• Understand that at some point on stage, something is going to happen and that pianist is going to save you from crashing and burning. I speak from personal experience on this. You are going to mess up and they are going to catch it and adjust.
• At the end of the performance, RECOGNIZE THEM. They were performing too. Show the audience you appreciate the pianist's efforts! (I'm going to have to  do a whole  blog on stage etiquette...)

Ok, here's someone else to consider.

• From the first week you are there. Meet the music department administrative assistant. Speak to them and smile every time you see them. From time to time, get together with other students and bring them lunch or coffee. Why, you ask?
• You think the department chair runs that department?! Not a chance. The administrative assistant knows everyone, every important phone number, every important email address. There are problems that will take you days of running all over campus to solve that they can often get fixed in five minutes. Oh, you really need that class to graduate on time but it's full? Let me email someone. Fixed. Get it? The pianist saves you on stage. The administrative assistant saves you off stage. Having them in your corner goes a long way to making your life easier in college. It is THAT simple.

AUDITIONS

• PREPARE FOR THEM! Really? How easy is that to understand and yet I see people who claim to want to be professionals in the field of music, who have had the audition music for weeks, slack off and try to learn the music fifteen minutes before the fact. You are training to be professionals. Carry yourself like one. Prepare like one.
• The results aren't always going to go the way you want. Sometimes it's because the band directors, professors, etc are considering more than just playing; leadership, trust they've developed with a player to get the job done, etc. SOMETIMES, yes, you get screwed over. It happens. It's happened to me......more than once. Read the next bit carefully though and don't react like I did.
• Yelling, screaming, and generally acting like a jackass is NOT going to change the results and even if you are 100% correct and you got screwed over.....who looks like the jerk now? It doesn't determine your career.
• If someone beats you in an audition, even if they didn't deserve to, congratulate them. It wasn't like they conspired with the judges. Directing anger towards someone who beat you because you're disappointed with the results only makes you look petty and, in the case of chair auditions, proves the judges right. You aren't mature enough for the chair. 
• Use less than what you wanted results to motivate you.
• You want to win a chair or concerto competition? Work your tail off and go in with an audition which leaves ZERO doubt. 

CLASSES AND LESSONS

• Remember what I said about slacking and not learning audition music? I know folks who have gotten the idea that standard operating procedure for preparing for a lesson is an hour the morning of lesson day. SERIOUSLY?! You are PAYING to have a professional train you. That person cannot make you a better player in an hour every week if you don't put in the work in between. You have this great opportunity to learn a lot about your chosen instrument (as well as new instruments if you so choose). However, it only works if you put in the work.
• The same holds true for class attendance. This is something I didn't understand when I was younger. Yes, I get it. Some times you get burnt out and need a mental health day. Sometimes it's just the crazy notion that you are no longer in a school situation where you are mandated to be in class every day. However, why pay for a class, never attend, and then make a crappy grade and not get anything out of the class that...yeah... YOU PAID FOR?!?!?!?!?

Ok folks. I hope I didn't scare anyone away from this field. If you love it, you TRULY love it. It's an amazing field of study and in my opinion puts you in the same field with Mozart, Miles Davis, Jessye Norman, Bernstein, and all the other giants of music. Go forth and conquer your destiny!