A MUSIC STUDENT'S LIFE
Ever wonder what a day in the life of a KU music student might be like? Well, wonder no more. Two current University of Kansas music students (both student ambassadors for the School of Music) share their daily experiences and their valuable advice for new and future music students!
Ann Wu: Though I would like to believe that I can be as satirical as composer and pianist Erik Satie in his prose piece The
Musician’s Day (1913), my life is unfortunately not as artistic and my humor not as cynical. The most I can do is offer a couple bits
and pieces I’ve picked up from my last four years in Murphy.
Like most others who "live" in Murphy Hall, I’ve fallen prey
to ghost hours. What are ghost hours?
They are the hours I spend in class that aren’t reflected in my actual
schedule. For example, according to KU
I’m enrolled in 13 hours. In reality there is no way seven classes can fit into
13 hours. And thus, we have
ghost hours. There’s no way to avoid
them, so we might as well embrace them...
With that said, the most important and most difficult
part of being a music major is time management.
Staying on top of various ensemble rehearsals, classes, labs, chamber
rehearsals, practice time, homework, work, private lessons, meetings, and clubs
makes my central schedule my best friend.
The only way I remember to show up when I’m scheduled to and turn an
assignment in on time is to use syllabus week as my “calendar week." I take all my syllabi and enter all
important dates and assignments into my iCal.
After that, I put in all of my classes, work hours, and ensemble
rehearsals. As much as I want to believe
I can remember a set schedule week after week, I somehow manage to double book
myself semester after semester. My
solution to that problem is to let my classes repeat on a weekly basis until
the semester ends. It's amazing how much
easier it is to manage my time when I can see my week laid out in front of me!
After time management, the next thing I do to get ready for
the semester might make professors cringe…BUT I truly believe it is a
necessary step. I run through my
schedule and prioritize my classes and commitments. Once I’ve done that, it’s much easier to
decide where I should start when it comes to homework, and what I can let slide
if there isn’t enough time. I’ve found
that doing this makes homework less overwhelming and easier to keep track of.
With everything going on in school, it’s easy to forget one
essential: stay healthy. This
can be boiled down to two simple tasks: remember to eat and sleep. It may feel like there’s not enough time, but
the quality of work produced after a solid night’s sleep compared to a rough
two-three hours is the difference between an A and a C. As for food, there really is no excuse. Our bodies won’t function without fuel and in
today’s world of power bars and snack wraps, there’s no reason why we can’t
have lunch in one hand while we’re analyzing a fugue with the other.
Personally, I tend to go for a semi well-crafted sandwich, but to each his
own.
My last piece of advice is to have a social life. It’s easy
to get overworked. Everyone needs a
break now and then. If a break
isn’t possible in the near future, then having friends to do
homework with, vent to and pull all-nighters with is the next best thing. We all want
to believe we can get through this by our own strength and will power, but
sometimes admitting we need a shoulder or two to help us through is the best
thing we can do for ourselves.
-Ann Wu, musicology student from Overland Park, Kansas
Kal Dodson: Growing
up, I was always someone who had an immense love for performing arts--in
particular music. So when I decided to enroll in KU’s School of Music to pursue a music education degree, no one was surprised. But no
amount of previous musical experience could have prepared me for the
amazing program at KU.
Now that I am a junior, I know what to expect and how to prepare for the rewarding but busy lifestyle of a music student. However, before I entered the school I was like many outsiders--I did not know how strenuous of a degree path music education might be. During new student orientation I was in a group that was full of fellow music students. And when I enrolled in nine classes I thought this was normal because the rest of the music students were in enrolling in similar amount of classes. It wasn’t until school started that I realized most people only have 2-4 classes a day instead of the 5-6!
Ask any music student where they are during the day and I bet money they say “Murphy." Us music students live, sleep, and breathe in Murphy Hall. Okay, maybe we do not sleep there, but we do form a bond in this school that I would say is very unique to other schools. As cheesy as it may sound, it’s like you form this little music family, and it's one of my favorite things about being a part of this school.
So how does someone really prepare for this life? What can we do the few weeks before classes start, and the few weeks into classes, to make the most out of being a music student at KU? There are some simple things you can do, like getting your books ahead of time, reviewing some music theory and practicing your instrument. But I think the biggest things that helped me prepare for a year in music were organization, taking advantage of peer resources, and having a positive attitude.
Since elementary school my teachers have been trying to force me to be organized, stressing the importance of having a planner, keeping multiple systems of folders, tallies and sticky notes. It wasn’t until I started college that I realized how important organization was. Every year before school starts I make sure I have an awesome planner, folders for all my classes, and color coordinated highlighters. The highlighters might be much, but I can’t express more how easily you can become unorganized. I am also the most forgetful person I know; between class, work, practicing music and Greek life, scheduling becomes crazy. My planner is my most treasured item.
Between my job as a School of Music ambassador and my classes, I am in Murphy Hall all day, and I’ve really learned to utilize my resources within the building. My peers are huge resources for me. Because of the tight-knit atmosphere that comes with being a music student, I almost instantly made friends within the School. We would frequently ask each other questions, whether it was about music theory or an upcoming concert. This was vital for my success. Also, I got a locker! Now I can store music equipment and my books. Carrying six classes worth of material all day is quite a pain, and a locker makes this so much easier.
Most importantly, I think keeping a positive attitude is the most crucial thing while preparing for a semester. Holding a position within the School of Music as a student ambassador, being involved in my Greek Chapter and handling my class load can make for very late and stressful nights. As long as I keep a positive attitude, I really appreciate what a great music program I am privileged to be a part of. I know that dreaded music theory and music history overlap is a killer, but all my hard work is starting to pay off.
So, if someone were to ask me how I prepare for a semester at The University of Kansas School of Music, I would tell them: I buy a sturdy planner and some awesome highlighters (I love highlighters) and a lot of cough drops. I check out a locker and scope out the library and my resources. But most importantly, I go into it excited! I try to keep a positive attitude throughout the good and bad times.
-Kalli Dodson, music education and voice student from Olathe, Kansas
Now that I am a junior, I know what to expect and how to prepare for the rewarding but busy lifestyle of a music student. However, before I entered the school I was like many outsiders--I did not know how strenuous of a degree path music education might be. During new student orientation I was in a group that was full of fellow music students. And when I enrolled in nine classes I thought this was normal because the rest of the music students were in enrolling in similar amount of classes. It wasn’t until school started that I realized most people only have 2-4 classes a day instead of the 5-6!
Ask any music student where they are during the day and I bet money they say “Murphy." Us music students live, sleep, and breathe in Murphy Hall. Okay, maybe we do not sleep there, but we do form a bond in this school that I would say is very unique to other schools. As cheesy as it may sound, it’s like you form this little music family, and it's one of my favorite things about being a part of this school.
So how does someone really prepare for this life? What can we do the few weeks before classes start, and the few weeks into classes, to make the most out of being a music student at KU? There are some simple things you can do, like getting your books ahead of time, reviewing some music theory and practicing your instrument. But I think the biggest things that helped me prepare for a year in music were organization, taking advantage of peer resources, and having a positive attitude.
Since elementary school my teachers have been trying to force me to be organized, stressing the importance of having a planner, keeping multiple systems of folders, tallies and sticky notes. It wasn’t until I started college that I realized how important organization was. Every year before school starts I make sure I have an awesome planner, folders for all my classes, and color coordinated highlighters. The highlighters might be much, but I can’t express more how easily you can become unorganized. I am also the most forgetful person I know; between class, work, practicing music and Greek life, scheduling becomes crazy. My planner is my most treasured item.
Between my job as a School of Music ambassador and my classes, I am in Murphy Hall all day, and I’ve really learned to utilize my resources within the building. My peers are huge resources for me. Because of the tight-knit atmosphere that comes with being a music student, I almost instantly made friends within the School. We would frequently ask each other questions, whether it was about music theory or an upcoming concert. This was vital for my success. Also, I got a locker! Now I can store music equipment and my books. Carrying six classes worth of material all day is quite a pain, and a locker makes this so much easier.
Most importantly, I think keeping a positive attitude is the most crucial thing while preparing for a semester. Holding a position within the School of Music as a student ambassador, being involved in my Greek Chapter and handling my class load can make for very late and stressful nights. As long as I keep a positive attitude, I really appreciate what a great music program I am privileged to be a part of. I know that dreaded music theory and music history overlap is a killer, but all my hard work is starting to pay off.
So, if someone were to ask me how I prepare for a semester at The University of Kansas School of Music, I would tell them: I buy a sturdy planner and some awesome highlighters (I love highlighters) and a lot of cough drops. I check out a locker and scope out the library and my resources. But most importantly, I go into it excited! I try to keep a positive attitude throughout the good and bad times.
-Kalli Dodson, music education and voice student from Olathe, Kansas
