What I Wish I Knew Before I Became a Music Major
No, I do not regret being a music major. I know some of you were thinking that was my angle based on the title, but as challenging as it is, I love music and dream of making a lifelong career through it. The arts and humanities are essential if we want to live in an informed, compassionate, introspective, and innovative world.
Here, I want to share 3 things that would’ve helped me immensely in my undergraduate years as a music performance major had I known them before beginning school. These aren’t lessons you will be able to learn immediately, they take time. But being aware of them and giving thought to them will already put you ahead of the curve as an undergraduate musician.
1. You will Improve MORE if You Take Breaks
You do not have to practice 4+ hours every single day, you don’t. I used to think I was a bad musician if I didn’t practice my clarinet for four hours every day on top of all my rehearsals and performance classes. I’d strongly feel the infamous “practice guilt” if one day I only played three hours and used the extra hour to spend time with my friends. I considered it an unproductive day.
It took me until my senior year to realize that I could not only be just as good of a player but an even better one if I gave myself more breaks. Maybe practicing 4 hours one day, 2.5 hours the next, and 3 hours the next. I’ll be honest, I still need to be better at taking full days off though. Reducing practice time occasionally or taking a day off completely ever so often is going to help your playing improve more than if you are constantly grinding without breaks.
Resting gives your muscles time to recover so they won’t become strained and injured. Resting gives your brain time to absorb and process the concepts you’ve been working on in the practice room. Resting gives your mind and emotions a break with needed space away from music and the instrument that, as much as we may love it, can cause incredible amounts of stress and anxiety. And resting allows you to then go do something else that soothes your soul and makes you happy. Perhaps you do use that extra hour to go get a drink with friends or use that day off to go for a hike in nature and then come home and read a book while sipping on some tea.
I would’ve improved a lot faster and been in a much better headspace if only I knew the importance of rest when I first entered my undergraduate years. Please rest, you need and deserve it. Your mind and body will thank you and reward you.
2. You Must Find Happiness Away from Your Instrument
Giving an awesome recital, improving our skills on our instruments, winning a competition or audition… these are all incredible things that bring such joy to musicians, things that feed us and drive us to keep perfecting our craft. The reality is, though, that a career in music is also brutal. There are so many great musicians tirelessly working every day for years only to not win a job, and they end up switching careers. For artists, their work is so deeply intertwined with their self-worth, and if they fail, it can be soul-crushing.
Once I understood this harsh reality of pursuing a career in music, I was surrounded with stress and anxiety for years as I thought I just had to work, work, work, and surround myself with nothing but music if I wanted to have a tiny chance of making it in this competitive field. Not surprisingly, I experienced burnout. I still practiced every day, but the music I was making had no meaning behind it while the tone coming from my clarinet didn’t sound beautiful or ringing no matter what I did to fix it. I didn’t enjoy practicing anymore.
At the time, I didn’t realize that what I needed wasn’t some “clarinetistic” technical solution, what I needed was the ability to be happy outside of music and the clarinet. I didn’t come to this realization or see its effects until my gap year following my undergrad. For me, time away from school made a huge difference. I was able to explore new ways of working, new interests, manage my time as I needed, meet new people, and more. I didn’t realize it until my teacher told me, but I was genuinely happier, my soul was happier.
One day, I was having a Zoom lesson (thanks covid) with my private clarinet teacher, Diana Haskell, when she told me that I was sounding so much better these days and that even the way I was looking at the computer screen was with more joy. That was my favorite piece of feedback in that entire lesson. I could feel it, happiness, and I was a better clarinetist because of it too! The very air I was putting into my instrument was coming from a better place within me, and she could hear the difference.
Music is many of our dreams and brings so much joy, but I strongly encourage you to explore your passions outside of music, the things that make your souls happy. This could be anything from a hobby to having the right relationships with friends or a partner. You will feel more fulfilled and your music-making will improve too.
3. Injury Prevention and Healthy Habits for Musicians
I wish I knew how common it is for musicians to become injured. I wish someone told me about this so I could’ve taken proactive steps to prevent the injuries I’ve had. Truthfully, I think most music programs are still dropping the ball on teaching injury prevention and healthy habits for their students. There was no requirement for anything like this in my undergrad. At most, I took one semester of Alexander Technique and went to a few guest lectures on the Feldenkrais method and mindfulness, but that’s all there really was.
Undergraduate musicians are suddenly playing 6–8+ hours a day. This is the beginning of their music careers, so it’s crucial to educate them on how to properly use their bodies, how to prevent injury, and what to do if they become injured. I wish I had been taught stretches for my large and small muscles, to engage the large muscles so I wouldn’t overuse and strain the small muscles in my hands and forearms, mental toughness techniques, or the value of resting.
I’ve dealt with a recurring injury for over five years now. If you are interested in how I’ve learned to manage an injury mentally and physically, I encourage you to read my two-part article on my clarinet hand injury. Though I speak as a clarinetist, the tips I share are applicable to most all musicians.
Mia holds her B.M. in Clarinet Performance from Indiana University and is currently pursuing her masters in this field. With her writing, she aims to shed light on the less conventional and less discussed aspects of being a modern musician.
