Who am I really?

I decided to make a collage for my project because of two things. 1: I cannot draw well enough to write and illustrate a book. 2: I didn’t want to write a poem or song because I’m not the best at at creative writing, and if I did manage to write something, I would be extremely nervous to say or sing something that I created in front of others. So, that is why I decided to take pictures and put them together in an artistic way and use it as my project.

Now onto the three questions: Who was I? Who am I now? Who do I want to be?

 Well I guess I will start with who I was. Before I came to college, I was a shy , homeschooled music geek who loved classical music and was constantly singing or humming something. (I still do this, but even more now that I’m a music student.) I didn’t have many friends, and the only kids I saw who were my age were at dance. It was always a dream of mine to have friends who were just as passionate and nerdy about music as I am.  I’m blessed to be here at Converse, constantly surrounded by people who feel the same way about music as I do. I have also made many new friends, most of them are music students, which is no surprise. All of them play different instruments, so I learn a lot about their specific instrument (like the different bowings and things) by talking to them.  So music friends are not only fun but educational! J

I have gone through a lot of changes the past few months as well. I have learned that college is WAY more stressful that high school ever was. I have also learned to be more responsible and how to be on my own. I also had to get used to all the work and making sure I get it all done on time. I have also grown to trust God more. As a Catholic, I always believed that He will help me through whatever I have to do. It is comforting to know that He is there for me and that St. Cecelia (the patron saint of musicians) is praying for me. I have become more outgoing as well. I am still quiet, but college has helped me come out of my shell a bit more.

I know that when I graduate, I want to go on to graduate school. I’m not sure where yet, but I have time to decide. But I do know that I want to go and get a Master’s  degree in collaborative piano or accompanying. ( whichever the school offers) I want to continue with voice as well so I can teach or be an opera coach, or both. I love performing onstage, I think it is one of the most exciting things to do; but I would much rather be behind the scenes and watching my students perform rather than me. I would be very content to help other musicians succeed and become successful singers and be known for teaching them than be a star myself. I know I’m on the path I want to take, I just have to keep working at it. It will be long and hard, but in the end well worth it.

Without our traditions our lives would be as shaky as a Fiddler on the Roof!

"Sings" TRADITION!!!! TRADITION! “duh duh duh duh duh” TRADITION!!!!

 

 

That is the first thing that came to my mind when I saw this week’s blog topic. I think Converse has some very unique and fun traditions, but the question is, if a new tradition was up for vote, what would it be?

 

 We all eat at Gee. (Well, MOST of us do) I will admit, I think Gee is actually pretty decent. But sometimes, I really want a certain food, and it doesn't show up on the menu until 2-3 weeks later.   So, why not have a tradition where US, THE STUDENTS, make and eat what we want. Naturally, my tradition would be called Students Run the Cafeteria Kitchen Weekend (I know, boring name). On the first weekend of the month, every month, two major groups sign up (example: biology and English)  to make lunch and dinner for that day. For instance, all the biology majors would make lunch and dinner for Saturday, and English majors would make lunch and dinner for Sunday. And it would rotate among all the majors, so each group would have a chance to make meals. By themselves. No cooks watching them and making sure they weren’t making an absolute mess. They have run of the kitchen and are free to bake or cook anything that they can think of. It can be as healthy or unhealthy as they want. It could be just desserts, just carrot sticks (that’s not a meal, that's a snack!) or a full blown 5 course meal, WHATEVER!  The cafeteria proviedes the ingredients and the students make the food themselves. The only rule would be that every single student has to help. There can't just be a group of 7 people making baked potatoes and one person making a quiche. It would be a team effort, as the old quote says “many hands make light work". But, they would have to clean up after themselves. No one would be allowed to leave until the kitchen was as clean as before they started cooking. Another good thing about my tradition would be that we give the hard-working chefs who work in the kitchen a nice little weekend off. How often do you think that those overworked chefs get a vacation? Not very often I think. I believe that there are many upsides to my made-up tradition. And this tradition is one that I would LOVE for Converse to have.

"So, what do you want to do with your life?"

What do I want to do with music? I could go on about this subject forever!

My dream career would definitely be being an opera coach at a opera company or university in Europe: Germany or Austria to be more specific. I would really go anywhere that would hire me, but Europe is my dream place to work. Well, it would be VERY NICE to be rich, but I know that that isn't very realistic. So I would like to be decent to well-off financially. It would be ideal to be married at that time so I don't have to be all alone in another country. (I think I would get quite lonely.) One advantage is that I would get to work in a awesome atmosphere with amazing singers and helping them progress in their own careers. Another one is I have always wanted to go to Europe, so working and living there would TOTALLY be a dream come true. Alas, there are disadvantages to this as well. I know that opera coaches often do not make a boatload of money. It is also hard to find jobs in this current economic situation, so I know it will be very hard to find a job. I know that I will not have a huge house, a super hot car, or a ton of expensive stuff; but I would be doing what I want to do, so I guess I won't mind too much. ( hehe)

Every year, Juilliard students come to my town to give master classes to local music and dance students. I participated in the dance masterclasses and have watched the voice masterclasses. Every year that I went, they brought this fantastic collaborative pianist with them. When I saw him work with the students and tell them correct pronunciations and different ways to better their pieces, I KNEW that was what I wanted to be. He was not a singer, but he knew most of the technique, could pronounce all the different languages, and on top of everything was an amazing pianist. Before that revelation, I knew that I was not made to be a concert pianist, or a opera star. An opera coach seemed like the perfect mix of both: I get to play the piano AND sing, so I don't have to give up either of the skills I have worked so hard on. I would much rather use my talent to help people be successful opera singers than to actually be one myself. Obviously, I am in college, to help me learn the things I need to in order to do the job I want. After I graduate, I will have to go to graduate school to get a Masters degree. Because opera coaches are basically accompanists, I will have to look for a school that has a collaborative piano or accompanying degree. If there was an accompanying degree at Converse, I would be all over it. I will have to continue with voice, of course. One doesn't have to be a singer to be an opera coach, as I mentioned earlier, but it does help a lot if you know technique. My current voice teacher is an opera coach, and one of the reasons she is so good (and one of the reasons that I wanted her as my teacher) is because she sang in Germany for years and has loads of experience. She also has degrees in both piano and voice, so basically she is what I want me to be someday. I know, its a huge dream, but I at least want the opera coach part to be right. The Europe/Germany bit is optional, but it would be nice. :)


THE RAINBOW CONNECTION!!!!!!  A couple years ago, my pointe dance was to a spoken Dr. Seuss story. We all wore colorful crazy costumes and huge fake eyelashes. It was the best!!! My teacher put in little music clips so we weren't just dancing to words, and an instrumental version of The Rainbow Connection was one of the songs she used. I got SO excited when I saw the video. See Natalie's blog for a picture;) I'm the one with the huge, glittery leaf tail.

2 years from now...

 

 

2014. I’m in my junior year. So much will have happened in the last two years. I can’t even think ahead to next week, much less 2 years from now, so this is a challenge. If I had to give a speech to the freshman class of 2014 it would probably sound something like this:

 

When I arrived at Converse, I knew that college was going to be a BIG change for me because I was homeschooled. Being homeschooled had its advantages, but there were some things that I had to get used to. For example, having A LOT of homework at one time and trying to do as much of it as possible the night that it was assigned. I also had to plan my day around all my classes and try to find the best times to practice and do my work. I had to find SOME amount of time in my extremely busy schedule to have some kind of relaxation. I have so much more to think about and DO in college then I ever did in my 4 years of high school. I got accustomed to my schedule and my new environment rather quickly, which was surprising. Going from doing school in my living room everyday to actually going to classes in different buildings and having multiple deadlines for every assignment was a big change for me. I was surprised I adjusted as quickly as I did to be honest. It will be strange for you at first and will take getting used to, but once you do, it is actually fun!

 

I faced a lot of challenges and difficulties these past 2 years as well. But the biggest one for me personally was (and still is) TIME MANAGEMENT. Aka trying to find time to find time to do all of my work and practicing in an extremely short 24 hour day. What really helped me was using a planner and trying to map out everything I had to do every day and finding the most optimal times to practice. I found that it really helps to do all of your practicing between classes so you aren’t practicing early in the morning or super late at night. Another thing is try to do your assignments and homework as soon as possible. Do not put off work AT ALL! Putting off homework is never the right thing to do. Even if a paper or assignment isn’t due until Sunday and it is assigned Wednesday, at least write a paragraph or two or start brainstorming some thoughts. Procrastination is never a good idea when it comes to schoolwork.

 

I have learned that if you need help with something, even if it is the smallest thing in the world, ask for help. You will find that there are many upperclassman and classmates who are willing to help you. Asking your professor doesn’t hurt either. They will be glad that you are being mature and taking responsibility for yourself. You may think that your professors (or your peers even) will judge you or think you aren’t smart for not understanding the material the first time. I felt the same way. But I realized, if you are already confused about something, you will become EVEN MORE confused if you try to muscle through it yourself. (especially a theory worksheet “cringe”)

 

My advice to you all is make sure to TAKE CARE OF YOURSELVES! Sometimes, you may have to choose between eating lunch and practicing for a recital. Don’t sacrifice your health for a paper. If you aren’t sleeping enough, you will be dysfunctional and not be able to learn anything in your classes because you are so tired. DO try your very hardest to eat a well- balanced diet, even in very stressful times. (For example: do not eat 6 Gee cookies in attempt to keep some of your sanity). Also try to exercise at least once a week. There is a small workout room/gym in the bottom of Montgomery. If that isn’t your thing; there is a also Zumba class (which is very fun by the way!) once a week in the athletic center. There are ways to keep fit here. If you make time to enjoy yourself every week, you will be much more mentally sound than if you are working all the time.

 

All in all, college will be a new and different experience, but it will be the adventure of a lifetime!

Time management...

Wow….has it REALLY been three whole weeks since my first day of college? It honestly feels like yesterday.

 It always seems as if the day is gone in 2 seconds: I wake up, go to class, and suddenly its noon.  I blink again and I'm sitting in Gee eating dinner.  And I still have SO much work, and it just seems like I won't be able to fit everything in. I often feel this way (and being a double major in music doesn't help AT ALL. haha)

 

Time management is an issue for me.  I am not an extremely organized person, but I'm not too laid back either. I often worry  that if I don't finish or read an assignment the night that it is assigned ( it might not be due for a couple days to a week even) that it will never get done.  I know, it's an immature way to think, but I realize that I need to work on it and try to get past it.  I am the type of person who stresses out VERY easily.  For some strange reason, I feel as if " I'm not constantly worried or stressing about something, even if it is the tiniest thing in the world, I'm not doing anything."  I know it doesn’t help the situation , but it makes me feel better.

 

The biggest challenge for me isn't exactly TIME management ( even though I DO need to find a way to better manage my time), but how to spend the time I have put aside for all my practicing and studying and other things in the best way I possibly can.  I could practice for 4 hours straight ( I would be dead tired…), but if I just play through my pieces for those hours,  I really haven't done much to further improve them.  I also need to find a way to keep focused, as I am easily distracted.

 

My advice to anyone who has this problem is map out your day and find times where you can sit down and study for a bit.  If you have thirty minutes to an hour between classes, start a homework assignment or read a chapter of a book you have to read.  If you don’t have much time,do what you can, but don’t try to cram a big  paper into twenty minutes.  ( or if you are a music major, go practice or study theory terms. If you have a lot of time, do the practice mode on Macgamut or write all of the key signatures and scales.)

 

I haven't really found a tool or technique that REALLY works for me yet.  But what I have been doing recently is just forcing myself to concentrate.  I do my flash cards over and over and try not let my mind wander.  I also try to practice and study at times when I know that I can get them done.  For example: in between my music classes, I go practice; before and after dinner, I study and do homework.  My mind still wanders, but the worry of failing the class or test and flunking out of school makes me come back to reality.  I know that trying to fit all the things I have to do in 24 hours is something that I’m struggling with and will keep working on.  In order to survive college, (this first semester even) I need to find a better solution FAST.  If anyone has any suggestions, feel free to tell me! :)

 

I decided to go to college because it is my ambition to be an opera coach(accompanying), voice teacher, or even both.  In order to do that I have to get an education in the fields I will be teaching. I never thought about NOT going to college, I guess that I always knew that I would go. I don't know if it was ever a dream of mine to go to college, I just automatically thought that "you always go to college after high school" so as I said before, I always knew and expected that I would. Granted, I know college isn't for everyone, but I know and believe that it is for me. (Even though at times I know I will be extremely stressed and frustrated.)

 

I decided to come to Converse for many reasons. My piano teacher is an alum and said extremely positive things about the school and raved about how good the programs were. I admit, at first I did think " a women's college? No.." But as soon as I visited the campus and met all the friendly staff members and amazing professors, I knew that it was the place for me to go. And the music building is absolutely beautiful!! (a big plus sign). All the other colleges I visited just didn't feel like home to me, but I definitely feel at home at Converse.

 

 

I  didn't seriously get thinking about doing music in college until I was about 15, so I needed to get myself up to snuff very fast so to speak. But I'm here now so I guess it worked! All of the music professors that I have met are amazing musicians and they are all such fun people to be around. Basically, they are just the right people to learn from. Another reason is that  I am a double major in piano and vocal performance, and no other colleges I looked at would let me double major, or at least even try. I am very greatfull that I am able to attempt this at Converse.

 

A Muppet????? OK, why not!!! I would not be a serious Muppet, but not a totally crazy Muppet either. I guess I would be an in-between temperament Muppet with neon yellow, spiky fur, and I would be small as I am a short person. I would have glasses as well, but sometimes I would wear contacts. I would sing and dance all the time and make all the other Muppets annoyed with my random dances and songs. I would also love food and eat lots of it all the time. And I would DEFINITELY play the banjo.