Misconceptions About Music Students and Challenges

This is not meant to be a rant, but rather an article to explain to the people who think it's fun for art students. I mean, it's serious business too, you know? As a full-time music student, I've heard things like 'Oh you study music? It must be fun. You guys just listen to music all day' or 'It's not that hard', or things along the line. Those, my friends, are what you don't tell people in any field — especially to someone in the arts. Artists are trying hard enough to pursue their passions. We don't need further discouragement from society about our career choices. We're just not taken seriously enough. Also, pursuing our passions doesn't mean a bed of roses.

#1: We listen to music all day.

About that — Yes, we do listen to music, not all day — at least not all the time. It depends. During practice, rehearsals, and recording sessions. We don't just listen. We're constantly analysing what we hear and how we can improve that. Sometimes we listen and analyse not just to improve upon it but also to deconstruct and replicate our own in the same style and genre. Those styles and genres of music may not even be the type that we enjoy, even if we're studying it. But it does help us to become more versatile, well-rounded musicians.

Also, listening to music all day can get tiring, though. Our ears and brain can get tired. No matter what we listen to, we can't help but notice the bass lines, the harmonies, the melody structure and the overall production. This is just ingrained in us. Once you study something, the way you look or listen to it changes. It's the same for most, if not all professions.

#2: Art forms are serious studies too

It's not easy. For us musicians, we're often tasked to imitate styles of different periods in time and analyse harmonies, structure, style, structure, and defining characteristics — and that process is not all fun at all, at least to me. This applies to the popular music performance, classical performance, and composition streams that I know of. The composers, however, do this most. Music theory is difficult too. There's math involved. Yes, beyond just counting beats. Ever heard of the matrix table used in compositions of the 20th century? We're constantly analysing, deconstructing, and replicating. Performing is no easy feat too. It's all worth it, though.

#3: The field is competitive

Very competitive. My current cohort in my degree programme across 5 streams only consists of 29 people. In my previous music production diploma programme, around 50 people. It's not easy to always get in, and I know quite a handful of ex-classmates who dropped out at various times throughout the 3-year programme. Whether to pursue music in their own ways or careers in other industries altogether and ditch being a full-time musician.

#4: Connections hardly feel genuine

Oftentimes, the connections don't really feel real. I think this is common in many industries though. Making friends is a little tricky especially when connections are so important and is emphasised at every phase of your artistic practice. People only approach you when they need a favour, and it's generally hard to make any genuine friends. My closest friends remain to be people outside of my industry, as I find that easier. Many others that I know of feel the same way too. It all feels very transactional. Maybe it's just something we're still figuring out, though. But it can happen, and quite often. Be extra careful who you trust.

#5: You get judged by peers a lot

You kind of get judged on your abilities -- a lot. This isn't happening in my current school, but it was crazy obvious during my diploma studies. Being a tiny cohort of 50+ students (typical diploma cohort size lies in the hundred and above range), everyone pretty much knew everyone. And it's obvious who's a great musician and who isn't. Or are good, but not as popular.

People would often hang out with the ones who are skilled which makes them popular and rarely talked to the people who aren't deemed the opposite. The 'good' ones tend to be very popular and high key even among lecturers. I understand why, but the ones that I've met...just don't hide their arrogance that well.

Sometimes, people just won't bother to associate with or look at you no matter how great of a person you are. If your skills suffer, so do you as a person. All of these, coming from your classmates. Don't forget the popular ones being extra nice to the lecturers though. In such a realistic world, this is understandable, though still upsetting. It took me a long time to get used to it, even though I still don't approve of it. It's all about the connection, right? Even if it's 'dirty' or underhanded. There's nothing I can do about that except to make sure it feels genuine coming from myself to others.

We're often asked to give feedback on each others' performance and song presentations. Aside from that, people can be really judgemental. It totally depends on the people you end up with, though. This is just based on my experience, along with the experience of a few other friends who studied in other music programmes as well. Just a tiny glimpse of my own past experience. This may not be true everywhere else.

#6: It feels like work because it is.

Playing becomes part of every assignment, and it's no longer just play but practice. It's not exactly fun anymore. With every performance, you get judged by everybody. Everything becomes work. Sometimes, it's hard to find joy in it. This would've happened to most musicians (and I believe everyone who works, really) at any point in time, and it's normal. As long as you're studying and getting paid to do what you enjoy, no matter how much you enjoy it, it can feel like work. Not immediately, but eventually. It's still nice to do what you love full-time though. Not having to balance that while studying something that sucks the life out of you.

#7: Practice, practice, practice

Practice — we’re all encouraged to practise multiple hours a day. Some classical musicians practice for 6-8 hours. We’re expected to do 4-6 as students, but since it can be tough alongside our class schedule, 3 on average is the best my classmates and I from the same classical performance stream can do. Yeah, it’s an unwritten though openly spoken rule. And yes, no practice = guilt. Especially coming from lecturers who claimed to have done 6-8 hours during their undergrad times, it can bring you stress. It feels like your whole life just revolves around that one thing. But as mentioned in my Jack of All trades series, this just isn't for me.

One of my friends who did her diploma in an art school said she didn't have a life for 3 years. All she did during all of the breaks in between classes was practice. Everyone else did the same. There were barely any social interactions, aside from judging someone based on how much they practised and giving feedback in class. Her mental health took a toll from the constant pressure. She told me that she takes comfort in no longer studying there.

Final thoughts

Again, this was not meant to be a rant (okay, kinda, sorry), but to roughly explain what music students and professional musicians face often. People who think pursuing passions is a bed of roses, that it must be fun -- well, they're not all wrong either. It can be fun sitting in a classroom, actually learning what you want to. It feels way better than being forced to learn the next algebraic formula that's just not that applicable in my life. Nonetheless, I am grateful to study what I was curious about and later turned into a passion by working really hard for it. This is just for the people who think that studying art is fun and easy. I promise you it's serious work, and please not say any of these to any artists.