The End of the Beginning of the Rest of my Life

     As I told the class, I was a Teacher Cadet my senior year. Taking this class was possibly the smartest and most rewarding decision I could have possibly made. I was able to go out into the field and experiment through teaching different grades, and teaching different subjects. When I knew that I could not see myself teaching anything else besides music I set up my practicum with my mentor and high school chorus director, Rusty Keesler. He opened his class of all freshman guys to my observation and experimentation. (And yes Dr. Vaneman, they did love me.) I was allowed teach the class about IPA and to conduct on the Christmas concert and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I realized at this moment there was nothing else I could do to make myself happier without performing. So, for my project I chose to reflect this in a foldable that I learned to create during this class. One of the many projects we had to do was to turn the state standards of our chosen subject into “Foldables” as a way of relaying the information. I had to make foldables on sight singing and solfege. Fun, huh? SO for this project I decided to “teach the class” about the progression of my life thus far using a technique I know I will use in the future.
     In my past I was not eager to take risks or chances in any aspect of life. I didn’t try to make friends of music of my own. I did not try out for a solo or a part unless I knew I had it in the bag because I was afraid of failure. While I got my mom’s taste in music, I inherited my dad’s cynical mindset. I lived in the theory of “what’s the point of making friends or looking forward to things: I will only be disappointed or hurt in the end.” Quickly, I figured out that college would be the worst experience of my life if I continued to live this way. So just as quickly I tried to change and become more optimistic. And while my defining sarcasm still remains, I have found myself secretly meaning the things I say less and less.
     This semester has certainly been one of the wildest rides of my life. In one short semester I have already seen more changes in myself than I can count. I am more sociable, more willing to forgive others, more open to criticism and advice, and more willing to just complete the project without stressing for an hour and half about whether or not its good enough. I am less likely to revert back to my hermit days of staying home and studying, and only truly caring about spending time with family and my very, very, very small group of friends. I made the choice when I came here to branch out and actually try and be that girl that fits in. I hope I have accomplished this goal.
       In my voice lessons I have been more open to criticism and more likely to just go practice it and take it as advice on building upon what I am already doing well rather than a slap in the face. Dr. MacPhail has become the most helpful person in making this transition from high school and the Lawson Academy less stressful. I have seen a huge improvement in the things I can do with my voice since I’ve been here. Already, I have learned so many essential skills in one semester. MacGamut is getting a little easier, piano is becoming fun, and music history is helping me find the words I could never think of before. While fright singing and fear training still scare the living daylights out of me, and theory still gives me a very distinct headache above my right eye, I can say its not as daunting as it once was. In addition, I know these things are imperative to making my dreams come true. Teaching a class that involves sight singing and key signatures and pianos would be extremely difficult if I had no idea how to do any of that. I have to go through this torture to get to the end, and as Megan tells me all the time, “if it were easy everyone could do it.” I am looking forward to the rest of this roller coaster and finding where it takes me.

Let's Make 1889 Truly a Spirit Week!

            To me, the history and tradition behind Converse College are what makes it so beautiful. I have never in my life toured a school that talked about so many traditions. On the first day I officially visited was for a scholarship contest, and they were giving walking tours of the campus. Even though I grew up on this campus, I was still curious. On this tour they talked up all of the thousands of traditions this place carries out every year. Among these were peppermint ball, founder’s day, Big Sis/ Lil Sis week, and of course 1889 week. The tour guide made this week sound like a blast, like our spirit weeks in high school but much more fun and involved. But to be honest. I was slightly disappointed. I expected this week to be insane and filled with social activities around the clock. Even Dr. Vaneman said the week would be crazy and to be prepared to decide what social events to attend. Turns out, I had no problem at all prioritizing my time because there was really nothing to do. I expected the school to be completely decorated like it was for Big Sis/ Lil Sis week. (I actually felt more pride during that week). I figured 1889 week would be so much bigger.
So, I am suggesting that 1889 week actually live up to its hype. The school should be ten times more decorated than it was for Big Sis/ Lil Sis week. Along with the other class competitions, I think that each class should decorate a part of campus, as well as their banners. I can imagine streamers and chalk everywhere and classes up in the middle of the night to decorate in secret.
I also think that 1889 week should have theme days, with class competitions of who had the best costumes for each day, which would be added in to the final tally. The theme days could be anything, dress up like a valkary, dress up like to match your twin from Big Sis/ Lil Sis week, and so on. There are endless possibilities to the themes and the fun. Each theme day could also have an event that went along with it, either at lunch, dinner, or later in the evening to bring all members of the college together. For example, on twin day we could hold three legged races for each set of twin, with one or two groups representing each class, and the winners get points, or just having a movie showing on the quad each night. Also, the dance at the end could use a little renovation. Having the event off campus makes it difficult to attend or even find the dance. I know I had a hard time. Perhaps next year the dance should be in a more accessible location.
1889 week is about class competition, fundraising, and service, but ultimately about bringing the school together for some collegiate fun. Having little to nothing to do during this week makes it, frankly, a dud. I’m suggesting that we should add a little pizzazz to 1889 and accomplish that goal. Adding social events each day, rather than on the weekend, will help 1889 live up to its reputation and will be a lot more to look forward to.

And the award goes to...

I’m on a stage. Lights are blinding me. The ball gown costume I’m wearing is squeezing my stomach and I can barely breathe. My legs are shaking with nerves and I suddenly can’t remember why I’m even standing here in the first place. The music swells. I begin singing the first phrase. I now remember. All of the nerves are gone, and nothing but the music matters now. This is where I belong. 


My dream career to sing on a professional stage. I want to sing in as many operas as I can. I want to make opera appealing to the younger demographic. I want to use my income to build a Performing Arts high school in the south eastern area, Charleston, in specific.  My career will be built around performing and teaching others to follow the same dream. I would be singing for a living. I would be spending my time doing what I love to do. Famous opera singers get to live a glamorous life and travel the world to perform. 


However, nothing is perfect, and therefore even the most incredible career will have some faults. Any career that is based around performing is highly subjective. One’s entire income is based on others opinion’s of the performer and what is “in” at that point in time. The economy also can put a damper on this kind of career. The less money people have, they are less willing to pay large amounts of money to go see an opera.  Also, a simple cold can bring down an entire show. A case of laryngitis can put a singer out of work and practice for weeks at a time, which could be detrimental to this career.  But the truly great performers and musicians come back from these set backs. 


In order to fulfill this dream and become the best singer I can be I have to focus from now on. I have to devote at least an hour a day to practicing and learning new repertoire. Even though my major is Music Education, I can still take any chance I get to perform and audition for as much as possible to get my name, face, and talent known. I chose to major in Music Education for job security, but my true passion is in both teaching and performing. For the rest of my college career and beyond I must engage myself in every possible musical event and opportunity. Getting involved and making contacts is a major advantage in this kind of career and will also help me when I make my Performing Arts High School happen. But most importantly, practice makes perfect, and constant exposure will stretch my talent so I can eventually feel those lights on my face, and not just the ones in Daniel. 

Music to Soothe the Savage Breast (I Promise That's How it was Originally Written)

I am such a music-minded person that I can honestly listen to anything, but I am a sucker for good jazz, alternative, and of course, art music. As strange as this may seem, my ride to work in the afternoon has often become my solace from the stress level that continues to rise with every new assignment. When theory makes me want to cry, history makes me want to scream, and MacGamut makes me want to vomit, I know for a fact that these the following three songs will help me gain my composure, breathe, and move on. 


All it takes to calm me down is to listen to a few songs by Jack Johnson. I know Jack Johnson is extremely cliché, but his music makes me feel like I’m at the beach, and that relaxes me. I chose Jack Johnson’s “Better Together” because I know what this feels like. I know the feeling of hating the entire world around you, until you are with that one person that somehow manages to make everything better. 

The music of Adele puts me in the mind of blues, and for whatever reason I can connect with blues more than any other genre. I picked her amazing song, “Don’t You Remember” because it is basically the story of my past two relationships. (Remember the implied guy in the last section? Well, he broke my heart and thereby leading to this section.)  I also used this song for my American Idol audition this summer. (No, I didn’t make it past the producers. But neither did Mercedes from Glee or Colbie Caillet, so I’m still good.)  This songs urges me to contemplate my life, the decisions I’ve made, and where I’m headed, which, even though it can often be painful, gives me a break from thinking about triads, intervals and The Epic of Gilgamesh. 

I grew up in a household with a mother who had a, in my opinion, totally rational obsession with U2. My mother successfully passed on that obsession to her offspring. My primary goal in life is to see U2 live before Bono kicks. I have compiled all of her U2 CDs and made two fantastic CDs for my car. My absolute favorite song is “Window in the Skies”. Something about the analogies and Biblical allusions in the lyrics intrigue me. The upbeat tempo and overall message of the song truly relaxes me, and it also helps me think of home, and of course, Ireland. 

Oh, Freshman Year...

   Hey y’all! I just want to say, WELCOME TO CONVERSE, LADIES!! Okay, now you can say you’ve officially heard those words 20,000 times. But seriously- I’m here to help you navigate college life: combating stress, dealing with music theory, and simply enjoying the small things.
   First, make friends. I was a loner in high school- the one who sat at the lunch table, alone, and read. I figured college would be no different. Boy, was I wrong. As soon as I got here I was instantly bombarded with people wanting to talk. It brought me out of my shell, and as much as I hated it, I needed it. The greatest challenge I faced my freshman year was my Music Theory class. I came from a high school that if you weren’t on the football team you did not exist. Music was not a primary focus, in terms of chorus. We had no AP Music Theory class, and the Choral department barely had enough funds to put on a concert at the end of the year. (Yet the football team gets personalized mouthpieces and a jumbo-tron. Does something seem off to you guys?) I came to college knowing absolutely nothing about music theory other than what I’d already forgotten from my piano lessons. I had to start from scratch and try and teach myself the theory everyone else knew just to keep up. It took a lot out of me, and I failed the occasional quiz or homework assignment. I got very discouraged and had countless tear-filled phone calls with my mother about the GPA you have to maintain to keep a scholarship. However, I soon found I didn’t have to do it alone. I could get together with friends in the Williams lobby, and while yes, we often got very distracted, I learned a lot from them: the same peers I tried so hard to keep away from.
 Time management is also a huge aspect of college success so keep a planner and stay organized. I’m not saying you have to keep an anal minute by minute diary, 8:00 wake up, 8:03 brush teeth, etc., etc, but do keep a basic outline of when your classes are, when your practice times are, and when need to work, sleep, eat and study. It really helped me to stay focused and on top of things. I actually kept two planners, one for day to day activities and times, and one for the assignments I planned to get done each day.
   Lastly, have fun. Keeping yourself relatively sane is hard I love what I do. I contemplated changing my major to psychology with a minor in philosophy and dropping music all together. I figured I wasn’t good enough at it to even continue trying. The words of many stuck in my head though. I was told over and over not to give up when I feel as if I’m being pushed to my limit. Music has always been my life, and I knew deep down there was nothing more I’d rather do with it. Yes, psychology and philosophy are truly fascinating but they are not my passion. I encourage those of you in this room that I know are contemplating the same exact thing to not give up. College is supposed to be the greatest time of your life. Otherwise, they wouldn’t make so many movies about it. Yes, stress a little about the things that truly matter, but do not let your mind get the best of you. Try to be too overwhelmed, otherwise you cannot enjoy this time of learning and experiencing new things. The occasional trip to Twisty’s or Starbucks with a few friends, or going to a community event is what makes college so memorable. Spending the small breaks of time with the people who will eventually become like family to you is why they stick with you for the rest of your life. College will ultimately be what you make of it, so make it the best it can be.

All Work and No Play: That Tricky Thing Called Time Management

       When the topic of time management is brought up, I usually tend to curl up in a ball and stress out about the things I still have to do and how there are never enough hours in the day to complete the aforementioned tasks. I am also a perfectionist and therefore I am afraid to do those tasks because I might mess up in my attempts to finish the task on time and complete it wrong or poorly due to the lack of time I seem to have. Fear of failure and fear of not having enough time to complete the projects has become my biggest problem in terms of time management. When I read the blog topic I actually got freaked out because I remembered that was just one more thing I had to do and turned my computer to hulu.com and started watching The Office. This was not a healthy response to work overload. Procrastination is not the best response to a prompt on time management. So I sat and thought for a minute. Rather than just switching majors to avoid stress, which I did think about a few times, I have begun to organize my day by the hour in an adorable day planner. Seeing each hour planned out allows me to manage my time more effectively, and allows me to finally relax. I’m already starting to feel some stress relief. Viewing each hour allowed me to see that I have more time than I realized. Assigning specific times of the day for practicing, homework, and studying not only gives me a basic outline of what needs to be done throughout my day, but also requires me to block off only the necessary times needed to practice and study, no more and no less.
    I am a firm believer in having time to yourself to simply relax: detox, if you will. I believe a person can go into overload and quit functioning properly. Remember that we are not robots. We do not just occasionally make a whirring noise and shut down. Humans need sleep. Because I am practically immune to the effects of caffeine, I am still a monster in the morning if I don’t get the government regulated necessary hours of sleep, so I have a habit of constantly worrying about it. So I have made sure to schedule sleep and relaxation into my hourly schedule. 
     So, obviously, my advice to my fellow Student Success Seminar classmates is to buy a planner. Make it a cute planner with birds or flowers on it so you will remember that it exists and use it religiously.  Try as hard as you can to stick with the schedule you have planned for yourself in order to effectively avoid procrastination and therefore mounds of unneeded stress. And also, sleep. Give yourself time to relax and don’t spend too much time perfecting that blog assignment. Block off set times to focus on certain projects and adhere to that schedule. If you spend to much time perfecting one, you will lose time set aside for the other ten or twenty things music majors have to deal with. The key to success and healthy time management is to strike a balance. Find a schedule of work and play that works for you. It is helping me already. 

College and Mr. Wonka

      I chose to come to college so I could experience the world around me on my own, without the overbearing guidance from my parents. I wanted to learn more about music in a more individual and personalized environment that simply focuses on music, rather than the 1 hour and 40 minute a day chorus class offered in high school. I wanted to explore and develop my talents in a setting that encouraged free and creative thinking, while helping me to find my true voice, not just in singing but in other aspects as well. I knew that a college education, in particular, a liberal arts education, would allow me to create my own major, and thus my own future. I will be able to explore not just one field, but several. I knew that I wanted to venture off the beaten path and discover things I might have never dreamed. 
     Converse offered me the individual and personalized setting I was looking for. I took voice lessons from Dr. Cathy Siarris at the Alia Lawson Academy starting at the age of eight. I grew up on this campus. It already felt like home to me. I already knew most of the music faculty and I was familiar with the campus. Every other school I visited was just that, a visit. I never truly felt at home until I decided to attend this school. I knew I did not want to be a number and that I needed a familiar and welcoming face that would work with on a individual and personal level. I knew that anywhere else, I would be lost in the crowd and would never be able to keep my head above the chocolate and would be sucked up into the pipe of failure. 
      As mentioned before, I grew up in music and the arts. My mother is a painter and drawer and often took me with her to paint murals. I was in dance lessons at the age of three. I was in voice at the age of ten and in piano at the age of twelve. Music and the arts have always been a primary element in my life. It was my outlet, it was my talent, it was my passion. It did not take me long at all to realize that I was meant to devote my life to music. I was involved in the Teacher Cadet program at my high school. I studied and practiced under my chorus teacher, Rusty Keesler. I chose to study Music Education because I was able to student conduct during this class. I then figured out that I was intended to teach. I knew I wanted to be a part of encouraging music as the same creative outlet that I was provided with. I chose to study music in college to enhance my talent and to learn to be the best teacher I could possibly be. 
      In the words of Mr. Wonka, “we are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of the dreams.” A music degree is a degree that evolves with “pure imagination”. Any artistic degree is one based on creative exploration. I am now encouraged to approach collegiate life with an open and creative mind. College is a time to explore artistic talent and personal views, and to learn to solve life’s various problems in creative, and often unconventional ways. Mr. Wonka is correct- if we want to change the world, “there’s nothing to it”. College students are the future. We are the ones studying to be the next professors of the college in which we study. We are the future musicians, politicians, or bioengineers. Whether we like it or not, we will change the world. I will, in some way or another, change the world. Whether it be with my musical talent, my open mind, or a new skill I will develop in this new college experience. Either way, Mr. Wonka had it all right, I must appreciate this college education for all that it is worth because it allows me to “simply look around and view [paradise]”; my own paradise that is.