BY ROSE DE LA MONTAÑA
After six gruelling, enjoyable, challenging, and enlightening years of study, I’ve recently completed my Master of Music in Music Performance with the University of Melbourne.
I’m writing this post to crystallise the thoughts I had going in and out of the degree, as I empathise with any other young artist or instrumentalist who goes into a creative degree where you essentially have to figure it out for yourself.
Music degrees often lack any concrete qualification or entry into that intangible construct known as the ‘music industry’; and to whom their beloved ones may ask:
What are you doing?
Aren’t you kind of setting yourself up to be a candle in the cold, harsh wind? Isn’t the world a furnace?
Money? Money? Money?
This one’s for you! *Spins around, throws hat into the air*
On courage
There’s no doubt that entering into a music degree for the first or third time can feel like an act of courage. You’re figuring stuff out for yourself and playing by ear. Have faith that your time figuring out what you want, based on observation and soul searching, will be fruitful for you – as no one else can determine what your path in music will look like, and there’s no one path to take.
A performance degree is a good way to start getting a hold of what you want to do and what you don’t want to do, and applying a framework for your development in an intensive setting. There’s a lot of independent study involved, and while we may have expectations of ourselves, the slow-cooking method of creative processes can’t be rushed. That said, a performance degree is a good barometer of what you are able to achieve creatively under pressure. Probably more than you realise.
On feeling burnt out
I found it healthier to use looming deadlines to become more aware of my natural practice rhythms. It’s an opportunity to re-evaluate practice habits and create better habits, or a sign to do something else for a day or two, and the world won’t end.
I’ve found meditation the key for returning to calmer waters when you’re feeling blue or stressed.
On momentum
It’s probably a good idea to initiate or form part of a project with other folks while you’re studying, or immediately after your degree. You’re surrounded by peers, and while playing or featuring as a concert soloist is a beautiful skill we’re working towards for recitals, you can complement that by looking around and finding like-minded people to play great music and have a laugh with. Go on, have a laugh!
Hopefully, playing with others will also help you maintain a performance momentum following your degree, as it gives you something to work with when questions of “What’s next?” surface. It will help curb that period of post-degree floundering that many creatives can be faced with.
Regardless of whether it’s short term or long term, playing with others is (or should be) joyful: you’re building relationships with your peers, venues, and your resume; and you’ll learn something sink-or-swim.
Don’t forget to enjoy live music, and not necessarily on your instrument or even discipline. The best performance education is watching professionals do their thing live. How do they do it? How do they talk to the audience, if they do? How do they handle memory lapses, if any? How do they dress? How do they create variety in their program?
On self-love
Disclaimer: This editorial provides general discussion and opinion on the topic of mental and physical health, and should not be considered formal or tailored advice.
Until the con gets an in-house performance psychologist (that would be amazing; I hope that happens for students there one day), it’s worthwhile to find one and touch base on performance anxiety, especially if you’re feeling a bit burnt out or anxiety is getting to you. I found this place: The Mind Room in Collingwood. I’d also recommend listening to Kenny Werner talk – he is honest and inspiring.
I also highly recommend the Alexander Method. I know a lot of instrumentalists use it for repetitive strain injury, but it can also be for general self-education and improvement. The Alexander Method is a whole-body technique that works across all instruments and creative arts disciplines. I’ve learnt so much about how my body and mind are linked and affect the sound I make, and about gentle self-awareness. I cannot recommend this method enough! This is the specialist I see on occasion.
On money
I’m actually going to do a Masters of Teaching next year, because I’ve found it super challenging to find stable teaching work, and I think it will give me more options in the long term. I think a lot of graduates ask themselves about this, and there can be a struggle to get your foot in the door as there’s no cut-out framework for creative industries, and many of the skills we’re building require a slow-cooking method. I know a few freelance teachers and performers who do have successful private studios they built up over a few years, but have still chosen to do the Masters of Teaching.
I’m saying this because if you can’t envision what your life may look like, it will probably be cobbled together with the following: teaching, practice, music projects, gigs, plus music projects and gigs hustling, maybe some further study if you can be stuffed, and learning how to make beeswax wraps. If you’re an orchestral instrumentalist, auditions are part of that mix.
Like I said, we go into these degrees figuring it out as we go along, and while teaching isn’t the only option or pathway one can take, it does seem like a good option from what I’ve observed. But ultimately, you’ll make the best decisions for yourself based on what you observe.
On self-criticism
This is a big one! You might graduate and still feel like you’re on the cusp of playing as you really want to. But don’t put off building your artist profile. Record some good quality videos, set up a Facebook music page, a website, all that stuff. Use the internet to build your own online music archive, it has to start somewhere. I’ve frequented Wefo Studios to get some audio-visual material to this end, and I highly recommend it.
Parting words
Talking with a musical friend the other day, she noted to me that she found projecting criticism onto performers she watched on stage would only make it harder for herself in her own performances.
I thought that was really wise. What you put out comes back, one way or another. While it’s tempting to compare, you only lose time where you can be keeping check on your own progress and growth.
Foregoing comparisons and maybe even avoiding unrealistic performance situations (i.e. auditions and competitions) could be replaced with spearheading your creative activity with music you really like playing solo, or with others in many different contexts.
Do you have a music study experience to share? Drop us a line in the comments or email editor@cutcommon.com.
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Disclaimer: For mental health advice please contact your GP or visit the headspace website.
The writer would like to give special thanks to Rose Kavanagh who provided some valuable feedback and insight into the writing of this story.
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The MCM does have an ‘in-house’ performance psychologist, Dr Margaret Osborne 🙂 She also lectures classes on performance psychology.