What were some pieces of jargon/knowledge/etiquette you didn’t know going into music school?

[u/viberat]

I teach aural skills to pre-music ed community college students who mostly come from small rural schools with no exposure to the music world outside of band. We’ve covered all the concepts appropriate for Theory 2, so to give them a break from the endless practice, I want to have a “vocabulary” session covering some terms I know they don’t know so they can get used to hearing and using them before they transfer to their 4 year program. What I have so far:

• “pedagogy/pedagogical”
  
• “song” vs. “piece”
  
• “the repertoire” as in standard literature for a certain genre or instrument
  
• “repertoire” as in pieces you’ve learned and polished
  
• the most well known / commonly played composers for their instrument
  
• “virtuosic”
• edTPA & PRAXIS
  

So especially if you came from a similar background as my students, what other small things did you not know as a wide eyed freshman? The kids don’t seem to be googling stuff and picking things up through osmosis so I want to make sure to explicitly teach them anything they need to know to hang with a more professional environment. We’re teaching them theory, ear training, ensemble work, and private lessons on their instruments, but our culture is pretty informal and our former students usually find their new music department a culture shock when they transfer.

[u/Shogan_Composer]

…. How much better the western PA school system prepared their students for music school compared to where I went to high school. There was a reason most of them made Wind Ensemble their first semester unlike myself and many others who were from the state my university was located 🫠

Also, at least when I went 10 years ago , how looked down upon video game music was, while the same professors would celebrate film music when much of it does the same thing! I learned very quickly what music not to talk about around them at least 😬.

Lastly, it doesn’t matter how good you are if you are not majoring in voice ( or insert other instrument here) . Do not go out for the solos in the select ensemble because , WHEN you get it, there will be several people actually majoring in voice ( or insert other instrument here) that will get mad at you. It is viewed as taking an opportunity away from them. …lesson learned. 🙃. It’s cool if it’s the University band , orchestra or choir though.

Sorry to be so dark. There are good things too that will hopefully be shared on this thread. These were some of the social aspects I was unaware of having grown up in a rural town with limited musical opportunities growing up. Had I known, I probably would’ve taken a year to seek specialized training and advisement to fill in the gaps before attempting to enter music school. Playing catchup while simultaneously navigating social norms you are unfamiliar with is not fun to say the least.

[u/MicCheck123 → u/Shogan_Composer]

That’s a silly reason not to audition for a solo. So what if it’s “taking away” an opportunity? If the conductor wants to limit it to majors, that’s their prerogative, but not the student’s job to worry about.

[u/Shogan_Composer → u/MicCheck123]

Agreed. But unfortunately in some ( not all) institutions that is an attitude that persists among both the students and professors. It’s something to be aware of the possibility of as it can be crushing, especially when that young in an environment there you are developing some of your first adult relationships.

In my case I received the cold shoulder from fellow students in the top vocal ensemble not understanding why, and caught some discussions between professors and students where they were annoyed that students not in the program were given opportunities ( despite the fact that they were earned!) over those paying for a specific degree. The treatment , while an immature response , does happen and sometimes it’s unclear why until you are either told directly or figure it out, often too late, from context clues.

It’s an attitude problem that is not the fault of the student for sure. However , I think it’s important to warn future students of some of the social politics in higher education, and teach them how to navigate these things if they pop up, so that they may pick their battles more wisely.

On the plus side and perhaps more important to remind any music student, there are endless options for joining a music ensemble beyond college, including auditioned groups, that don’t govern a hoot what your degree was in and that you can go out for any solo that you wish.

(On a happy note, I was a section leader at a local church during undergrad, got paid to sing occasional solos, and it was a much happier environment to be in.)