Music degrees are useless. What can music possibly do for you as a career? Why would you ever want to have a music degree? You hear the skeptics everywhere, so why would I pick a career like this? It would be an understatement to say that I have had an unstable life. Throughout my life, one thing has been my source of stability, safety, and joy – music. Music is simplistic and complex. At other times, music’s beauty is evident at first glance. Music’s juxtaposition of complexity with simplicity and intensity with peace has paralleled my life and sustained me. Throughout my struggles with abuse, neglect, homelessness, and foster care, I have always had the serenity, tranquility, and love of music. I pick up my flute and close my eyes. I lift the flute to my mouth, position my fingers over the holes, and instantly become relaxed as I feel the contours of the instrument while my fingers slide from one note to another. I need not dwell on which notes they are, but only to enjoy playing them in such a way for them to sound beautiful. As people walk by, they stop and listen. They are outside my notice. All that matters to me is the way my fingers move, like a pattern, like a dance, sliding up and down to create a world outside my own. They move swiftly, like the waves of the sea, moving with the …show more content…
It has given me meaning, a reason to live, something to love, and someone to love – me. Before I began band, I was an emotionless person who loved no one and nothing. I was a lone wolf who hated people because of the way I was being treated. When I was given music, I became loving and caring. The music taught me to become empathetic. The music helped me grow into a friendly and outgoing student. As I grew older and began to stay home from school and band so that no one could see the burn marks and scars, I realize that I needed to tell the police what was going on in my life. I could not miss band and hide my pain any
In the article “The Case against College,” Linda Lee argues that upper-level education should only be for those who intend to go into jobs where a degree is essential such as medicine, law, and education. Lee dismantles the hope for higher education for those who are unsure of what they want to do or simply see it as the next step in life. Lee’s case is not specifically about why not to go to college; it is more about who belongs there and who does not. Receiving a degree, especially in the creative department of the music industry, may not be as important as society makes it out to be. Creativity is natural, and people are born with ingenuity; it cannot be taught. Lee’s argument is very fitting to those in the field of music. As a music business major, pursuing a career as a singer-songwriter, it is common knowledge that success in the music industry depends upon whom you know and how talented you are, not whether or not you have a degree.
It gave me memories, opportunities, my best friends, and the best group of seventy or more people I could have ever hoped for. Without band I would not have gone on to any of the leadership positions I acquired, would not have met my best friends from my hometown or at college, and I would not have accomplished nearly as much as I have. It gave me confidence, respect, and discipline, qualities I am very grateful to have. Above all else, it gave me music. The ability to play an instrument is something I will never lose, and a talent which allows me to express my emotions and thoughts in a less forthright manner. I firmly believe that the marching band is the soundtrack to every student’s high school career, whether they are in band or not. Because with every football game, pep rally, and national anthem they hear, a family of band nerds sat in a room for hours each week perfecting it. No high school experience is complete without the band marching on at half time, or crowds of people cheering along to the fight song or alma mater. Marching band is the kind of activity that changes you in ways you do not realize until much later when you look back on the experience. Even if you were not involved in the band- it still affects you somehow. Because it is more than music and awkward
Music is something that I believe we could not live without. There is a quote by a philosopher named Friedrich Nietzschethat says “without music, life would be a mistake”. I interpret this to mean that humans would not be creative if it were not for music. There is a reason that music can take us where word cannot. When you hear so many different sounds coming together to make a perfect harmony it is obvious that no words can make you feel the same way as the music. The best thing about music is that there are literally too many genres to choose from. There are different genres of music for any mood you are in. The origins behind these different genres is an interesting and rich history that is begging to be studied and written about. Let me explain....
Classical music is physically moving because it causes the performers to move with the music as they play. When the Alexander String Quartet played Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet in A major, K. 581 with Eli Eban as the clarinetist, the string players leaned forward as the played the quiet parts while Eli Eban leaned backwards as he played the piano parts of Mozart like the beginning of the first movement. However, when the strings were playing quiet for most of the Larghetto movement, they were not leaning forward the whole time, but swaying and watching each other as they played. During the menuetto and trio I,II movement, Frederick Lifsitz and Zakarias Grafilo were nearly bouncing out of their chairs as they played bright ascending lines. When they pass around the theme of the allegro mo...
Many people across the world are affected every day by the gift of music. To those of us who let it into our lives, we truly view it for what it is. Unfortunately, not everyone realizes how powerful it can be. For me singing was something that I was always good at; I never really took it to heart. I never understood when people would talk about how music had changed there lives; I just didn't see how a few notes put together could affect anyone so deeply. It wasn't until last April when our choir was chosen among a select few to perform at Carnegie Hall that I would understand the indubitable impact of music.
After announcing my decision to a number of friends and acquaintances, I began to encounter not a few misconceptions about the study of music. Many people readily expressed their uninformed opinion that music (particularly vocal performance) was an easy college major for anyone with a modicum of talent: “Just open your mouth and let the music pour out.” Some showed their ignorance by commenting that music majors had both light and easy course loads. There are even some people who refuse to acknowledge that music is a serious academic discipline. They believe music is a refuge for slackers who do not want to tackle the really difficult courses. Others have insinuated
My love for music has kept me afloat through many tribulations throughout my life. When I was younger I was fascinated with the concept of music theory. This love led me to play recorder, piano, and now guitar. I love the freedom that music allows one when composing an original piece. There are so many genres and aspects of music to choose that one can never be bored. With my music, I feel I am able to paint a vivid story of my life. As the notes carry my thoughts and passions, I am able to share my hopes and dreams with anyone who would stop and listen. I hope to improve my skills in the future and work on sharing my love for music with others. There's no better feeling than composing and preforming ones own
Music helped me realized that i am an auditory learner and helped me become a better multitasker what with musical, school work, and ski team happening all in the same season. Learning new pieces has always been a great experience for me and i’ve loved every
I am not from a very musical family, so band opened up a completely different world to me. Participating in band allowed me to be more well rounded in my school activities and created a better sense of culture with in me. Playing saxophone in our high school band was an extremely enjoyable experience, I personally enjoyed listening to my part and corresponding parts. Listening to the tones of each individual instrument, as a perfect harmonic sound protruded. It was relaxing as it was a break from my rigorous course load. Band gave me the opportunity to be creative, which was generally absent in my daily life. Having the opportunity to play a musical instrument has also enhanced my intellectual abilities. Studies have shown that playing
Having music in your life is very important. Music is one of the most powerful things in the world today. Many people make a lot of money making music because of its popularity. It may not be the same genre of music, but everybody likes it. Personally music helps me from day to day. When I am stressed I listen to it to calm me down. When I am sad I listen to it to make me happy. When my spirit is down I listen to gospel to bring it back up. Without music I do not know what I would do. I believe that there is music for every person and problem they may have. It helps me, and I know it will help
Brown, L. L. (2012, May 25). The Benefits of Music Education. Retrieved September 29, 2017.
Music is that one friend that will always be there and will never judge us. It changes and has a huge impact on lives tremendously. There will always be that one song that can make a person get up and go. Sometimes, when we are sick it helps to take away some of the sorrow, pain, and it comforts us the best way it can. (White)
Music is one of the most fantastical forms of entertainment. Its history stretches all the way from the primitive polyrhythmic drums in Africa to our modern day pop music we listen to on our phones. It has the ability to amaze us, to capture our attention and leave us in awe. It soothes the hearts of billions, and it is so deeply rooted in my life that it has touched my heart as well. Everyday I walk to the beat of the song stuck in my head and hum along to the melody. For me, to listen to music be lifted into the air by the hands of your imagination and float around for a while. You forget about your worries, your troubles and find peace within the sound. Every chapter in my life is attached with a song. Every time I listen to a certain song, thoughts of my past come flooding back
The academic benefits of music education are immense. In a study by Shirley Brice Heath, a researcher at Stanford University and Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, students with at least three hours of participation in the arts, three days a week for at least a year are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement (Ford, AdamMcMahon, Maureen). Students in music excel in core subjects such as math, English, and science. In 1997, the College Board produced a study, revealing that students with at least four years of music education scored an average of 49 points higher on the verbal section of the SAT and 34 points higher of the math section (“Arts Education”). These days, this is the difference between being accepted to a college and not.
The process of choosing a career is, many times, a difficult decision. Many factors must be taken into account while deciding a career. Such factors usually include pay, work environment, and most importantly, what the person is interested in. Becoming a musician would be a highly fulfilling career for the reasons of broadening one’s musical abilities, people enjoying something that an individual made, and traveling the country, possibly even the world, for musical opportunities such as teaching, performing, and writing.