My Field

For my first post I will tell you a little about my field. I'm a current Music major at NDSU pursuing another degree in Speech-Language Pathology at MSUM. I will mostly be referring to my degree at NDSU. In my field, there are many things you can do. You can go for a general music degree, performance or a teaching in either instrumental or voice and you can recieve up to a doctoral degree in both. I actually just finished the general requirements for a general music degree this past year. A day for me in the music department consists of pretty much all music classes including: Music Theory, Music History, Vocal Pedagogy, Concert Choir, Madrigal Singers, voice lessons, Conducting, Ear Training and Sight Singing, Opera class, Diction, Piano, and if I'm lucky, maybe a couple Gen. Ed requirements.

Being a Music major, I have no free time. I'm lucky enough to have a part time job. People in my field practice every day whenever they have free time. We are either singing for four hours a day, or playing an instrument four hours a day. Some other things we do in our field is of course, make music. We can write music, play music, sight read music, and turn black notes on a page into something so much more. Some of the values we share are respect for our instructors, fellow musicians, and the struggle of music in schools throughout the world. We value this art more than anything. It's like every person in this world is searching for some meaning in their life, but little do they know, the music nerds have already found it. It's hard work and dedication that goes into this field, and it's something that anyone persuing music understands. It may be work, but it's also my get-away.

A lot of people assume that our major is easy. No way! For a general Music major, it's 122 credits. Not counting our required minor which is another 18 credits or more. For an education major, its over 165. With how many hours we spend in the practice room, it's equivalent to having a full time job plus overtime. Another thing people don't know about music is that it encorporates both math and science. Music Theory is all about math believe it or not. And with pitches, we learn all about the velosity and speed of the sound waves in order for a piano or instrument to make that sound. It's how instruments were first made in the medieval times.

Music plays such a huge role in our world. Think about what life would be like without music? No scary movies with the intense music, making you anticipate that random lady getting stabbed. Or what about those sappy love movies when they're running towards each other in the field of waving grass and no strings playing at fortissimo during that climax of the movie. It's all about what you feel. Music is all about feelings. Pouring your soul into Mozart's Symphony No. 40, or Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 4th movement. You'd have to be insane without enjoying any type of music. Music is constantly changing because our world is changing everyday. You wouldn't believe what people can do now-a-days with technology and how electronic music has taken over. But we also have to remember that people and children get inspired by music that they hear either in school or by a play or musical. They feel the movement of the music just like you and I, and that's something that can change the world.