First Week, First Impressions, First Blog

    

                                               Me. . . music. . . yea? Sure!

    This blog covers the first full week of the 2024 Fall semester. Including nerves, unsureness, and unexpectedness. What is the music building like on Southeastern's campus? What is the music I will be focusing on? 

    I was a music major on Sountheastern's campus for 2 years before switching to a music minor, so I would like to openly say that I was extremely nervous and was not very sure if I wanted to continue being involved with any type of music on campus. College is stressful and busy enough as is, but I have a love for music. I was so scared from my own struggles with social anxiety as well as how I would be received in a usually competitive industry. I was biased with a negative opinion, but I persisted and here is my experience! 

    My first impression of the Pottle Music building on Southeastern's campus has been one that is messy but providing most of the time. I say this because I was unsure of my vocal lessons and vocal teacher until the first day of school. Pottle has hired two new vocal staff since previous professors had either moved or retired. I was unaware of the changes because I only knew one of the vocal staff well. The past two years I have taken lessons with one particular professor. I was never told that I would not be receiving the same professor this semester. Usually lessons start a week after the typically semester starts, so I went to my previous professor to ask when the schedule would be posted.

    She explained that the director of the building was suppose to send out emails explaining that certain students have been placed with new teachers. This email would never arrive and I was sent around the building a few times before getting a straight answer from anyone. 

    

   I was tasked with having to meet with the director since his email would never make it to me. I was finally informed of who my vocal professor would be and I would have one music lesson during this first full week of school. Discussion of what I was expecting for the semester took place and she made it a point to focus on the health of the voice. As a non professional singer, I have no idea what kind of music my voice is built for nor what I should be singing in the first place. My vocal professor stopped me and stated that this semester we will be changing the way I think about my voice. Instead of putting my voice in a box, we will be singing through multiple things and seeing what I like most! She turned around my way of thinking and instead offered to give me multiple pieces that are from all different genres of music to see what I like singing and not what I was 'suppose' to sing.

    She then would have me do vocal warm up that would consist of singing multiple different vowels at certain pitches. This allowed her to hear what my voice sounds like and the similarity between my speaking and singing voice. She immediately complimented me on my voice even though she would have me repeat some notes a few times since I was a bit nervous. She proceeded to sit me down and ask what I like to listen to and if I had any idea what I would want to sing. I had a few pieces in mind but would tell her that I was very nervous about singing anything I listen to for fun. Instead, I was given quiet a few pieces to listen and bring my opinions on them back to her as my homework! I was given details that I would be receiving my lessons on Tuesday morning for 30 minutes at a time. There would also be opportunities to perform if I ever wanted to. 

   Although hectic, Tuesday morning solidified my feelings of being a music minor. I was on the fence but the day of my lessons I felt like I was in the right place! I would have to say that my vocal lesson started my day off right. Previously said, this semester has not been too straightforward, so to start the day with singing once a week just feels right! Not only do I get to do something I enjoy, but I also get to wake up knowing that I get to have fun for 30 minutes a week. I would recommend students trying something else other than the 'normal' classes. It was nice to walk in and not worry about a writing assignment or a math equation.

    Overall, my experience for my singing lessons within the Pottle music building has been positive! I highly recommend it for the experience with the arts and to step away from the "normal" classes!

                                                                      🎶

    That Tuesday night, I would get an email that would provide my schedule for guitar lessons. I was made told that I would be receiving lessons on Wednesday for 30 minutes at a time. I have to say that I was relived to hear from my guitar professor and excited to start my lessons as soon as possible. Although, I was not aware that I had not put enough thought into my day leading up to the lessons.

    Not only would I be carrying a heavy guitar to my classes before my lessons, many classrooms do not have room for someone to leave a guitar next to them for the duration of the class period. I was able to keep it in one of the offices within the biology building since my mother is working there. (Hi mom, and thank you again!) But, it should be known that the only cubbies that Pottle provides are for music majors. Instrumental music majors are given a locker for their instrument but other than that, there is no place on campus to keep an instrument. It is hard to carry around an instrument all day if a student has other classes and does not live on campus. 

    Although it was a hot day and I was carrying a heavy guitar, I had heard great things about this professor and was excited to start learning the guitar. I was scared that I might not be in the right place because I was a complete beginner. Since I was previously a music major, I would understand a little more than common knowledge about music theory or how to read music and why music is written the way it is. I have taken two classes and passed both on music theory, although I barely passed both of these classes and Southeastern only provides music theory on classical music. I might know how to read music, but I still do not know anything about the guitar or other genres of music.

    Walking into my lesson, I still did not feel like I was in the right place. I was nervous first walking into my professors office and asked if I was in the right place as a beginner. His response with a laugh was, "If it wasn't, I would be out a job." I sat and we talked about what kind of music I would want to play and why I want to learn guitar. I asked if I could learn a little bit of everything and was encouraged to learn anything and everything I wanted to!

    We talked about the struggle of the guitar but that anyone can pick it up! He would go on to pick up his own guitar placing his left index, middle, and ring finger on the neck of the guitar where he would slowly show me the finger placements of different notes. Most of this lesson was a look and learn. He would show me something and I would replicate it multiple times to get a feel for the guitar.

    

    I learned from this lesson that guitar is very rarely thought about in notes but rather in finger positions. He told me stories of famous musicians that cannot read any sheet music but memorized the shape of the fingers in different chords. Chords being what makes up most music and is commonly three notes played at the same time. He went on to play and show me the way the fingers are curled on the strings and how most fingers stay in the same position when moved across multiple strings. I would have trouble allowing my fingers to move freely, as my index or ring finger would be on wrong strings most of the time. As I was getting upset with myself, my professor would stop and tell me that I should slow down and instead strum the guitar even if I knew that the strings my fingers landed on were wrong. The only way to confidently learn is to make mistakes but to allow myself to keep strumming. 

    This first week has definitely been hectic within the music building, but I can say that the vocal and instrumental staff are extremely kind and want to help you build skills on top of what you know. I was extremely nervous for this first lesson, and my professor was open to listening and was gently correcting how I talk and think about my voice. I was even more nervous being a complete beginner at guitar, but I was meet with nothing but optimism. 

    I allowed myself to be nervous but more importantly I did not allow that fear to stop me from trying these new things! I feel empowered this week and recommend these classes!

    Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it and think about joining the arts in some way. I can't wait for my lessons next week!

        - Emma Peppo 🎧