Academic Life

Above: Posted Freshman Seminar Assignments

This Semester, I am taking the following courses:

Intro to Psychology                         PSYCH100

Music Theory                                   MUS131

Freshman Seminar                         40S

Intro to Singing                                MUS 52

Energy and the Environment        EGEE101H

Sight Singing and Ear Training    MUSIC 121

Music Technology                          INART 258

Symphonic Wind Ensemble

Clarinet Choir

Applied Music Lessons

        My experience as freshman in the School of Music is drastically different from my experiences prior to college.  Throughout Junior High School and High School, I took all top level academic courses.  The only music course I took was Wind Ensemble.  The greatest difference in my studies from high school to college dealt with the way in which I studied.  I am used to studying for hours, committing to memory facts and concepts to apply to problems.  Now, taking a majority of music based courses, I find myself practicing more than "studying the facts."  The amount of work is just as difficult and demanding but requires a different sort of dedication. 

Music Theory 

        I felt like I got a good grasp on music theory.  I didn't take music theory in high school so it was challenging at first, but I felt comfortable enough to go to my professor, Dr. Benitez whenever I had difficulty with the material.

        The most challenging course for me by far was sight singing and ear training.  I spent a good amount of time just learning how to listen, how to differentiate intervals and discriminate between chords.  I didn't have the class until 9:00 AM, so I often got up early to practice for an hour before class.  One website that greatly helped me was http://www.musictheory.net/.  

I used it mostly to practice interval ear training. 

Music 52 

        Another class that was challenging was Music 52, an intro to singing class that is an elective prior to Music 115, a singing course I am required to take next semester.  One of my biggest fears prior to coming to college was the fear of singing in front of others.  I performed horribly on my first vocal test,   the first song I ever sang solo in my life!  It was incredibly stressful, but taking Music 52 was probably one of the best decisions i've ever made.  I was out of my comfort zone but our small class size of two students including myself, made the transition easier.  I learned how to sing properly and got focused one on one attention.  I grew less embarrassed to sing as the semester went on and by the final singing test, I was able to sing very freely.  I learned a love for singing.        

        I dreaded my music technology the most out of all of my classes.  It wasn't entirely terrible, but I felt very pressured and stressed when trying to complete several of the labs and projects assigned.  I really enjoyed the recording project, but I wish we could have learned more about how to edit music so that it renders the best quality.  

   Psychology was my largest class and like most other classes I've taken before as far as the style of lecture and presentation of material goes.  

   I really enjoyed Energy and the Environment, a science course I took as part of my general education requirement in science.  We discussed all forms of energy, renewable, non-renewable, their relative efficiencies, past, existing, and future applications technology, and their environmental effects.  I've always been interested in science and I especially liked this course because it applied all areas of science I previously covered including chemistry, biology, earth science, and physics.  Even more interestingly, we discussed in class the most recent findings, events, and articles about developments in energy production, recovery, and their alternate methods.  I felt like a true scientist, investigating current issues.  For my final project, I created a presentation based on the Marcellus Shale Formation, a potential source of natural gas right under the Southern New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia region! It is always the most exciting learning about current issues especially when they are so relative to where we live and it's potential effects on our future lifestyles.            

Study Strategies:

Read Read Read

Outline and take notes on EVERYTHING you read

Study for short periods of time (45min) take breaks frequently

Be able to explain it well enough to teach 

Practice Strategies:

Practice every day

Take frequent breaks

Don't practice if you're exhausted; take a nap then practice