I’m about to say something I don’t think too many people say often, and that is: I have such deep respect for music majors. I know some will read this and think: “What respect is there to be given to people who only do music?” Or maybe: “If they love it as much as they say they do, it shouldn’t be hard for them.”
I have an arsenal of arguments for those who don’t respect music majors. And if any music majors are reading this: believe me, I’ve been there. I’m here for y’all!
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Music majors spend more time than you think doing the parts of music that aren’t “fun.”
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Whether they’re analyzing ten chords every minute or buried in a pile of books for their music history paper, there’s a lot to a music major that the average person doesn’t know. And I promise that even playing an instrument for hours on end can be stressful.
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It’s hard for music majors to be “well-rounded,” so pulling it off is impressive!
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In most schools of music, it’s hard for any major to be involved in anything other than music-related clubs and organizations. Sometimes it’s because of class conflicts; other times it’s merely because they can’t put themselves out there in any field but music. Well-rounded music majors deserve that much more credit for what they do!
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In unlucky circumstances, competition is very much a thing!
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Unfortunately, there are sometimes when music school can be very cutthroat. Even if it’s not spoken pressure, there can sometimes be pressure within yourself to be the best musician you can be, which can take quite the toll on a person.
To sum it all up, find a music major near you. Hug them, maybe get them a cup of coffee. Be there for them; it will mean a ton!