kittykate816

Definitely the people here, and by that I mean the students in particular. Yes, we're blessed with world-class luminaries, but due to the nature of my work, I also spend a lot of time working with undergraduate students and kids in the pre-college program.

Surprisingly, I'm not surrounded by assholes! It's so inspiring to make music with genuinely talented, hard-working, and humble people. I am constantly surrounded by some of the best artists in the world, but 95% of us have serious Imposter Syndrome and we all feel like the one who doesn't deserve to go here.

Musicians also universally have an unmistakable streak of cynicism (ranging from healthy to...not) which makes them pretty awesome people to share drinks with on weekends.

yes

When I was 3, I wanted to be a ballerina, so my parents got me involved in a dance program. A couple of years later, on Halloween night, the studio had a big costume party and I went dressed as a cat. But my costume was homemade, and this was the 90s. Apparently I looked a little disappointed, so my mother cheered me up by saying, "if another little girl makes fun of you, just show your claws and hiss at her!"

Long story short, I got into a fight with another ballerina and scratched up her face pretty badly. They kicked me out and I decided to use my hands for music and not violence. It's working out okay so far.

I can sight-read fairly well; most of my job involves showing up at lessons/rehearsals and being given music on the spot. It's not really a fault of the system or anything I'd change - it's just protocol. Things happen fast here and it's the best we can do. It would've definitely psyched me out if I didn't have prior experience sight-reading; in fact, it was a required portion of my audition here.

Reading intervals, when it comes to sight-reading, is always better than reading individual notes. With enough experience, you almost kind of turn your brain off and just scan. Unfortunately, there isn't really a "method"...you just get used to reading music and it gets easier over time.

When it comes to jazz, pop, or 18th-century classical music (think Mozart, Haydn, or "lighter" music) I find myself thinking more harmonically than worrying about melodic lines. When you get to more gnarly writing like early 17th-century complicated stuff (think Bach and "mathematic" music) or 19th-century classical also-complicated stuff, it becomes slightly more melody-focused. But harmonies are always the most important part of sight-reading.

Leave out the complicated stuff and just play harmonies if you have to. I do that a third of the time, at least.

edit: brb retaking Music History 101

For the love of God please do not wear shiny/jingling jewelry on your wrists.