Sarah Taylor, sophomore, voice, French and Liberal Arts and Management Program\nSophomore Sarah Taylor is serious about music, but she doesn’t let it limit her.\nAlong with voice, she is majoring in French, and is in the Liberal Arts and Management Program.\n“I came to IU because I wanted the full college experience,” Taylor said. “It’s not that I am not serious about music, but now is the time for me to explore other options.”\nTaylor said music has taught her discipline but wanted majors that would give her more real-world preparation. As a sophomore, she’s considered young in the opera world, and most singers to not peak until their 30s, she said.\n“It takes awhile to establish a vocal career,” she said, “and with these degrees, I will be able to do whatever I want.”\nTaylor has been involved in music from a young age. She began singing at home and at church with her family. In high school, Taylor began attending music festivals and entering competitions and decided to pursue music when she was 15 after watching a classical performance.\nBecause of her age, she said that most roles in the operas are given to upperclassmen and graduate students. \n“I was disappointed at first, but this gives me a chance to focus on my technique without having to compete,” she said.\nTaylor has several activities outside of the music school. She is a Wells Scholar, an IU Auditorium student manager and a campus tour guide.\nTaylor enjoys her music classes, but finds theory to be difficult because of the new material. \n“Our homework is a lot different,” she said. “Theory class is like learning a whole new language.” But “if you want to succeed, you have to work. Studying music has made me disciplined in my other areas of study.”\nDespite the difficulties, Taylor remains adamant about her decision to study music.\n“I am passionate about art and human expression,” she said. “(Professors) tell us, if you could see yourself doing anything else, don’t do music.”
Alex Beltran, senior, jazz studies, saxophone\nJazz studies major Alex Beltran knew he was dedicated to music when his first meal of the day was dinner.\n“I would get up at 7:30 every day and go to class from eight until two or three. After that I would have rehearsals and master class. I didn’t always have time for lunch, so dinner was sometimes my first meal of the day.”\nBeltran, like many students in the music school, had 16-hour days filled with classes and rehearsals during his first three years.\n“My sophomore year I woke up at five to practice before my theory class,” he said. “By March I was burnt out.”\nNow in his fourth year, Beltran has opted for fewer credits so he can prepare for his senior recital.\nStudents in the School of Music are held to high standards and are expected to devote time outside class to practice.\n“After dinner, I would practice from 7 p.m. to midnight, until the janitors would kick me out,” Beltran said. \nStudents also have weekly private lessons with their teacher to monitor their progress.\n“Any free time I spend practicing,” Beltran said. “You have a meeting with a private teacher every week. If you don’t practice, they will know.”\nUnlike many students who start learning an instrument in elementary school, Beltran did not begin playing the saxophone until he was 16.\n“I started late. But as soon as I started, I knew I wanted to pursue music. I put all of my energy into it,” he said. “I practiced so much because I felt like I had to catch up. I had very little free time for three years.\n“Everything else I studied in school was boring. Playing music was what I looked forward to,” he said.\nIn addition to playing all types of saxophones, Beltran can play the clarinet, flute and piano.\nThis kind of dedication might seem foreign to nonmusic students, but Beltran compared music to sports.\n“You have to be extremely dedicated to study music,” he said. “It’s like college athletics. There are so many talented athletes, but only a few can be professionals. (Music) is a small field and you have to compete with people older and younger than you.”\nAs for stereotypes, Beltran said he has not encountered negative reactions but understands they do exist.\n“We do practice all of the time, but that is because we are passionate about music. We do it because we want to be doing it,” he said. “We do it because we don’t want to be doing anything else.”\nIn the future, Beltran hopes to be a performer, but he’s considering other jobs in the field.\n“Many people think that music students are just good at music,” he said. “They have other passions and talents. They don’t study music because it was the only thing they were good at; they do it because it is what they love the most. I want to continue with music in some way. People think that we will just be performers. We can be educators, producers and work with record companies.”\nWhile Beltran said he wishes he had taken advantage of other classes and opportunities offered by the University, he does not regret his decision to study music.\n“Being in music is all about priorities,” he said. “Every day you have to choose what is most important to you. I don’t think I have lost anything, and I would have always regretted not going for it.”
Jasmine Ng, sophomore, piano performance\nWhile some students won’t even consider scheduling a class before noon, sophomore Jasmine Ng prefers it. \n“Last semester, I would wake up at 5 a.m. to practice from 6 to 8. Then I would have class until 4 p.m.,” she said. “I think I work better in the morning.”\nBusy schedules are common in all schools, but students can still find time to take a wide range of classes. Ng has taken classes in Chinese, ballet and accounting. In addition to her electives, Ng is required to take classes in music theory, teaching, music history, accompanying and chorus.\nNg said the level of commitment required is different from that of other students,\n“Some students can cram study sessions in, but you can’t cram practice in,” she said. “Never procrastinate.”\nEven with long rehearsals, Ng keeps an active role on campus. She is a member and historian of Kappa Gamma Delta Asian Interest Sorority, attends fellow students’ recitals and accompanies her boyfriend while he plays the violin. She is also able to maintain a broad range of friends, mostly nonmusic students.\nNg has a diverse group of friends, but she does encounter stereotypes. While the school has a reputation for producing world-class musicians, Ng does not like how people make assumptions about her skills as a performer.\n“When you are around a group of nonmusic majors, they start making assumptions,” Ng said. “Friends who have never heard me play will introduce me as being a good piano player. If you haven’t heard me play, I don’t deserve that yet.”\nThough she does not spend much time with music students outside of school, Ng feels less restricted in the music school.\n“I like the Jacobs school. You can dress however you want and people are more open to individuality. I feel more comfortable,” she said. “I can sing out loud in the hallway and no one cares.” \nNg hopes to teach piano for a few years and possibly come back to IU for graduate school.\n“I haven’t really figured it out yet,” she said. “Accompanying is a possibility. I might get my master’s after a few years.”\nFor Ng, music is personal, and she does not get held up by the severe competition.\n“There is a lot of competition, but I don’t like to look at it like that,” she said. “You go to school for you, and personal growth is more important.”\nNg has found music is a personal way to express herself.\n“What you express through the music is different than when you speak,” she said. “When you perform, you can share a lot more.”
