It’s week 9.

We’re halfway through the semester. Everyone is sick, everyone is tired, everyone is hating school.

Myself included.

I’m exhausted. I’m in class from 8am-6pm Monday through Thursday, rehearsals after school on Monday and Thursday nights, I work 8am-6:30pm on Friday and Saturday, and by the time Sunday rolls around, an entire week worth of homework is waiting for me after I get out of church. My responsibilities list is a mile long and there is always something to be practiced.

This music education degree is not for the faint of heart.

And most of the time, I love it. I love what I’m doing. Learning to play the bassoon is difficult, but it’s so fun! It sounds like a fart when you play it. Learning how to teach elementary school kids is absolutely terrifying, but I’m sure when I get to my placement school, being around those kids is going to be satisfying and so much fun. I love leading my soprano section in choir, I love leading my ACDA chapter, I love my list of responsibilities. I love it all most of the time.

But the stress of my list of responsibilities is really weighing down on my shoulders.

Sounds like college, right?

I’m one of those people that are 99% of the time sunshiney and happy. I’m a morning person. And I smile all the time. So when I’m not, it’s noticeable.

I’ve written about this before for my first blog post.

(You can check that out here, The Power of Positivity)

I’m not going to repeat everything I said there, cause well, that would be really boring and dumb and no one would read it.

But I am going to add this.

I’ve noticed a lot of growth in myself since I started college. Heck, I’ve noticed a lot of growth since last semester even! I practice with intention, I put myself out there in choir and I’ve gotten to know some really stinking cool people, I started my own ACDA chapter and I actually publically speak to a group of hard-working students who want to be choir directors.

I love singing in choir, something I’ve never really been a huge fan of.

(Some of you may be reading this and going, say what?! She didn’t like choir???)

No, I did not! Choir singing is the exact opposite of solo singing and I had a really hard time separating the two. But now I’m in two choirs at school, a church choir, and a community choir and I couldn’t be having more of a blast. Our first school choir concert is coming up this next week and this girl right here…

HAS HER FIRST COLLEGE SOLO!!!!!!!!!

Can you feel my excitement?

This concert is one of those concerts I just want everyone to see. The music is so good. It is chamber choir and concert choir uniting to put on a spooky Halloween performance. Honestly, what’s better than that?

So yeah, this semester is halfway over and we’re tired and there are lots to do. Music school isn’t easy. No one ever said it would be.

But when I find myself overwhelmed and stressed out and questioning if this degree is the one for me, I go back to this quote that Eric Whitacre (only my FAVORITE composer every) posts every year around this time:

Just keep chugging friends. We got this.