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Archive for category Surroundings

Things you’ll regret not doing in music school (Part III)

Dec 18

Posted by Bryan W in Free Time, Health and Wellness, Practice, Surroundings | No Comments

Well, they’re one day late, but here they are: Items 11 through 15 on the list of things you absolutely MUST do while you’re a student–or regret not doing for the rest of your life.

11. Spend time alone.

If you’re really trying to make the most out of your music school career, you’re going to be around other people almost non-stop. It’s fun to have friends, to play in ensembles, to study in groups, and hang out with your room mate late into the night. But you also need time for yourself. I’m not just talking about the alone time you get when you’re practicing or studying. I’m talking about what one friend called “naked time”–the kind of time you spend alone just for you (you can keep your clothes on if you like). Take a nice long walk now and then, catch an afternoon nap, or put on your favorite CD (NOT a listening assignment for class) and read a magazine. Just find something to give yourself a nice quiet break.

If you’re wondering why this is is important to do NOW, it’s because your schedule NOW is probably the most flexible you’ll ever have again. Most work days don’t have an hour or two in between tasks the way many students have an hour or two in between classes. Yes, those are good times to practice, study, etc., but they’re also good times to relax and de-stress a little. If you are just too busy to make this happen during the week, give yourself a little extra time to do it on the weekend.

The other reason to do it NOW is because this is a time in your life to focus on you and figure out who you are. If you’re always around other people, you’ll never get a chance to form your own identity. You do NOT want to leave college feeling like you have no idea who you are, so take a little time and figure it out!

12. Celebrate every holiday you know of.
I get it, you’re a hard-working, talented, music student–not some dumb frat-boy or -girl. Well get over yourself and have some fun now and then. It’s college! If you’re holiday calendar says Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, you’re not celebrating enough. You need a calendar that gives you a holiday for almost every day of the year. That way, you can celebrate whenever you get a little free time.

13. Take up a non-music hobby. Read the rest of this entry »

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Are the Practice Rooms Making You Sick?

Dec 7

Posted by Bryan W in Health and Wellness, Music Schools, Practice, Surroundings | No Comments

If you call it yours, does that keep you healthier?

If you’ve never gotten sick during the school year, consider yourself lucky. Even a case of the sniffles can be a major setback when you’re trying to keep on top of practicing, rehearsals, studying, and a social life. Like most music students, I tried every trick in the book to keep from getting sick. Unfortunately it wasn’t always enough, and I often ended up with with a runny nose, sore throat, headache, and cough sometime during the semester.

This frustrated me since I was an otherwise very healthy person. It took a while before I found the culprit to be the practice rooms–those tiny shared spaces with little ventilation and (at least at my school) no natural light. I mentioned my theory to a few friends, who thought I was crazy–until I made my case.

Yes, if you’re not careful, the practice rooms WILL make you sick. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to defend yourself.

So what exactly makes practice rooms different from classrooms, dorm rooms, locker rooms, or any other public places on a college campus? I think It’s a combination of the environment and the activities that take place there. Let’s take a look at each.

The Typical Practice Room Enviroment

With the exception of closets, practice rooms are probably the smallest rooms on campus. Yet, at many schools, they’re occupied with the door closed from early in the morning until late into the night. I’m no doctor, but I’ll bet that means there are lots of airborne germs crammed into that little space. If they’re not well-ventilated, then  you’re breathing old, nasty air and not fresh oxygen. If the room is carpeted, you’re also breathing in all the dust and mold that collects in the carpet.
Read the rest of this entry »

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Trouble Making School Work for You? Maybe this is why.

Nov 14

Posted by Bryan W in Frustrations, Surroundings | No Comments

This video speaks to some of the issues that college’s need to address if they’d like to stay relevant in the coming years. The issues seem especially true of music schools, so many of which are more concerned with preserving music than they are with taking it further. If you’re in school now, don’t be discouraged–just remember that music schools aren’t perfect institutions, and that there’s still a lot of great things about them. I’m NOT posting this to discredit all of the hard-working people who have dedicated there lives to making music schools what they are today.

This video was released in 2007, so you may have seen it before. If you haven’t seen it in a while, it’s worth watching again. If you’ve never seen it…

I noticed that a lot of people commenting on YouTube were confused by the video. They weren’t sure if the “blame” should be put on the students or on the system. Let’s forget about blame, and instead think creatively about how to use all of this technology in new and constructive ways. Professors, there’s more to “technology integration” than having your students email their papers to you. In the right hands, a blackboard or a piece of paper can be more engaging to students than Facebook or Twitter ever could.

Students, you are experts with this technology. Prove that it can be used creatively and constructively, and not just for socializing (although there’s nothing wrong with that).

What do you think? What are your schools doing to “keep up with the times”? How do you/they do it while still respecting our musical past? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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Home Made Acoustic Panels for your Practice Space or Recording Studio

Nov 9

Posted by Bryan W in Recording, Surroundings | No Comments

Installed Acoustic Panels

A view of the panels, as installed in the recording space

A couple of years ago, I rented a practice and recording space with a friend for a project we were working on. It was a nice space, but the acoustics needed a little help (most rooms have the same problem). We looked around for cheap soundproofing techniques and cheap acoustic panels, but we didn’t find much other than the commercially available foams. So, we decided to design and build our own panels.

I documented the process and posted it on a website called instructables.com Here’s a link to the whole process. This might not be the easiest project to do if you’re short on tools or time, but if you’re thinking of building a studio space, or would like to tame the echoes in your practice room or dorm room, this is a great way to do it!

You can also read the book that we used to design the panels, Home Recording Studio Build it Like the Pros

Have you done anything to improve YOUR practice space? Leave a note in the comments.

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