Playing Life by Ear

While some of my friends are backpacking through mountains for spring break, or visiting friends in Budapest, I am back at home in Cincinnati. Maybe its not quite as exciting, but I'm glad to be here. Luckily, DePauw's spring break lines up perfectly with my high school's musical. Why is this such a good thing you ask? Well, for the last four years I've played in the pit with my community orchestra (the Cincinnati Metropolitan Orchestra) for the spring musical. I always loved doing this because, besides getting the chance to play, I love to be a part of the musical and see it come together. (and to tell the truth, I've wanted to play in the pit on Broadway ever since I saw Phantom of the Opera in New York City) Regardless, its fun to come back and see everyone. This year, they are putting on Guys and Dolls, and its shaping up to be another good show.

Also this week, I'm getting a head start on my job for the summer and procuring another one. One of my goals is to make enough money to buy a new trombone - or maybe a motorcycle.

With the release of midterm grades and the start of spring break, I figure its a good time to look back at the semester so far.


Its been a good one! We started off in January under several inches of snow, but the past few weeks have come with some warm temperatures and beautiful weather. Classes are manageable so far, which has freed up a lot of time for me to work out and practice. Best of all, rushing and pledging a fraternity has helped me meet so many new people and kept me busy on the weekends. Sitting at my kitchen table in Cincinnati, Ohio, I kind of miss the independent living of college - but I appreciate the break. No matter how much fun I'm having at this small liberal arts college, there is always lots of work to do and its never really done. This semester I am taking on the challenge of studying 4 instruments at once (trombone, piano, percussion, and voice) and getting enough practice time in for everything every week is a tough task. Because of it, though, I feel like I am learning so much and gaining a new perspective on music. Maybe these are classes I could take at any of the colleges of Indiana, but studying at a liberal arts college like DePauw gives me an experience like no other.

In the past couple of months I've had the opportunity to host two prospective students for DePauw's overnight audition program. This is a process that lets prospective students get a better look at what its like to be a student in DePauw's School of Music. Their stay starts off with a student production of one of the top private universities of the midwest - for example, the opera Gianna Schicci or DePauw's Music of the 21st Century Concert (which you can read about here). Following this the student is invited to attend a faculty recital and then a faculty dinner, where he or she can sit down and talk to professors and students of the same area or instrument. The next day the student has an audition, sample classes, a free lesson with a professor, a campus tour, an admission interview, and an information session with the Dean.

When I went through the same program last year, I chose to stay with a student host overnight while my parents stayed in one of the several hotels around Greencastle. This was one of the most important choices I made during my college selection process. Not only was I impressed with the school and the professors, but staying with a student host was such a positive experience for me because of how nice he and all the other people I met were. I really felt welcomed at DePauw. So when I had the chance to host other prospective students I eagerly volunteered to do it. Even though it was yet another time commitment for me, it was worth it to try and give something back. Each of the students I hosted were interested in several colleges of Indiana. I did my best to remind them that although a liberal arts college like DePauw may seem to have a large price tag, financial aid and scholarship can make it a very affordable experience - that's the only reason I'm here!

Greek life is a major thing here at DePauw. There are 11 fraternity houses and 6 sorority houses on campus, and the majority of students belong to one of them. (DePauw University is actually home to the first female fraternity house in the United States - Kappa Alpha Theta - one of its many claims to fame among small liberal arts colleges). "Rush" is the process where interested students get to learn about all of the houses and consider which, if any, they want to join. There is no fall rush at DePauw. Instead, rush is held during the first few weekends of the spring semester. This allows first-year students to get acquainted with many aspects of college life before committing to a chapter.

For me, rush was a lot of fun. The whole process consisted of three rounds - one to see all the frats, one to narrow it down to 5, and then one where you only visit your top two houses. The night of 3rd round is known as "Bid Night", where rushees make their picks and are then accepted as pledges to the chapter. It sounds like a big tedious ordeal, but each house visit comes with great food, some funny presentations, and a chance to talk to the brothers in each house. I ended up pledging Phi Gamma Delta (AKA "Fiji") and am loving it so far. Joining a frat is great because it basically guarantees that you have 70 new friends to hang out with and be there for you. Everyone back home is surprised that I joined a frat - saying things like I'm not "preppy enough". It's hard to explain, but the whole fraternity scene is different here. A house is somewhere to live, get to know your brothers, and have a good time...not just to "party" 24/7 (and the food is great!). Besides, when you're a music education major at one of the top private universities in the Midwest, who has time to party?

Spring semester is well under way, and I can't believe how much better it is than fall semester. For one, my schedule is much more balanced this time. Instead of having most of my classes crammed into Mondays and Wednesdays, I have about 3 classes every day. This gives me so much more time to practice, do homework, and most importantly - relax! I watched TV last night for the first time in ages, then dozed off on my futon. Sometimes its great to be a college student. Another plus of this semester are the classes I am taking. A quick look at my courseload:

-Music Theory II
-Musicianship II
-Ecology and Evolution
-Learning in Diverse Classrooms
-Beginning Class Voice I
-Percussion Techniques
-University Band
-Trombone Lessons
-Piano Lessons
-Trombone Choir
-Music Education Lab


Each one of these counts as a credited course. Though it might seem like I would get sick of all the music, I am actually loving it more than ever. That's because I get to study 4 instruments this semester - Trombone (my major), piano, percussion, and voice. I have always wanted to learn all the instruments and I think its a lot of fun to learn all these new things. I can enjoy these classes - I don't have to be perfect at my secondary instruments like trombone! I get a lot of satisfaction out of banging on a snare drum or singing simple little songs in class voice. The only dark spot on my schedule is my biology class (Ecology and Evolution), and that is due to the fact that I am not very good with the sciences. However, the professor seems like he is a good teacher and willing to help (part of the advantage of small liberal arts colleges) so I should be okay

Unfortunately we are stuck in the dead of winter with almost half a foot of snow on the ground here in Greencastle. Snow is fun for a little bit, but I still can't wait for summer to get here!

Winter term '09 is well over and done with and, though it was a good time, I am glad for it to be over. Pep band ended up being a relatively fun and easy class, but four years of prior pep band experience and 2 doubleheaders every weekend made it get old much more quickly than I expected. What I did like was getting to see some good basketball games. The women's team is the defending conference champ (pretty good for a small liberal arts college like Depauw, eh?) and the men's team is competitive as well. Both teams won every single home game that we played at.





The major plus of on-campus winter term was the huge chunks of free time, relaxed atmosphere, and the casual social scene. Not only did this give me time to sit on my rear and play video games, it also gave me time to practice how I wanted to. For the first time in months I was able to get away from the tight schedule I had to keep and just spend time doing what I wanted to do. I usually never have time to practice for more than an hour at one time, but because of winter term I could practice as long as I wanted. Spending a few hours playing anything I felt like playing really helped me get reacquainted with myself as a musician - something that I felt myself starting to lose in a hectic 1st semester. I can see why some of the top private universities have a winter term because the possibilities are endless. I can't wait for what I'll do next year.

 As we start a new year and a new term, I think it is important to spend some time reflecting on the semester that has passed. Where did the time go, anyway? I still remember making the 2.5 hour drive to DePauw on move-in day just like it was yesterday. I carried all my junk up four flights of stairs to my dorm room, one thing led to another, and the next thing I knew it was time to buy Christmas presents. Time has flown. If I could pick one word to sum up these past four months, it would have to be "transition". Most of my energy has gone into finding my place here after leaving another place that I came to love. As January rolls in, I have to admit that I am not quite there. I am still adjusting to the social scene, living accommodations, and everything else that comes with the college life. I'm not doing bad though - I have plenty of friends and there are so many more to meet. DePauw's mentor program helped a lot in finding a few friends quickly to start the process of branching off into a social network. Because of small class sizes, I have been able to get to know many people well in a short amount of time - a huge advantage of a small liberal arts college like DePauw. I think the adjustment would be hard for anyone anywhere, so I am glad that DePauw - one of the best liberal arts colleges around -  has helped me so far.

And how was my winter break, you ask? It was great! There's nothing better than spending time with the people you love. Hanging out with friends everyday was an absolute blast (complete with a few dates with the girlfriend, of course). After spending time at home, I feel like I have regained perspective on life and what I am moving towards - it is a tough feeling to describe. To put it simply, I am ready for the new year. Let's do some work!





 

Today (January 5th) was the beginning of a special thing we have here at DePauw: winter term. Winter term is a three-week period where students can take time to study abroad, intern, co-op, participate in service trips, perform an independent study, and just about anything else you can think of. For those who do not choose any of these options, there are the on-campus courses. Students pick one time-intensive course to take during this period. These are nontraditional, and range from classes in EMT certification to campanology (the history and practice of bell-ringing). The courses offered reflect a multitude of interests and practices that are intended to educate for education's sake - they are the epitome of what a liberal arts college should be able to offer all the time.

My winter term course is the DePauw Tiger Pep Band. This means that I will spend the month of January rehearsing popular music, learning choreography, studying the history of American band culture, and designing my own pep band show. All of this will go towards performing at all of DePauw's home basketball games in January. For a music major, and someone who spent four years in high school pep band and marching band, this is like a dream come true. I get credit for doing all of this now, when I'd be playing trombone anyway? Definitely a sweet deal. So for our first day of class we rehearsed music for 2 hours in the morning, then spent the afternoon watching the movie Drumline. So far I can only really say that I hope the rest of the month is this laid-back, and I look forward to a restful month after the hectic year that has just passed.

For a plug, did you know that DePauw's Tiger Pep Band has been recognized as the best pep band in NCAA DIII Athletics? This makes it pretty special among liberal arts schools. Check it out here.

  As the semester starts to wind down, one can feel the stress all across the campus. In the music building especially you can hear passing conversations of people worried about their final singing juries, piano proficiency tests, studying for music theory, or the 8-page paper they have to write for first-year seminar. Music Ed students like me had 5 field experience papers due Wednesday in addition to a portfolio and a paper on our personal philosophy of music education due Friday. Monday is the beginning of exams with another synthesis paper on learning theories due. Yes, weeks like this are everything that high school teachers warned about - and the word is that some of the music school faculty are worrying if the 100-200 level music courses aren't quite rigorous enough. So rest assured that at DePauw University you will definitely get your money's worth when it comes to education. Part of being one of the top private universities like DePauw means that students are expected to work hard in preparation for a successful future.


  So what can you do to deal with the stress at a small liberal arts college? Well, last night after spending a while staring at a blank philosophy paper, I decided to put it aside for a while and play some videogames (haha). Later that night I went running into the nature park (more on that in a later post, maybe) which usually helps me concentrate but I was still having trouble this morning getting out of bed and thinking about all the stuff I have to get done. So you have to understand that it made my day when I went to check my mail a little while ago to see a care package from home. With it was just a little note from my parents - "Stay focused Nick!...See you soon". So I guess today's lesson is to always keep things in perspective - the little things will take care of themselves. At the same time, take time to appreciate the little things that make life worth living.

While I've got time, I want to write about a musical opportunity I had a few weeks ago. Blake Schlabach, Assistant Principal Trombonist with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, gave a master class at DePauw University on November 17th. For those who may not know, a master class is where a "master" musician (a professional, educator, or someone who is highly regarded) gives a clinic for music students - usually by listening to select students playing standard repertoire and offering criticism, thoughts, and altogether a different perspective on how to play. Blake is a coworker and friend of Jim Beckel (Indianapolis Symphony, Principal Trombonist), the teacher I study with in the school of music here.


At a small liberal arts college like DePauw, it is rare to see a masterclass for your specific instrument, so naturally all of the trombone players were pretty excited for this. I was one of the students Professor Beckel picked to play for Mr. Schlabach, and the only first-year - so you can imagine that I was a little nervous. However, that was for nothing. Blake wasn't scary at all and offered a lot to think about the piece I played. Besides working with individual students, he also worked with DePauw's trombone choir which is comprised of the entire trombone studio.

The best part about the whole experience was that after the clinic, everyone involved went to Marvin's (a restaurant near campus) and enjoyed some pizza on Professor Beckel's tab. Not only was this a lot of fun, but it also gave us the opportunity to talk trombone and life with two professionals in a casual setting. I didn't realize it at the time but this was a great networking opportunity - the kind that could only come with being a student at a small school like DePauw.

Well here we are back at good old DePauw. Thanksgiving break was a good time though, that's for sure. It's weird to go back home after so long. On the drive back up I was thinking about this. A college student has so much invested in two different places that its almost like living in two different worlds. After a few weeks of classes, dorm life, new friends, and everything else, you tend to forget about your "other life" back home, where you came from. So when you come home for the holidays and you find that life has indeed gone on without you, it is almost a surprise. I wonder if its bad to be split between two places like that - trying to balance two different sets of friends, for example. All of this thinking is mostly unnecessary and way too deep, but it is interesting on a long car drive.

Anyway, it is good to be back despite all the work that comes with it. Here's something new I learned about DePauw University - we have an airport about 20 minutes away from campus! No little dinky thing either, but the brand new Indianapolis airport right off of I-70. Somehow I've driven past it about ten times and never knew it was there until a friend asked for a ride from the airport. Maybe that's not that exciting for some..but for someone who's only ever been on an airplane once, it's pretty cool to think that you're only 20 minutes away from going anywhere in the world.. They say DePauw is one of the top 50 liberal arts colleges in the country - how many small liberal arts colleges can offer an airport so close to campus?

  It's hard to describe what its like when you're doing what you've always wanted to do. Its a great feeling, though. Here at DePauw, my life is filled with music! What a change from what I'm used to. Its funny to think that, in high school, only one of my 7 classes was musical. Here, only one out of 9 is not a music class. Back home I had to seek out musical opportunities - youth symphonies, community orchestras, honor bands. Here, I could not get away from music if I tried. A quick look at just my typical Monday:

One of the few real truths that I have learned in life so far is that there is nothing in the world like music. Playing trombone has been a major part of my life since I started high school and has helped me find something I want to do for the rest of my life: teach music. I could have gone to any almost college for this, but I knew from the day I auditioned at DePauw that it was a great school and a good fit for me. This blog will be all about me, Nick Meiners, and my life as a first-year music student at DePauw University. So join me as I juggle classes, homework, hours of practicing, and maybe even a social life on my way to a college education from one of the best liberal arts schools in the country.