The Layman's Guide to Music Majors

Disclaimer: My opinions are based on my own weird brain.  I realize that some people are not the kind of musician that I am describing, but I am. 

On most, if not all college campuses there are separate buildings devoted to music. This is not only so they have someplace to put the instruments, but also because music majors are kind of like children that were raised by wolves; not in the sense that they are socially inept (well, we'll get to that later) but because the real world confuses them.

The thing about being a musician is that you don't think in terms of words, at least I don't. I think in terms of music. Words like "cadence, sforzando, Picardy third" are constantly floating through my mind.  Once I was at the Smithsonian Museum of Art in DC, and my sister and I were looking at a Calder exhibit.  She, being an artist, was admiring the actual artwork, but for me, the musician, it was inspiring songs.  Now, if I would have stood there and just looked at the exhibit like a normal person and then left like a normal person I would have been fine. But of course, that doesn't ever happen. Instead I stood there with this strange look on my face and when my sisters asked me if I was ok I said "I can hear it! I can hear those things".  She informed me that they were just things hanging from the ceiling and I definitely couldn't hear them and we should go. We decided to leave shortly after that, but we had already piqued the interest if the large, threatening security guard, who then tailed us for a good 20 minutes. That's just one example of how my life operates. 

All it really boils down to is that I am totally obsessed with music. Infatuated. There is not a second of my life where there's not some form of organized sound in my head.  I think my favorite part about music is that it's a vessel.  It's not a solid creation, but rather a template.  Playing a piece, for example a Chopin Nocturne, isn't just simply pushing the keys to make sounds.  Maybe this is just me, but I can't help but thing of what would have been going through Chopin's head when he wrote those notes.  Even more mind-blowing, the thousand, if not millions, of people that have played that work since all brought something new to it.  They all internalized it differently, adding emotion and expression, and gaining something from the piece as well.  Just.....wow.

So, you may ask, what can I (a non-music major) do to further relate to and understand these roses among thorns? It's simple: Never be offended by long pauses of seemingly awkward silence, instead realize that the silence is probably occupied by a huge mental orchestra.  You will probably be involved in conversations peppered with musical jargon, especially if there's another music major involved.  DON'T ADDRESS THIS. You will either endure a thorough explanation of the different between ternary sonata form and rounded binary sonata form (a fascinating debate, really), or you will receive many blank stares, and your ignorance will be discussed at length behind your back.  (not really...well...kind of)  If you want to romance a musician, take them to a classical concert, don't complain about a 45 minute long piece, and listen carefully to their inevitably detailed analysis.  It will pay off.  Basically, just embrace the quirkiness and borderline insanity that is devoting your life to music.