Being a musician isn't easy. It requires a lot of self-discipline and desire. It will also have its ups and downs. Many students don't really see this aspect of it before they begin majoring in music. All they know is they liked playing in band (or orchestra or choir) and they think it would be an easy way to make a living. Then they get to school! They find out music is the one major on campus in which students start taking major courses their freshman year. They are told they have to practice a minimum of two hours a day (with encourageement to get to at least 4). They are expected to start doing research about composers and their pieces. All of these things that most students have never had to do before. The result is that a student will either thrive in this setting or sink. Recently I had a student change his major because he realized that he couldn't handle the stress of being a music major. I hadn't really thought of it that way because it is just who I am. I do music. It is a part of my life and I can't really imagine doing anything else. At least this student didn't wait too long before he figured out it wasn't for him.

Of course then there is the student who drifts along, doing the absolute bare minimum required to stay afloat in the program. Rehearsals and practicing seem like an inconvenience too them. And good luck getting them to go to a concert they aren't playing in (and occassionally even the ones they are playing in). My question to them is always "Why are you doing this? You don't really seem to like it, let alone love it." Most common response - I don't know what else I would do.