Reflecting on her classical music education, Michelle Hromin sheds light on the burnout addiction embedded in the instituional model.
I don’t think anyone has ever assumed that pursuing a degree in classical music would be easy. Despite a love for the craft, there is also the understanding that it requires hard work, including long hours practicing, composing, or studying scores. But what isn’t discussed is the unhealthy practices in music education that prime young musicians for failure from the beginning – particularly the belief that burnout-inducing schedules offer an accurate representation of the professional world, a test to see if we will crack under the pressure.
When I began my conservatory training in 2017, I found my overachieving, people-pleasing self constantly striving for more hours in the practice room and more accolades to populate my resume to demonstrate that I was “good enough” to have a career as a musician. Even during the height of the pandemic, my family can attest to my 7 a.m. wake-up calls to drag myself into our basement to practice for graduate school auditions and recording projects...Keep reading on I Care If You Listen.
I don’t think anyone has ever assumed that pursuing a degree in classical music would be easy. Despite a love for the craft, there is also the understanding that it requires hard work, including long hours practicing, composing, or studying scores. But what isn’t discussed is the unhealthy practices in music education that prime young musicians for failure from the beginning – particularly the belief that burnout-inducing schedules offer an accurate representation of the professional world, a test to see if we will crack under the pressure.
When I began my conservatory training in 2017, I found my overachieving, people-pleasing self constantly striving for more hours in the practice room and more accolades to populate my resume to demonstrate that I was “good enough” to have a career as a musician. Even during the height of the pandemic, my family can attest to my 7 a.m. wake-up calls to drag myself into our basement to practice for graduate school auditions and recording projects...Keep reading on I Care If You Listen.