Being a college music major is HARD.
I understand. I’ve been there.
I understand. I’ve been there.
The relentless days of practice, the late-night study sessions, and the endless list of assignments that never seems to end. It’s a symphony of responsibilities, a cacophony of commitments, and, well, an opera of exhaustion.
Let me paint you a picture of my own percussion-packed journey through those college years.
Most days, I was on campus before the birds even considered chirping, and I’d often find myself still there at 9–10 pm. I mean, there were days when I was so swamped with rehearsals and classes that I didn’t even get a chance to eat until nearly 4 pm! 🍕😅
Here’s an example of my actual schedule when I was a percussion performance major:
How the heck did I ever survive this crazy schedule for 4 years?!
Systems and time management.
The reality is, this schedule is pretty par for the course for a music performance major in college. And you know what? It doesn’t even include time for studying and homework! That’s precisely why I can’t stress enough how vital systems and time management are for college musicians.
Systems are like your backstage crew, making sure everything runs smoothly while you take the stage. They free up your mental capacity, liberating your mind from the torment of endless assignments, due dates, readings, and the eternal struggle to recall every little task for the week.
Dump all of that information into a trusted system, so you can focus on honing your musical skills, rather than worry about which assignments are due when and oh crap! I forgot to read the chapter on the Baroque era and we have a quiz in Music History today that I’m totally not prepared for! 😱
See what I mean? If you don’t have to worry about those things while you’re in the practice room, you’ll be able to achieve a higher level of focus and better quality practice. This will result in making more rapid and lasting improvements in your music than if you’re wasting your cognitive resources on assignment stress.
So, the big question is, how do you reduce this assignment-induced stress and get those cognitive resources back for music-making?
By creating a system to organize your class obligations. You can start simple with a spreadsheet or level up your game with a Notion dashboard that makes life smoother than a well-rehearsed symphony.
Before I discovered Notion, I used to create a Master Syllabus spreadsheet for the entire semester. It was my compass, tracking all assignments and exams for every course.
Check out the live example here →
To add to my bag of tricks, I would create a weekly time block schedule like the practice schedule above. It helped me sketch a rough outline of my week, aligning my homework and study sessions with my music performance commitments, ensuring I stayed on course throughout the semester.
Now, if I had Notion back in my early undergrad years, I’d have been in blissful organization heaven!
Whether you use Notion or not, you can still utilize these techniques to optimize your school productivity.
Here’s how to time block your week:
Create a table using rows of 30 min time increments and columns for each day of the week (basic)
Use a Notion dashboard (like my Music Student OS dashboard) to update with your class details (intermediate-advanced)
Schedule out all your classes
Schedule in time for practice
Schedule time for health & wellness
Schedule time for working on readings and assignments
Plan a weekly study session for your more difficult classes
And don’t forget to schedule in time for eating and breaks! 🌮🤤
With these systems in place, you’re not just surviving — you’re thriving. You’re making music, hitting those high notes, and finding balance in the chaos. 🎵🌟
Now go forth, my fellow music majors, and conquer your academic goals with the power of systems and time management. Your future self will thank you for it!
👋🏼 Tasia is a classically trained percussionist turned Digital Ops Maestro at Rhythm Productive and a Notion Certified Consultant, where she helps the creative arts streamline their digital operations with Notion and supporting tools.
She’s also passionate about teaching musicians and creatives how to embrace productivity for a better work-life-art balance through her newsletter, YouTube channel, and community. 💜🎶