In this blog post, Kenna Wolbers reflects on how playing music has improved her college experience, leading her to reconsider what it means to be "productive"
by Kenna Wolbers
Modern day college students have a hobby disparity — at least that's how I feel. Our generation lives in a world that demands we not only upgrade the tools used in professional fields but also the people who use them. As a result, students feel pressured to turn themselves into competitive machines, neglecting the activities that bring them satisfaction in favor of becoming chronic "doers of things." If something doesn't build your resume, it's not worth your time.
At the beginning of my freshman year, I told myself I was going to be an underachiever. I was always busy in high school, and the idea of signing up for all sorts of resume-building activities sounded exhausting. I would focus on my grades and explore Iowa City, maybe even finish some writing projects.
Despite my efforts, my first semester started rough. I felt like I was committing a crime. Is it legal to have this much free time? I had several more hours in a day than I did in high school. When I tried sitting down to write, I told myself I hadn't done enough to deserve creative freedom. Did you exercise today? Did you go to that club meeting? Did you volunteer this week? It left me stuck staring at a blank page.
Wolbers pictured playing the viola moments before her A-string snapped.
There was only one thing I could use to relieve the pressure, and that was music. My parents signed me up for piano lessons when I was young because it was supposed to give me a big brain. My primary instruments became piano, viola, and drums. Music was such a constant in my life that it started turning into background noise. I didn't think it would be the thing to save my college experience.
One day, I got bored and decided to pop my viola out of its case. The viola is, in my opinion, better than its squeaky sister the violin because its larger body gives it a richer sound. I ended up playing for over an hour. The chronic doer in me knew I was wasting my time, but I didn't feel bad about it. I started picking up the viola every day, challenging myself to play a pop song by ear or to learn more intensive pieces. Although this practice wasn't going towards anything, for once, I felt like I was doing something for myself.
In November, I got my mom to help haul our family's electric drum set to my dorm room, much to the horror of my neighbors (don't worry, I could plug my headphones into them, and they barely make a sound without an amp). Drums became an outlet for processing the more aggravating parts of my day. Hitting a snare is a lot more fun than waiting for a stress-induced heart attack to kill you.
I met other people who played instruments, and we decided to busk every few weeks in downtown Iowa City. Busking is a fancy word for performing in the streets, and it's a good way for amateur musicians to make a couple of bucks. Busking also taught me not to care so much about performing. The act of playing became more casual, knowing that people held no expectations for what we did. If you mess up while improvising, your audience can just walk away.
Pictured are Kenna's viola, bow, and drumsticks.
My musical hobby is not something I can put on my resume, but that's a good thing. It means I can trust my enjoyment of it in and of itself. If you're only doing things hoping it'll make you look better to employers, how will you know if your passions are truly your own? Music is what renews me, but maybe someone else out there needs more fly fishing in their life. I hope whoever reads this challenges themselves to find an unproductive hobby. There's not always time in a day, but there might be in a week or a month. There's more than one way to support yourself, and the answer doesn't always end in a paycheck.
Author Bio:
Kenna Wolbers is a first-year student from Dubuque, Iowa, studying film and creative writing. In her free time, she enjoys drawing, playing the drums, and volunteering with the Iowa Youth Writers Project.
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