This article is not meant to discredit the hard work and dedication of the Hurley faculty, as many of them are constantly supportive of our academics and well-being. There is a high level of inconsistency though, which makes this situation even more frustrating to many of the students. We greatly appreciate the talent of the professionals around us, but their moods can get in the way of their relationships with their students, which is overall unprofessional and, in my opinion, unacceptable. 

As a well-established student in the Hurley music program, there are many aspects that I cherish with my whole heart, including my classmates that have been resilient throughout our entire time in the program; however, I believe that while our professors desire our best, we must hold them accountable for their actions. It is unacceptable that we are belittled for our constant work. It is time we speak the truth about our programs and expect more from our professors. 

College is a time to discover yourself, your dreams, and start your life. I believe in many ways that at Centenary we can flourish and have the freedom to make mistakes and try again; however, in some departments, this statement is more accurate than others. In the music department, our faculty lets on a happy face full of love and acceptance. Beneath that surface is a murky and arduous truth that only the unlucky few get to see. It is harsh, uncompassionate, and hypocritical in many ways, and it makes the students’ lives much more difficult than they need to be. 

The music curriculum alone is impossible to manage while maintaining one’s sanity. We are made to take several zero-credit hours courses each semester, all of which require much more time and effort than zero hours. From the start of our freshman year, we are made to be in class from 8 am-5 pm, practice at least an hour a day in each discipline (which for each student is anywhere from 1-4), and often time encouraged to work professionally in the community. It would be much more efficient for the music school to act as a conservatory, or in such a way that we receive the credit for the hours that we truly in class or rehearsal. At the very least our work should be able to earn us a Bachelor of Music instead of Arts because it would be a more accurate representation of the work we do. Anything less than exceeding in our classes or performances is seen as a failure, and you are given less time and attention than other students who choose to sacrifice their mental health for the sake of the respect of their professors. It is not the student’s job to earn a basic level of respect from their professors, but in music school, it seems that no matter how hard we try it will never be able to truly be earned. 

The amount of stress and burnout that all college students experience is overwhelming enough, but the kind of physical and emotional stress that music students experience is unique. There are a fair number of students who have experienced permanent damage in their hands or voice because they were told to push through their pain. We are told that what we produce is more important than our physical and mental well-being, which is an extremely toxic environment to be in for four years of our young adult lives. Our burnout not only affects the quality of the work we produce, but it also affects our ability to produce anything at all. Taking a mental health day is seen as weak or lazy, and our constant rehearsal schedule does not allow for any downtime. The system aims to create hardworking and competent musicians, but alongside that it creates anxiety, perfectionistic mindsets, and a crippling fear of failure that causes breakdowns at the slightest mistakes.  

Regarding our professors, they hold us to a high and extremely professional standard. This on its own is not an issue and is beneficial; however, it is their lack of professionalism and basic regard for our humanity that is unacceptable. There have been countless numbers of students that roam the halls of Hurley, already overloaded and burnout, just to be told sexist remarks or yelled at about their character. In rehearsals, our student leaders and musicians have been told “that’s a stupid way to do that” or “what do you even think you will accomplish with your life?” Other students have been told “I’m not sexist; I’m just treating you how the rest of the industry will” or “We are here for your mental health” and then respond to a student in distress with “You can’t keep blaming your medicine for your lack of work ethic.” These are all direct quotes from various professors from the Spring 22 semester alone. When confronted with these concerns they make general excuses and ask for the grace that they refuse to give their students, and then continue with the same behaviors as before. 

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