Do you feel somehow both eager and reluctant to study music? You’re not alone. Join first-time host Matt Voglewede for a discussion of the place of music study in our lives.

Many of us have conflicting feelings when we consider (or remember) studying music. On one hand, performing a favorite song or hearing something new in a familiar recording can be deeply pleasurable. On the other hand, the challenges of developing musical skills can lead to anxiety, frustration, or guilt, and these emotions may be tied up with concerns about the opinions of others: parents, teachers, peers, friends, dates, concert audiences.

As adults, we can choose for ourselves whether to study music and, if so, how to do it in a healthy way that aligns with our own interests, values, and standards. There may be options you haven’t considered: for example, private lessons are not the only way to study music, and public performance need not be your goal.

Let’s explore together how studying music has been—or might be—a part of your life. You may well discover that others have had experiences like yours, and you may receive (or provide!) inspiration and encouragement. Come share your story.

Questions for discussion include:

• What does it mean to study music?
• How might our childhood experiences have shaped our ideas and feelings about studying music? What do we do with these ideas and feelings as adults?
• Taking private lessons on an instrument (or in singing) is one typical way to study music. What are some other ways?
• Public performance is one typical goal of music study. What are some alternative goals?
• How can we respond to the inevitable mistakes we make while practicing musical skills? More broadly, how can we appreciate or even enjoy the practice itself, not just the end result?