Olivija, 26, comes from Lithuania and is in her 8th semester of a degree in classical oboe at the Hochschule für Musik Nürnberg (Nuremberg Conservatoire). In our Survival Kit for Studies series, she tells us how frequently she has to grit her teeth – and what an incredible feeling it is to perform in concerts.
The biggest cliché about your school – and to what extent it’s true:Some people I know ask me whether there are many Asian students at the university. Although I find it a bit strange, it’s true to say that about half of students at German conservatoires come from overseas – not just from Asia. I think that’s cool. After all, I’m one of them.
What’s your normal daily routine?
I wish I had a normal daily routine. Usually I go into university and have lectures or practise. With a music degree you receive individual tuition in some subjects, especially your major. As it’s taught by professional orchestral musicians, the lesson time has to be tailored to the orchestral schedule. It means that sometimes lessons are at a weekend or on a bank holiday. I don’t mind about that, I enjoy them every time.
As an oboist I have to make my own mouthpieces. That takes time: planing, cutting, binding, scraping, trimming, trying them out, and so on. Making the reed almost takes up more time than practising. That’s an important part of my day-to-day life – otherwise it’s mainly eating, tidying and going to work.
What could you have done without?
I could have done without all the part-time jobs. They’ve often kept me away from my studies. At one point I had three part-time jobs. I have to finance my own degree. To begin with I was still receiving a bit of help from my parents in Lithuania, but it’s impossible for them to do that really.
Which day at university will you never forget?
For me the worst day at uni was my intermediate exam. It was the first examination in my major subject after studying for two years. It was the end of July and very hot. It’s difficult to ventilate the concert hall here properly, and it’s hard work playing the oboe. I felt physically unwell and I had unbelievable performance anxiety. Overall I didn’t feel great at all.
I’ve got very positive memories of the class evening hosted by my professor once a term. I didn’t really have any success on stage in Lithuania. On that evening I played a piece and settled into it really well. A lady sitting right at the front was absolutely thrilled with it, and I had that unique feeling of wow – someone’s enjoying my performance.
If you could start over at university, what would you do differently?
Maybe I would try to get a place on a degree course in Germany right from the outset. I’ve been studying here for four years now. Before that I spent three years studying in Lithuania. My first year here overlapped with the last year in Lithuania. That was very stressful. But actually I wouldn’t want to change anything, because I met two of my best friends when I was studying in Lithuania.
What did you find the most annoying?
My family is anything but musical, and I didn’t really have any role models. That’s very difficult. My parents were never really able to support me – or they didn’t know how that worked and what they had to look out for. I often thought to myself that I don’t stand a chance anyway, because all my peers were musicians who were able to play their instruments a lot at home with their families.
What has often proved a lifesaver for you?
Moments like the one at the concert, where people are inspired. Ultimately it’s just lovely concerts or projects that make me think afterwards: that’s why I do this, and that’s what keeps me going.
What did you eat on the last day of the month, when did you have to save money?When I first came to Germany, I really had to save. I got the place at university through a series of coincidences – well, more miracles than coincidences – and then I immediately owed rent, deposit and so forth. I tried to spend no more than ten to 20 euros a week.
My mother makes a lot of vegetable conserve, which she sent to me. Then there was pasta or buckwheat and vegetables day in, day out. That was pretty tough. The first birthday I had here, I started a campaign on Facebook, and sent my friends a message like this: Hey guys, it’s my birthday, and I’d really like some almond milk to have with my coffee, or even a concert ticket. As a result I actually did get a bit of money together; some of which was given by people who didn’t even really know me. That was great. I’ve got a grant now, perform in paid concerts regularly and give lessons. Things are going really well for me.
What question do you always hear at every family gathering?
Luckily I don’t have any family parties – and if I do, everyone’s really relaxed and says: just do your own thing.
Where might you be found when you’re not at university?
In bed or in the jazz bar where I work. I used to do much more, and go to concerts more often. But now I’ve finished writing my undergraduate dissertation, I’ve got almost nothing at all to do. Other than that I work, or my boyfriend visits me and we do something together. Yesterday I finally got round to going swimming again, which was really nice.
I really had to grit my teeth.
The highest price was the whole thing with the double degree. I had a state-funded grant in Lithuania. If you want to change your degree course after more than two years, you have to repay all the funding – and how many of us keeps a spare twenty thousand euros in our pocket? So I had to spend a year commuting back and forth to finish my bachelor’s degree in Lithuania. Emotionally that was also very difficult, because the whole playing technique and way of approaching music is very different at the two universities. The hardest thing happened right at the end of my degree in Lithuania, because my professor said to me: things aren’t going well at all for you, you’ll give up the oboe soon. I really had to grit my teeth. Then things were much better in Nuremberg.
University is also about learning for life. What’s your takeaway so far for the future?
My experiences in Germany have shown me that it’s possible to be diverse despite the music degree. I used to think that people who study classical music just play a classical repertoire in an orchestra. But you can play jazz as well, or teach something other than music. Although it isn’t my native language, I’ve even taught German before. I’ve come across people who are doing a yoga course alongside their classical music degree. I no longer feel so constrained and fearful. It gives me courage.
It’s Beethoven Year at the moment. What does Beethoven mean to you?
I’ve got a complicated relationship with classical music. Although I don’t listen to Schönberg recordings in my spare time, I do prefer music from the 20th century or later. Nevertheless I want to use this year to find Beethoven for myself and discover more about him. Last year I played in a sextet for wind instruments by Beethoven. It was so lovely – I was surprised that it was by Beethoven. The thing is, I had in my mind a cliché of symphonies that were beautiful but also very demanding – with lots of great solos for oboe that’ll give you quite a work-out.
There are lots of fantastic projects about Beethoven, for instance Beethoven im Wohnzimmer (Beethoven in the lounge). For this, people make their living room available, furnish it with a few chairs, and find some musicians to perform there as an ensemble. I really like the idea and I was sad not to have been involved in the project. But there’s still plenty of time left this year, and I’m sure that something will still happen.
“Survival Kit for Studies”
Where in Germany can one study well? How can you live well as a student? And how do you survive the first student council party and the questions at family gatherings?
Students from different disciplines talk about their experiences at universities in Germany, their everyday life – and what sometimes drives them to despair.
March 2020