Final days a freshman: Playing to her own tune

When University of Idaho freshman Andrea Falk dropped her cello performance major just after midterms, everything seemed to fall into place.

“I was very content,” she said. “Much happier.”

Falk came to UI in August as a cello and vocal performance major. She was nervous, excited and uncertain whether she”d make friends.

Joleen Evans | Argonaut Freshman Andrea Falk plays cello for The Phantom of the Opera Thursday at the Kenworthy Theater.

Joleen Evans | Argonaut
Freshman Andrea Falk plays cello for The Phantom of the Opera Thursday at the Kenworthy Theater.

While Falk found her rhythm quickly, the load of a music major quickly began to wear her down, and by fall midterms, she was spiraling.

By the end of fall semester, she had regained her positive outlook. By dropping her cello major shortly after this, she said she was simplifying – no longer did she have to focus on her instruments.

“I could just be a musician,” she said.

She said while her love of vocal performance began in high school, it was only enriched by her first year at UI. She said being in performances, meeting barbershop quartets and learning about singing styles she”d never heard of made her want to push her vocal performance to new heights.

“I knew I couldn”t do that as a cello major,” she said. “And that was what I wanted.”

She said with the move, she will be able to focus in on what she really wanted to be learning – she said she might even add a jazz studies minor.

Since then, Falk said she has been busy without feeling overwhelmed. She picked up a job working at Patty”s Kitchen and still enjoys hanging out with her friends in the music department. With finals winding down she said she looks forward to working and spending time with her family in Moscow this summer – particularly her younger brother.

She said she has matured dramatically this year, and feels now she can better relate to her brother.

“And ever since I dropped my cello major, my personality has kind of come back,” she said. “I can enjoy being around them more.”

Falk said if this year has taught her anything, it”s to let things go. While it was certainly a yearlong process, she said in retrospect, her freshman year feels like one big learning experience.

Now, she said, she”s looking ahead. She”s tired, ready for a break and ready to be done being a freshman. Even so, she said the transition will be bittersweet –  as hard as the year was at times, she said she still had the chance to create wonderful memories.

“It”s not going to be the same,” she said. “Just go with that. It”s not a bad thing.”

Hannah Shirley  can be reached at  [email protected]  or on Twitter @itshannah7

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