November 13, 2026

Have you ever thought of how many roles one international student can play in one day? Apparently quite a few…I am Angelina, and I am currently in my junior year of undergrad program in the Classical Violin Performance major. I am originally from Russia and moved to New York 3 years ago and today I am going to share with you my daily schedule as an MSM student.

7:00am – Coffee, Scales & a Love-Hate relationship

My mornings usually start with two essentials: coffee and scales…yeah, I know what you think…as a violinist, I can’t say I particularly enjoy practicing scales and exercises, but I absolutely love the feeling of having my hands warmed up and ready to play. There is something satisfying about starting the day knowing that I’ve already done something productive before my first class.

9:00am – Brain workout

My earliest classes usually start at 9:00 a.m. This year, depending on the day of the week, you’ll find me in either Mahler and his times or Humanities. One morning I’m exploring Mahler’s existential crises, and next I’m questioning the meaning of life and talking about Machiavelli. Just a normal morning at music school! I actually love how these classes help me see the world beyond my practice room and connect music with history, philosophy, and everything in between. Although after almost an hour of scales, my brain sometimes needs a warmup too (with another coffee).

12:00pm – Lunch, updates & gossips

Finally, lunch break! Since my parents lives in Russia, my lunchtime is their early evening, which makes it the perfect time to call home and give my mom a daily life update (and reassure her that yes, I’m eating properly). On other days, you’ll find me in the MSM cafeteria hanging out with friends, catching up on everyone’s lives, and just having fun. With students from all over the world, there’s never a shortage of interesting conversations, but somehow, we always end up talking about music and art anyway (apparently, spending hours practicing isn’t enough for us)

1:00pm – From student to tour guide!

Time for a little career change! After lunch, I switch from being an MSM student to working in the Admission Office. My job includes answering phone calls, helping prospective students, and giving campus tours to students and families. It’s honestly one of my favorite parts of the day! Not too long ago, I was the nervous international applicant trying to figure out how everything worked, and now I’m the one answering all the questions. Talk about a plot twist! Plus, giving tours is a great way to get my daily steps in without going to the gym. Who knew walking around music school could count as cardio?

3:00pm – Free time??? Wow

After my shift I usually have a little time to recharge before my next adventure. This might be either grabbing an early dinner or an attempt to convince myself to squeeze in a little more practice. But my favorite thing to do is go to the silent study room in our library and spend some time with myself, or organize my schedule for the next few days

4:00pm – Rehearsal mode: ON

Time to make some music! Depending on the day, you’ll find me at an orchestra rehearsal, chamber music coaching, or studio class. This is one of my favorite parts of studying at MSM — getting to collaborate with incredibly talented musicians from all over the world. There’s something magical about bringing a piece of music to life together, even if it occasionally involves arguing over tempos, counting endless measures of rest, or exchanging panicked looks when someone gets lost. (We’ve all been there!) By the end of rehearsal, my brain might be exhausted, but there’s nothing quite like the feeling of making music with friends. And somehow, we always leave saying, “That was fun!” even after three hours of rehearsing the same passage.

7:00pm – Musicians have a social life too!!!

Believe it or not, music students do occasionally leave their practice rooms! One of the best things about studying at MSM is having New York City right outside our doors. Some evenings, my friends and I go to concerts, explore new neighborhoods, discover cute cafés, or just wander around the city with absolutely no plan (which somehow always turns into an adventure). And the best part? We’re surrounded by some of the most incredible concert halls in the world, from Carnegie Hall to Lincoln Center. There’s always something to see, hear, or experience, and being able to learn from world-class musicians both inside and outside the classroom is such a privilege. Of course, sometimes our idea of a fun night is just getting food together and complaining about how much we must practice tomorrow. But hey, that’s part of the experience too!

Moving across the world to study music was one of the biggest decisions in my life. Being away from my family isn’t always easy, but MSM has given me a welcoming community, wonderful friendships, and opportunities I once could only dream about. Of course, my days aren’t always perfectly organized (and I definitely drink too much coffee), but I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything. From a small town in Russia to studying violin in New York City – sometimes I still can’t believe this is my everyday life.