Hitz Academy Summer Masterclass Series
5 Things I Wish I Had Done as a Music Major — and the 5 Things I Did That Had Me Ready When I Was Given the Opportunity of a Lifetime
You're investing years of your life — and probably six figures — in music school. Here's what I wish someone had told me before I started.
Register NowIn 60 seconds, Andrew shares what this masterclass is about — and what you'll walk away with.
You worked incredibly hard to get here. Getting into music school is a real achievement and you should be proud of it.
But here's something worth sitting with before you graduate: you are spending multiple years and very likely six figures on this degree. This masterclass is about making sure that investment pays off the way it should. There are things that will shape your entire career that are simply not in the curriculum — not at most schools, and not even at the world-renowned program where I studied. Nobody is going to put them on your syllabus. Nobody is going to grade you on them. And most students never figure out they matter until they're already out the door.
I was one of those students in some respects. I made five significant mistakes during my time in music school that I can see clearly only in hindsight. I also did five things right that I didn't fully appreciate until the moment they mattered most — like the night I got a call at 10pm and was on a plane to Colorado by 5am to perform with Boston Brass in front of 1,200 music educators.
This masterclass exists because nobody handed me that list before I graduated. I'm handing it to you now.
What This Masterclass Covers
- ✓A system for sight-reading — including why struggling with it may have less to do with your ability than how you were taught to do it (if you were taught to look at the key signature first, you need to hear this)
- ✓Recording yourself in the practice room — including how to listen back in a way that moves your playing forward rather than your self-doubt, what to listen for, what to ignore, and the tools that help you get the most out of even a rough recording
- ✓Playing for every professional who comes through town — including one masterclass strategy that takes real nerve but consistently gets you more time with visiting artists than anyone else in the room
- ✓A mindset shift for rehearsals — one simple reframe that turns even the most routine rehearsal into a super focused and productive session
- ✓Getting out of your musical comfort zone, intentionally — why waiting for it to happen on its own is a strategy that almost never works, and what to do instead
You're already doing the work. This is about making sure it pays off.
Music school is going to teach you an enormous amount. Your applied teacher, your ensemble directors, your theory and history professors — they are going to give you things you'll draw on for the rest of your career.
What rarely makes it onto any syllabus is the stuff that determines whether all of that training actually translates into a career. The habits nobody assigns. The rooms most students never think to walk into. The mindset shifts that separate the musicians who are ready when something real is on the line from the ones who aren't.
I know what those things are because I lived on both sides of that line. I got five of them right — and I know exactly what getting them right made possible. I got five of them wrong — and I can see clearly what that cost me, even with everything else going right.
You are going to graduate from music school. The only question is whether you're going to be ready for what comes next.
About Andrew
After majoring in music performance at Northwestern University, Andrew Hitz went on to perform in 49 states and almost 30 countries across four continents as a soloist, with orchestras including the National Symphony Orchestra and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and as the tuba player and co-owner of Boston Brass for 14 years.
He has taught masterclasses at some of the finest music schools in the world, including The Juilliard School, the Royal Academy of Music in London, and the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. He has delivered well over 1,000 clinics to students all over the world.
He is the founder of Hitz Academy and the host of The Entrepreneurial Musician. Everything he shares in this masterclass comes from his own experience — including the mistakes he made at the very same stage of his career you're in right now.
What to Expect
| Date & Time | Sunday, August 10 at 8pm ET |
| Platform | Zoom — link sent upon registration |
| What's included | Full recording, detailed notes, and a step-by-step implementation checklist — plus the ability to submit your questions in advance |
| Questions | Submit yours anytime before the masterclass — details in your confirmation email |
| Price | $39 |
5 Things I Wish I Had Done (and 5 Things I Did) as a Music Major
- ✓Full masterclass recording — yours to keep
- ✓Detailed notes
- ✓Step-by-step implementation checklist
- ✓Advance Q&A submission
$39
Register NowQuestions? Email andrew@hitzacademy.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Will there be a recording if I can't make it on August 10?
How do I submit my questions in advance?
I'm already a junior or senior. Is it too late for any of this to matter?
Does this apply to graduate students too?
You're going to graduate. The question is whether you'll be ready for what comes next.
You are spending multiple years and very likely six figures on your music degree. The ten things covered in this masterclass won't be on any exam. Nobody is going to require them of you. But the musicians who figure them out while they're still in school are the ones who tend to be standing in the right place when opportunity arrives.
For $39, that is one of the easiest decisions you will make all year.
Register NowQuestions? Email andrew@hitzacademy.com