Some weeks, it seems like years elapse between Monday morning and Friday afternoon. College can be a stressful environment. Weekends serve as a sweet, sweet reward to the week’s pressures. A lot of students, myself included, choose to relieve stress by going to parties on or off campus. As a Blair student, many of the parties I go to are Blair parties, or as we call them: Blagers (Blair + rager).

If you’re thinking what I was thinking when I first heard this term, you may be picturing a bizarre small group of geeky musicians awkwardly standing in clumps around a room, listening to show-tunes or something. While some parties are definitely better than others, the image I just described is not accurate. Like any party, “Blagers” have games and beverages (*wink*), colorful lights and loud music. People are dancing, making out, talking in groups around the room or just clustered so close you can feel other people’s breath around you. My one complaint would probably be the music, though. Few classical musicians know how to make a pop playlist. 

These parties are exclusive: invite-only, and usually Blair-only (occasionally people will bring their non-Blair friends). Although, I should clarify that there is no affiliation between Blagers and the Blair School of Music. It’s just hosted by Blair students for Blair students. There are generally 40-50 people who come to these parties, and usually everybody knows everybody. At the very least, people are familiar with most everyone in attendance. In my experience, this creates a unique, more comfortable environment that fosters a greater sense of community.

Like I said earlier, Monday through Friday can feel like a lot. And while many Blair students certainly use these Blagers to blow off steam, I think it’s more than that. Blair creates a professional environment for its students. We perform regularly, both during the school day and at night. I’ve had to walk to class in a performance dress and heels many times; most Blair students have. While I cannot speak for all the students at Blair, these parties are some of the only times I feel like a regular college student. 

Being in music school is different. I knew that coming into it, and I love it. However, during the weeks full of performance and competition, the light at the end of the tunnel is always the prospect of letting loose over the weekend with people who understand the unique pressures we face as music students. There, we completely forget about Blair.