The first year of college is a pivotal transition point for many students. Numerous studies suggest that academic achievement, retention rates, and overall well-being are associated with the quality of students’ first-year collegiate experiences. This may be particularly true for music students, whose first year often includes new lessons and ensemble experiences, establishment of practice routines, exposure to theory and ear training content for the first time, and processes of socialization and identity formation unique to music study. Despite this, there is a notable lack of research on the lived experiences of first-year collegiate music students as they navigate new academic, sociocultural, and personal phenomena. To the extent that collegiate music educators, leaders, and stakeholders more deeply understand the experiences of their newest students, they will be better able to support them, increasing student retention and the likelihood of their success throughout the rest of college and in their careers. Thus, the purpose of this study was to document and understand the experiences of first-year undergraduate music majors with a particular focus on students’ motivation, academic and musical challenges, sociocultural and external factors, and personal identity development. Using a mixed methods approach, we documented the experiences of a purposefully-sampled cohort of 12 first-year students as they navigated a large school of music at a university in the southern United States. Data sources included interviews, focus groups, online surveys, and researcher memos. We analyzed the data using an inductive process in three cycles: (a) open coding, (b) axial coding based on patterns and points of intersection, and (c) generation of “core essences,” or themes threaded through the data. We ensured trustworthiness through triangulation, member checking, memoing, and external audits. Among other findings, participants felt well-supported by the programming and resources provided by their university, but nonetheless experienced stress related to varying musical readiness levels, overscheduling, difficulty making friends/socializing, and career precarity. Implications generated from this study will assist stakeholders in providing targeted support when and where students need it most, helping build assistive structures that address students’ most critical concerns.