Dd y9 may want to do Music Degree

[Smellylittleorange]

She has already started GCSE study. I fear she won't have enough grading on instruments though. She has just started ABRSM level 2 theory she has grade 4 Trinity voice - will do grade 5 this year.
Currently plays a bit of keyboard mainly by ear. She bought the Lala land manuscript and has been playing from that recently.
She has also been playing the guitar and composing her own tunes.
I'm not very musical ..I can play Ukes that's it. She is also very interested in History and Opera .

Is there any chance of her doing music degree with what.is effectively only voice as her instrument ?

[AlexanderHamilton]

Of course there is. It would however help her General musicianship/composition if she could awuire basic keyboard skills.

[Moominmammacat]

There is every chance but it depends what sort of music degree she wants to do ... music theatre, performance at conservatoire, academic. Does she have someone at school she can talk to? Second basic keyboard skills whichever direction follows.

[jellybeanteaparty]

If she is naturally musical it is not too late and she can do a degree with voice as her main instrument but it is worth looking up options and entry requirements of the sort of course sh may like. She then knows what to aim for if this is what she wants. As mentioned their are many options and each will be looking for different things. Many university degrees will ask for piano at grade 5 level in addition to your instrument or academic interest. Keyboard skills would be helpful for any musical options. To get an idea look up contemperary music song writing courses ,music production, conservatoirres etc. The Student Room website may also be a good source of info.

[Caulk]

My niece was accepted as long as she had grade 5 in another instrument, preferably piano.

[Smellylittleorange]

Thanks all..guess we will have to look into piano/keyboard grading and lessons. I think she is considering uni rather than conservatoire as she is also really into History...guess it depends on the types of courses but hoping some will have musicology element ..but then again she loves composing too. I think A level Music and History are definites at the moment.

[bengalcat]

Look at universities websites for entry requirements for music courses - A level music is of course always accepted but check with school what the requirements are to do A level music ( my kids school only lets them do music A level if they've got grade 7 ) but there's also music technology A level where you need a portfolio . Uni's will depending on the course take you without music a level with a lower grade of instrument but also music theory .

[horsemadmom]

I have a DS doing Music. It really is imperitive to have at least grade 7 on the primary study instrument, Grade 5 theory and Grade 5 piano. Even an academic degree (not performance) will require analysis of scores and some composition and instrumentation and orchestration. There are some courses at mediocre universities that won't have high standards but the degree won't be well respected.

[SimultaneousEquation]

Keyboard skills are really helpful once you get beyond g5 theory. I would start her off on piano lessons - at this age she could easily get to grade 5-8 before uni if she puts the work in.

[gillybeanz]

Have a look at Manchester if she is academic.
They are brilliant and Music there is only second to the conservatoires in the practical element.

[MyBrilliantDisguise]

My son did this degree at Salford and after an MA in Composing is now a composer for film and tv. He absolutely loved the course at Salford and got a lot of experience in composing and production there.

[holdthewine]

Is she doing theory exams? I think she will need grade 5 theory or above.

[Smellylittleorange]

Yes she is doing abrsm theory so should be grade 5 by college entry time and also grade 7 on voice. I'll look into piano lessons thanks. We have many sixth form colleges in Hampshire..think that is where the gap in knowledge was coming from . Entry requirements ok so if she can get through the A level and extra piano grading we won't be hindering her if she wants to go on to do Music at Uni.

for the kids who may not be able to afford extra expense of lessons /exams though

[Smellylittleorange]

Should say we 'don't have many sixth form colleges'

[Smellylittleorange]

And uni entry time not college

[Bubblebubblepop]

Hi very much crashing but the piano replies interest me- my children are far younger but I have deliberately kept them away from piano and violin because they are so competitive- should I be encouraging them to at least pick it up to G5?

[Smellylittleorange]

Crash away @Bubblebubblepop until now music was just a hobby for Dd ..she only did singing lessons as she was asthmatic and we were advised it would help..wish we had been more strategic about it.

[jellybeanteaparty]

You may be interested that Oxbridge don't require grade 7 in your instrument. They do ask for a grade 5 level of skills in piano (if you haven't done the grades themselves thats OK but they often ask you to sit a keyboard test at interview) My DD applied with grade 5 piano and theory and due to take grade 7 voice and got offers from 5 russell group Uni's (at 16 she had no music grades at all!). I agree about unfairness for those that can't afford lessons - you would hope some schools would be able to find scholarship schemes for talented children with potential. Does anyone know if their are foundation music courses like you see for fine art to help access?

[Fifthtimelucky]

My daughter is doing a music degree. Everywhere we looked expected grade 8 on main instrument (voice counts, obviously, and grade 5 on piano. The impression I got is that the more traditional academic courses are the ones that that need the piano.

I know two people in the first year studying voice at different conservatoires. Neither had grade 5 piano.

There’s lots of choice for music at HE so I’m sure it will possible it’s possible to find something that suits.

[Fifthtimelucky]

Interested to read jellybean’s post. When my daughter was looking, both Oxford and Cambridge were asking for grade 8. I don’t know about Cambridge but at Oxford you don’t need to do any practical music performance as part of the degree (except for practical keyboard skills, which I think is compulsory). Obviously those who want to focus on performance can do so.

[Smellylittleorange]

Thanks @Jellybeanteaparty exactly kind of info am after.
I must have been a bit tired last night calculating when she would get her grading for voice by time she has finished GCSE she will be on Grade 7 but Trinity. Grade 4 for theory so we may have to speed that up a bit /work on that for A level entry as well all so complex!

I do wonder about the widening participation aspect of Music degrees. I suppose you have to be a certain grade standard which they assess at auditions too so the piece of paper showing what grade you are is not always necessary. I know that with for example Classics degrees there are routes written into degrees for those who may not have done Latin/Greek before ie the majority of comp school students.

It just seems grossly unfair that a whole section of society is likely to miss out on access to a subject because they can not pay for music lessons or fail to forsee entry requirements further down the line (starting at GCSE level in some schools).

For anyone interested I have found the following charity that offers assistance for low income families
//www.musicmark.org.uk

[PickleFish]

She doesn't need to do the theory grades at one grade a year - Grade 5 theory is something that can be self-taught in a few months - or there are even intensive courses that teach it in a week in the holidays, for example, both for Grade 5, and some for beyond Grade 5 (again there are lots of books for this, though having a teacher would help a lot)

I'd also encourage her to go to a wide variety of concerts and performances - there are often very cheap standby student tickets on the day for performances that are otherwise unaffordable when you're an adult - wish I'd done more of that! - and that will give her a broad background if she does want to study history of music.

Trinity is generally equivalent in terms of qualifications being recognised.

You might also want to look into what the other people who end up taking the courses you're interested in have as their background/qualifications. If the course only requires Grade 5 theory, for example, but everyone else has Grade 8, then it will still mean a lot of work. It's not just scraping on to the course that matters, but giving her every chance of success in it.

[Smellylittleorange]

Thanks picklefish useful to know. I was working on the basis that she has just started extracurricular music theory club at school and the book.the recommended was at grade 2.

[TrumpsWigmaker]

It just seems grossly unfair that a whole section of society is likely to miss out on access to a subject because they can not pay for music lessons or fail to forsee entry requirements further down the line (starting at GCSE level in some schools).

For anyone interested I have found the following charity that offers assistance for low income families
<a class="break-all" href="http://go.mumsnet.com/?xs=1&id=470X1554755&url=www.musicmark.org.uk" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">www.musicmark.org.ukk*

This.**

I’m a classical musician, thanks to the free lessons I received at both primary and secondary schools. My parents would never have been able to afford the lessons, nor would they have sought them out.* These days, only the children of affluent families stand a chance of pursuing such a fulfilling career.*

[TrumpsWigmaker]

Oops. Forgot to turn the bold off. Sorry

[Malbecfan]

Not all universities require grade 5 piano to study Music. Lots of them don't even require A level Music. Last year, DD and I were travelling round looking at locations of various places to study (sciences) and over dinner I flicked to the Music degree page of Nottingham University. They required grade 8 in your first instrument plus grade 5 Theory, then 2 or 3 reasonable A level grades. The irony was that DD had most of that at the time, even though she wasn't taking Music or looking to study it.

From talking with my old uni teachers, they valued grade 8 practical and grade 7 Theory more than an A level grade. At school, we routinely put all our A level musicians though grade 8 Theory (taught in one term) and those applying for Music degrees tend to get lower offers if they pass the Theory exam (Cardiff went from ABB to BBB), Southampton also dropped a grade. Some piano/keyboard skills are useful so it would be worth getting some lessons now if you can afford it so she has more options open.