Conservatoire vs Music Degree?

[maggiethecat]

For a long time we thought dd was keen on conservatoire and so encouraged her to be looking at the various options here and abroad. More recently she's been talking about a university degree in music. (she can start conservatoire/uni in 2021 or take a gap year).

Other than knowing that conservatoire is more performance based than degree courses can someone explain what the differences are likely to be generally between these 2 options. Do they necessarily open up different career paths?

What's the instrument?

Instrument would be way too outing - not mainstream though - hence why only 2 conservatoires are on the table.

I keep telling her that she doesn't need to come home unless she actually wants to and that having a chance to use home washing machine occasionally for delicates might not be such a bad thing. But I really do understand why she wants to leave - I'd have gone somewhere less good than London if I hadn't got in to Oxford rather than stay near home.

It would depend a bit on teachers, I think.

If the teacher at RBC is well-known in their field - many of the individual tutors at the different conservatoires outside London are based elsewhere, including London - then that itself can open doors. In niche instruments, it may also be that the specific instrumental reputation is different than that for the conservatoire overall (like those universities that have a single outstanding course - games design at Abertay, for example - within a generally less well known university). If it is an orchestral instrument, rummaging around the biographies of the main orchestras might be instructive.

Equally if it is an instrument that 'every orchestra needs one of' and RBC has a few while RCM has many, then the opportunity to play much more in the highest Conservatoire ensembles from the earliest years may compensate for a slightly less well-known conservatoire.

Really, really hard to say. The general recruiter, based on 'organisational reputation', would say RCM, but that doesn't mean that for a specific niche instrument RBC might not be equally good.

However, given the user name, they are less keen on the location and would like to be out of London.

But, (all else being equal) if all the best players of that instrument go to RCM and your DD doesn't, she may miss out on some life-changing opportunities. So many instrumental groups - of all varieties - are begun independently by students during their undergrad / postgrad degrees, and they go on to forge unfeasibly successful careers. The best institutions will also attract the best composers, who'll write for those student groups ...

I do understand the urge to get out of London. And, of course, everything else isn't equal ... (In your DD's shoes I'd go to the place whose tutors have the biggest and best professional careers. Even if they prove less dedicated teachers - the doors they can open, and the access to early, stellar opportunities can be amazing.)

Thanks for this - although the RBC department is good for this instrument RCM is very much the gold standard (probably internationally as well as in the UK) and has 3 times as many teachers who cover the broad spectrum of repertoire. It's not an orchestral instrument. I just don't want them to make a decision they will later regret.

Sorry - re-reading my first sentence, it's garbled! She needs to be in the place with the best players of other instruments, so she can join the very best instrumental groups!

RCM, then. No contest.

No contest and no comparison!

Has she really looked at what the students of her instrument are actually doing (outside the curriculum) at both places?

Londonmummy66 is it the organ?

It would be somewhat invidious to guess at the instrument - but organists need brilliant composers (preferably with prior experience of composing for the organ). And a really forward thinking, well connected department to guide them to the most exciting performance opportunities. (But I'm sure she knows all this!)

Not organ and probably doesn't need composers.

Thanks for all the advice. I had a feeling it was pretty clear which was better but am worried that she will choose RBC just because it isn't in London.

@Londonmummy66

Not organ and probably doesn't need composers.

Thanks for all the advice. I had a feeling it was pretty clear which was better but am worried that she will choose RBC just because it isn't in London.

I don't think that's a good enough reason, especially as I presume she'll move out of home and live in halls etc?

I mean, I chose 'my' half of Oxbridge purely because Every Single Member of My Entire Family went to the other one and raved about it, but that was a choice between two equally good options, which is a different scenario.

Just wanted to update everyone who was so helpful. In the end RCM offered a nearly full scholarship for all 4 years so it was a bit of a no brainer. She's looking forward to life in Kensington.

Sounds wonderful @Londonmummy66, best of luck!

This is really helpful info for my ds. Thanks op!

@Londonmummy66
Congratulations to your dd!

Dd will apply this autumn but she has a friend who just accepted RCM - had offers/scholarships from all the big ones but felt that RCM were warmest/most enthusiastic and seemed to really want her.

Feeling welcomed by an organisation does say a lot about it so hopefully it will be a good experience for your dd!

@maggiethecat - thank you - DC has friends there already who all absolutely love it. They told her to hurry up and book the accommodation as it fills up quite quickly so this afternoon was signing my life away as her guarantor.....

For music, I would recommend a conservatoire over a university.

A conservatoire will have better facilities and be more focused to her specific field of study. Also, everyone there will be studying something music/performance/arts related so she'll be surrounded by people similiar to her. If she does end up doing a performance related degree, she will need to practice, a lot and it'll probably be more motivating to have other people around her doing the same thing. It depends on your daughters personality however, as she might find it suffocating.

At university, she might have to take some other modules that aren't related to music and more related to general study. However, she'll meet people from all different fields, which might be more interesting to her.