Music as a degree - any recent experience?

[ratticus4]

DD is Year 12 and a bit bleurgh about university. I don't blame her with the lack of careers talks, open days, etc. and especially with reduced contact at school where they only go in for lessons so don't get to chat about their futures (as we did endlessly!). She's currently enjoying music the most of her A'levels so, with the idea of starting somewhere, I've started mooting the idea of her taking music at university. She's ruled out conservatoires as she doesn't want to be a professional musician but I think she would enjoy the breadth of a music degree (but then I am a sucker for an online prospectus).

She will probably be diploma level next year, but has missed out on any orchestra playing for the last year which is a shame as she really enjoys that aspect - hence why I'm getting her to consider music as a starting point. She's at a sixth form and I've yet to meet her subject teachers or instrument teacher to ask for advice although I will obviously do that a bit further down the line.

I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has a DC who is/has recently studied music at university. Any recommendations/advice?

Dd has same idea @ratticus4. It really is a minefield as the courses differ so much. I agree the breadth of study looks fab. I feel less anxious about Dd reading the subject now I know she does not have dreams about being 'discovered' . Her interests lie in business, coaching, teaching or therapy ...we have concentrated on looking for modules that cover these subjects and performance opportunities. The best advice I was given by lecturer friends is to look at the music community and how vibrant this is...gives some indication as to how valued the subject is within the institution. Dd has found following department /music society social media accounts really helpful for this. It has been helpful to see how different places have approached teaching during pandemic.

I understand a degree from a good university is just as valued as a humanities degree in terms of graduate jobs. It seems to me there are lots of opportunities for the business aspects Dd interested in e.g promotions,marketing , event management and Dd also intends to take the Trinity teaching diploma whilst there.

For Industry experience /more popular music there are some great Music Colleges out there too. Best to narrow down the preferred elements somewhat as a starting point.

There are a couple of students looking at Music over on the Year12 thread on secondary board and peeps who have been to Music college/uni. Join us. Dd instrument is her voice so I don't go on extracurricular thread but I imagine you could get some great advice there.

What Instrument does Dd play and what does she enjoy most about A level? The A level is demanding so if she enjoys it..a good sign !

Thanks for your reply @orangecinnamon Since I posted DD has had a careers day run by the school where invited speakers talked about their subjects at university. The music one was the most interesting of the ones she attended so she has picked up on that and is now thinking about applying for that at university (so I can step back!).

Regarding what she wants out of the degree... she's open to ideas. I think she'll end up in a 'graduate job' rather than something music-related. She wouldn't be one of those who signs up for different clubs at freshers fairs - and that's why I thought music would be good for her: she'll find herself in orchestras and groups simply by being expected to take part. She's a violinist so she has a variety of things to be involved in through that. As a non-singer I'm very impressed with your DD and voice. That takes confidence and I imagine there's a lot she could do with it.

Good advice to look at the music community. I hope we'll get out of lockdown in time to do a tour of the universities and see the music departments and get a feel for them. Looking at the Times/Guardian guides and bearing in mind what she would probably enjoy from a city - we're looking at Cardiff, Southampton, Bristol, York as well as Durham. I think she'd like Oxford but I read a couple of students chatting about their applications over on StudentRoom, and they were in a different league - musically and so passionate about it!

Great to hear ! Yes Dd has Southampton and Cardiff top of her lists ..Cardiff just pipping to the top, Southampton looks great but for the full 'student experience' she knows it too near home.

The famous influencer (?!) youtuber GraceFit did music at Oxford apparently. Might be worth seeking out her study videos. Have heard wonderful things about York's course too (too far for Dd apparently). It is so nice to see them getting interested in this next stage of their lives. Good luck with it all!

This was us recently so a few other things you might want to consider:-

• have a look at what provision the universities have for music lessons. Are they included in the tuition fee or are you required to pay extra? Some only cover if you get a scholarship or only a small number of lessons.
• I know lockdown may make this difficult but, if you can, visit some unis that you don’t think you’ll like! It’s worth doing as a comparison and also helps to re-affirm any decision you make.
• look at modules and if they cover the areas of music she would like or the mode of study i.e. linked to performance/group work in chamber orchestras/organising skills in putting on performances etc or are they more theory based/research? Would the modules on offer provide a variety of transferable skills for her possible career options? I know all DC are different but as an example my DC visited Oxford and not many of the modules covered areas of interest that they would have enjoyed. Sheffield on the other hand, allows you to build your own degree from a comprehensive list.

Good luck in your research.

My child's girlfriend recently graduated in music (Bristol) and has gone into law. Loved it (the music - and the law after). I spent a lot of my law degree with music students and my children's father is an organist and teacher - he read for the BMus and then did PGCE and is FRCO.

The Bristol, York Durham sound good options and probably best to have a couple of easier to get into back ups. 3 of my children who are musical (2 of those won music scholarship to their school etc) chose Bristol over Durham (but not for music)

@Xenia makes good points. A good degree in Music is as transferable as any other good degree. My degree is in Music; after graduating I went into accountancy, then ran a business for a couple of years for 2 "interesting" characters before doing a PGCE and teaching for the last 27 years.

Some of my former A level students have gone on to study Music. Popular universities have included Manchester, Leeds, Durham, York, Goldsmiths & Southampton. The people who went to Manchester & Goldsmiths are now working professionally as musicians. Others are now working in other graduate roles. Friends of my DDs have gone on to study Music at Oxford, Cambridge and conservatoires. The Oxbridge lot were really able musicians by the age of 16. By all means have a go, but you have to be realistic.

If the lockdown lifts, one thing I did with my DDs was to make a long list of possible unis then go & spend an hour or so in the city/town. It definitely helped weed places out. I took DD1 to Southampton. It's a 2.5 hour drive from home. We pulled up on the campus and she said "yuk, it's not for me", so we drove on to Bath. It was a lot of driving, but both DDs are really happy in their university cities.

We pulled up on the campus and she said "yuk, it's not for me"

(Ignoring the fact that I and DS1, the only one of ours to have applied - the other two didn't for course-related reasons - really like Southampton) I remember someone posting somewhere that their DC did this at a a university on moving in day... Possibly something that may happen a bit more this year?

DS is in final year of BMus at Cardiff and has loved it. Great city (relatively cheap) and loads of musical opportunities in normal times. He'd planned to go into arts/music administration but I think Covid has made him realise how precarious a business it is. He's planning a year out to earn some money (does cover supervisor work in school) then possibly a masters in musicology, probably at Cardiff.

I agree with Xenia re transferability. One of DH's old choristers read music at Cambridge and then went into copyright law - not that she does much music work in her practice but it was an interest that linked to an area of law she enjoyed. Others have read music and now work in film promotion, press office for the London Mayor, business and accountancy. Others did go on to become musicians and one works in outreach for a major orchestra.

I'm not sure that Oxbridge music really does require massively high standards of performance - children of a couple of friends of mine have DC there and with offers for this year and none of them were beyond Grade 8 standard when they left school. However, they had a lot of 8/9s in their GCSEs and got/are on track to get A/A*s at A level. SO if your DD is academically able then she shouldn't rule out Oxford because she is worried about performance standards.

DC1 looked at all the universities for music this year - the courses vary really widely so your DD really needs to trawl through to see what they offer/make you study to see what interests her the most. (Mine was in love with Aberdeen at one point so I enjoyed showing her the weather there in the last week or so...)

I was on a legal committee for years and we discovered 50% of us sang in choirs, some at quite a high level. You might expect lots of lawyers to be golfers or into rugby or something but it was interesting how many of us were singers in our spare time.

Hi all,

New here but read this thread with interest- anyone’s dc choose Southampton? DD going to do Music and German. Very excited about the course. Nervous of course. Just Trying to support her and help her to look forward after the rollercoaster of their Sixth Form experience.

Hope everyone is well and enjoying the summer. Thank you for this thread!

@Xenia

I was on a legal committee for years and we discovered 50% of us sang in choirs, some at quite a high level. You might expect lots of lawyers to be golfers or into rugby or something but it was interesting how many of us were singers in our spare time.

A classmate of my dh at conservatoire is now a barrister. I think you find a lot of music and drama people veering towards law as a career.