Help - anyone give advice on Conservatoire application process?

[Cliff1975]

Any help will be gratefully received. My son has applied for 6 Conservatoires. We completed the application though UCAS on time for the 3rd October deadline. We selected in person audition for all except RCM where we know you have to submit an online audition by 29/10/22. All good. There was no mention of online auditions also being needed but he has received an email from Leeds telling hi to go on to the Acceptd website to book hi in person audition, which he has done but the others have deadlines on there to submit an online audition. So now he and I are very confused nd worried as one of the deadlines is monday. He is not ready yet, not helped by a hospital stay and Glandular Fever 2 weeks ago. So if we selected in person audition doe we need to do anything or do we wait for emails inviting him to attend?
He has received next to no help from school.

Sorry to hear that. It's so hard for these talented young people.

Sorry to hear that. It’s so stressful.

A no from RCM. No news from Royal Welsh.

We are still awaiting outcome from 2nd audition at welsh, which was last week. Heard back from trinity today with an offer.

Sorry to hear about the no Cliff.

Congrats to your child for Trinity Kyra

Been following this with interest. My DD has offers from Birmingham and Wales, a no from Scottish (very odd audition where they were disinterested from the start), a no from Northern after the 1st video audition, just had audition with RAM and audition with Trinity moved to after Christmas. I feel your pain and shall be glad when it is all over 😁

Congrats on your dd's offers so far MrsTinsel. It seems like anecdotally Northern are not progressing many at all to 2nd round after the video audition. I can't help feeling they must be missing out on a lot of talent as some people simply find recorded auditions a lot harder.

There will be no more news here for a while as the other places the young we are assisting is applying to are pop music places and they don't start auditioning until February/March.

She took against Northern because one of the pieces was insanely difficult, so was quite pleased never to have to play it again 🤣. Good luck with the pop music applications

My applicant loved the Northern set piece. But he literally only discovered it mid August and due to various other commitments only began to learn it in September and only had about 3 lessons in the run up to the recording.

My own ds didn't apply to Northern last year but the set piece for his instrument was one of his absolute favourites that he regularly performs so that alone means that some applicants have an advantage.

Does anyone have any idea how many scholarships or bursaries get awarded for conservatoires? We're in Scotland so dd will apply to RCS but we're reluctant to apply for English ones as it's so much more expensive. That would be really limiting though for her as the other places in Scotland to do music are universities which don't necessarily have the same performance focus.

@horseymum - can only go on my DD and her friends but RCM and RAM seem to have substantial scholarship funds - most of them got something although not many get everything. DD got about 90% at RCM though.

@horseymum they’re based on audition but they’re quite cagey about amounts! Mine got offered several, ranging from £2k for one year to £9,250 per year for 4 years. The one he accepted gave him£8k for year one.

We have now heard from welsh, and she has been offered a place too. BTW she plays viola, not sure what other instruments are on this thread but it's nice to put an instrument to the offers and rejections. Good luck those still waiting to hear.

More congrats Kyra.

ds (already at Leeds) plays piano/keyboard
his friend (applying this year) plays drum kit

Congrats Kyra. My DD is in the first year at Royal Welsh strings so if you want any info let me know.

Congratulations to her.
Mine is a brass player and is first year RNCM.

Thanks for the scholarship answers. Well done to those getting places. Dd only in 4 the year but this thread is useful to hear the process.

paddington how is at the Royal Welsh? my son has got an offer there for composition. he recieved reserve offers for RCNM and Guildhall. ANY other composition students out there?

@nicpic71 DD is enjoying the Royal Welsh course, halls, people and city. She’s settled in really well and made some good friends, one of which is a composition student. There is an overlap with the composition and instrumental course and people collaborate together. Did your DS go to an offer holder day? This really helped DD know it was the right place for her.

Hi Paddington thats great to hear. Not heard re offer holder day. John Hardy has been in touch with his guildhall teacher jeffrey re the opportunities and course layout. It seems really diverse and although he is disappointed to only have got reserve offers for northern and guildhall, I am actually pleased he wont be in London.

My daughter received an email before Xmas about an offer holder day for 11th Jan I think at Royal welsh. She declined as she has accepted elsewhere.

The young person I had been assisting has accepted an offer at a standalone popular music college. It's a new place and maybe not as prestigious as some of the other places he was applying to but it has some good people behind it, is validated by a university known for this area and for various reasons this place is his first choice and I think he has made the right decision.

I am very happy for this talented young person and I am sure they will do very well.

Good luck to everyone else waiting.

That's wonderful news. Well done them

Thank you on their behalf. I personally think RNCM would not have been a good fit for them so, heartbreaking as it was at the time, this is the best thing.

That’s excellent news @Comefromaway finding the right place is so important. Mine turned down RCM and RAM in favour of RNCM because it was the right place even though most people would say London is more prestigious (not me).