DD wants to do music degree

[ilovemydogandmrobama2]

DD1 (16) is doing Maths, Physics and French A Levels.

She also plays flute at city youth orchestra, and will be doing Grade 8 ABRSM in November. I wanted her to do GCSE and A level music, but she wanted to keep music as something she enjoyed which I accepted.

This past week while doing work experience, her mentor asked her what she felt passionate about and she said, 'music.'

So, she's thinking she left it too late as she hasn't done GCSE or A Level music.

Any experiences?

Hmm.

my experience may be very out of date but she could speak to the school music teacher for advice.

some universities /music colleges (if she’s very good) might accept Abrsm grade 8 alongside non music a-levels for a performance led degree but for most music degrees (which have a performance component but are heavy on theory and history aspects at least in the first year) I’d say most unis will insist on music a-level as it’s a very good foundation for later study. I don’t think you need gcse to do a-level though if you are competent on at least one instrument.

worst case scenario could she start a level in September. Or is an as-level possible in a year (not sure they are still a thing).

Just ask. Everyone I know who did music at university including my children's father did music A level. A proper good university BMus even if you have grade 8 music theory as I have will want an A level depth of study.

Could she not do what I did? I had 4 grade 8s but I did a different subject at university but spent loads of lovely time in chamber choirs, touring abroad, singing, playing the violent etc - my main university hobby? (I just had in those days O level music, not A level).

@Xenia , yes of course. She has been on tour with orchestra, and maybe had a bit of a wobble because her work experience mentor was saying that she should do what she's passionate about, so she's having a bit of a rethink about what she enjoys doing which is music.

She's always wanted to separate academia and music into a compartment, and now wishes she hadn't.

Guess my view is that at 16 she can still change her mind, so will speak with her school to see if there are any options.

Armed forces musician?

A number of universities will accept someone without a music A level if they have Grade 7/8 on an instrument and Grade 8 theory. I know that Oxford and Holloway were like this. SHe could probably mug up for Grade theory in the summer holidays.

I did a music degree as a mature student. I didn't have music A level so I did a music access course first. Could she do something similar?

Quite a few unis offer maths and music joint degrees so might be worth thinking of something like that as more likely to accept no music A level and also keeps her options open - and in my experience joint degrees often allow you to swap to single honours in one at end of first year if have done well enough in the one you want to swap to.

Of the young people I know who did a music degree, one went on to do medicine and is now a doctor. The other is doing a masters in computer science and has a job offer to work in a bank.

If it's a performance focused music course she wants to do in a conservatoire environment then she won't need music a -level - likely to be assessed on audition

A more university type academic environment may want a level music specifically - have a research of some courses and see!

Oxford (where my DD is currently studying music) says this:

• If your school or college does not offer A-Level Music, you must have Music Theory Grade 7 or above, plus three A Levels. Music Technology A-Level is an acceptable alternative to Music A-Level for our course, provided that you also take the Music Theory paper. We accept Grade 7 from any board (e.g. ABRSM, Trinity).

If she wants to do academic music as opposed to a performance based degree, she really needs to be doing at least one essay based subject at A level. French won’t count because writing shortish essays in French isn’t the same as longer essays in English.

But don’t take my word for it. You or your daughter need to contact some university admissions departments and ask them. It might be quite a leap if she hasn’t studied music already.

If going down the conservatoire route — what is her instrument? Some will be much harder to get a place in than others.

A colleague’s child had the same revelation and c returned to school for an extra year to do music A Level in one year. My daughter found out and wished she’d done the same!

What does she want to do with music? How about a music production or music industry course - my dds friend has just done one and it's amazing, such a wide range of music industry topics covered and a real range of practical, technical as well as creative skills covered - they've done their final year gig recently working together with other students. Sounds like great real world experience to me!

I guess the problem is how does she know if she enjoys the musicology side of music - the history, the harmony study, the analysis, the composition etc if she has experienced music study already? Unless she’s talking about music college and a degree focusing on performing which is more about how good she is but not easy on flute.

Hi OP. I'm a lecturer in music at an RG uni. Please reassure your daughter it's not too late! Many university courses now don't necessarily require A level music, and often have a range of alternatives they'll consider instead (for example, some ask for grade 8 theory instead of A level). The situation has really changed markedly in the last 5-10 years, so please be cautious of taking advice from people who studied a little while ago, as while taking a degree course in music without A level music might have been unthinkable in the past, it's much more common now, and I've taught students with very similar A level subjects to your DD. Due to funding issues, significantly fewer schools are able to offer A level music provision, and universities have therefore become much more flexible with entry requirements in response to this.

The best thing your daughter could do at this point is to have a think about which university music courses she might be interested in, have a look at the admission requirements and make contact with the admissions tutors for these courses; they're usually super friendly and very happy to chat through options with potential students, and although some of the published entry requirements might ask for A level music, there might be flexibility around this (depending on your DD's current musical activities/qualifications) which the admissions tutors can advise on. Feel free to PM me if you like.

As music A Level is sadly falling victim to cuts in many places a lot of uni and conservatoires are now relaxing that requirement or asking for theory instead. If she wants a conservatoire then the main criteria will be audition anyway.

pleased that my advice re a levels turned out to the out of date!

I would throw a word of caution though, I did music at uni and most of my friends from those days are “unfortunately” (their words) teachers, and generally not enjoying it. I went into a totally unrelated field, doing music hasn’t held me back at all but good performing careers are very rare unless you are astonishingly good, and flute will be one of the hardest instruments to stand out on.

unless she is totally focussed on doing music at uni another plan could be for her to join a RG uni with a strong music rep (I went to Leeds which was great at the time) which has plenty of opportunities to get involved in (really excellent) orchestras and bands whether you are studying music or not. You don’t need a music degree to become a freelance or hobby musician

I met someone who decided he wanted to study music after not doing A-level - he took a year out and did an OU music course which covered the analysis side of things.

I also know multiple people with non-music degrees who did lots of extra-curricular music at uni and are now professional musicians.

Still, my children's father (brilliant organist, FRCO etc and BMus, PGCE etc) always said to me he wished his father had pushed him into accountancy (not that he doesn't love music but that it is so hard to make a living). Even now he gets so many brilliant musicians on bended knee pleading for jobs in school teaching uninterested children for £x per hour, when that person was so very good at music, probably the best in their school but this is where they can land up. He certainly was glad none of our children went into it professional although some could have - 3 won music scholarships etc.

Anyway lots of helpful advice on the thread so hopefully the 16 year old can make her choices. I always say to my children (not that anyone listens in to me) work backwaqrds. Would you like to buy a house at some stage and where would that be? Would you like to be able to have children and support a family? What are your life goals and what sort of annual salary would you need to be on in your 30s to make those things happen.

Would the Tonmeister be of interest?
https://www.surrey.ac.uk/undergraduate/music-and-sound-recording-tonmeister#entry

Plenty of places will take you without A level music ... it was more than 10 years ago but my DS got offers from, I think, Holloway, Bristol, York ... with Grade 8 theory and a DipABRSM.

I looked into this four years ago when A level music was looking dodgy at school for DS. I seem to remember Grade 5 theory at least was helpful. You can sit Grade 5 theory online at any time now.

DS ended up doing A level music (school allowed it though he was the only one), but in the end went for a different degree, but chose very, very carefully. He spends all his free time involved in some extremely high level music, and has a scholarship that gives him free music lessons.