Conservatoire applications

[Violasrule]

Is anyone else looking to apply for a 2025 Conservatoire place? We have just started the process and it’s a steep learning curve!

We’re aware that for some of the more prestigious colleges it’s useful to have an idea of which tutor you would like before you attend the audition. Has anyone else come across this?

Technically, it could be as late as September, as some conservatoires allow you to hold a place right up until enrolment.
However, there’s likely to be some movement long before then, as offer holders turn down places to accept first choice offers (As I said earlier up the thread, many offer holders will have had more than one offer, so places on the reserve lists will become firm offers for other people).

@AlwaysaLittleBitTired we’ve heard Guildhall are starting to offer to reserves already and understand from the experience of others that there will further reserve offers made to other places following the UCAS deadline today. We know of several people who had a number of offers for instruments with very limited spaces (like woodwind and brass), accepting their preferred conservatoire should hopefully open up opportunities to those in the reserve pool. Fingers crossed for positive news for your DC.

Thank you - that’s interesting to know.
Good luck to anyone else waiting!

There will definitely be movement soon- mine had 6 offers so on this equivalent day 3 years ago he would have released 5 of them which could then filter down.

@AlwaysaLittleBitTired as others have said there is always a bit of movement after the UCAS deadline as offer holders have to decide which conservatoire to accept and as they pretty well all make EE offers most will only be hanging on to one. (Masters place so a bit different but my DD has just accepted RCM and declined RAM and Guildhall offers). So the reserve lists will move shortly. However as the London conservatoires are very popular with international students (and some UK students will also prefer eg Paris or Berlin) there is likely to be another bit of movement in late spring when the European conservatoires make their offers. (For context the likes of Amsterdam/Hague and Copenhagen are still open to applications in a number of categories and haven't yet started their audition processes.) Finally there are always a number of offer holders who are treating their conservatoire place as their Oxbridge insurance and will accept it or release it on results day. I really feel for your daughter but there is likely to be a lot of movement yet.

Thank you all. RBC offer upgraded to full this morning! 🙌That's 2 offers (out of the 4 she applied to).
I'm so proud of DD. Our family has no real musical background, so this is all down to her own motivation and commitment to seek out scant opportunities. So pleased for her.

I hope this week brings welcome news for your YP too! 🍀

Congratulations, that is amazing news. Nice to hear reserve offers can become full offers.

Fantastic news

That's brilliant news, now to make the choice!

@AlwaysaLittleBitTired - great news!

Thought I would update. Reserve offer came good, very late in the day. Honestly don’t know what will be chosen in August now. Hope everyone is having a good summer.

That’s great news, well done to your young person.

Congratulations!

@pencilornotes - great news

@indigopotion looking back though these posts…could I ask where your DD found her paid gigs ….is it through RCM, or some she found herself? Asking because tuition fees + halls cost = not much money left to support DC!

@Baili I think one or two might have been through RCM but mostly through friends/contacts. It's not anything regular, but she found she got a surprising number of offers for paid performances so didn't have to do as much catering as she thought. She is also looking at stewarding events at RCM next year, which is apparently quite easy and convenient work, if irregular.

Any parents of current students know what sort of laptop they might need? Also, when did they know their timetable from and is it really different every week? Just thinking about work and whether they can keep current job or not.

@horseymum mine has an ipad that she uses for almost everything. Does have a Macbook (thank you DSA) but rarely uses it. Timetable is very instrument dependent. Some faculties have lots of classes that they are expected to attend and others very little. There will be quite a bit of variation for chamber groups, projects and masterclasses.

@horseymum another vote for iPad, they advised against it but it's been totally fine and the best tool for the job. My DDs timetable definitely varied significantly week to week.

Thanks, the timetable thing is as expected! Just have to wait and see on job front. Been used to an iPad for school but we thought a laptop might be better but will have a rethink.

@horseymum - if they're going to a London conservatoire - sorry can't remember where they're going - I expect my DD would be happy to have a chat about ?s they may have

Looking for some advice on conservatoires just in case I have missed anything in the search.

DD is mainly a singer, but also excels at composition and production.

Singing wise, she's had a lot of high level training since a young age, currently has teachers for pop, MT and jazz.

No interest in singing classical music or opera (definitely unlikely to change).
Likes jazz a lot but sees it as a great addition to the pop rather than something she wants as a primary study (suspect unlikely to change).
Likes MT and wants to keep singing it at high level, but definitely not interested in doing MT at tertiary level.

She's adamant that she does not want to go anywhere outside London - due to level of SEN I think that is probably a sensible decision even if it removes some very good options from the list.

Ideally she would like a course that combines pop vocals with a bit of jazz and MT, song-writing and production (very much in that order). Otherwise a course in just pop vocals would be one she would consider.

We've found some non-conservatoire courses that tick the above, but concerns have been raised by some teachers about whether they will give her enough intensive training on the singing front and whether the overall level is high enough (some are not awfully selective) and so have been sent off to basically leave no stone unturned!

Guildhall have said it has to be Jazz or Opera or EMP and they can't be combined. They were incredibly helpful to speak to though.

Trinity Laban have their BA (Hons) Music Performance and Industry
but we've not been able to speak to anyone yet, and it feels a bit like a course for 'people we want but who don't quite fit in any of the normal boxes'. Which may not be a bad thing, but it's harder to understand.

RAM and RCM don't seem to have anything that would cater for someone who is a serious musician but interested in pop.

Have I exhausted the options or is there something I am missing?

Very grateful for any suggestions or advice.

Also how many hours 1:1 a week would you expect in principle study at a conservatoire?

A singer/ sing writer I know of locally went on the trinity laban course and seems to have done well from it.

Do you know which course they did there? I've found them quite hard to get information from.

Might be worth looking at Goldsmiths? Technically a more academic course but friend of my DDs went there with similar interests (plus electric guitar) and enjoyed it a lot. They have a strong team on non classical so worth investigating IMO.