Page 15 | Conservatoire applications

Violasrule · 2024-01-23T12:10:22+00:00

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?

SallyMcNally · 22/07/2025 18:50

@OhCrumbsWhereNowthe Trinity Laban programme might be a good fit. Although it is a pop programme it’s designed to be genre free to an extent- so you can be a folky singer songwriter or an EDM producer as long as you demonstrate the skills they are looking for. They also have opportunities to collaborate with Jazz/MT students and some of the 121 teachers are teach on more than one programme.

Might be worth trying to go to an Open Day?

OhCrumbsWhereNow · 22/07/2025 19:01

SallyMcNally · 22/07/2025 18:50

@OhCrumbsWhereNowthe Trinity Laban programme might be a good fit. Although it is a pop programme it’s designed to be genre free to an extent- so you can be a folky singer songwriter or an EDM producer as long as you demonstrate the skills they are looking for. They also have opportunities to collaborate with Jazz/MT students and some of the 121 teachers are teach on more than one programme.

Might be worth trying to go to an Open Day?

Thank you, this is exactly the kind of information I am after as it did look very flexible and as if it catered for those who were an odd shaped puzzle piece for the other courses.

I'm going to book on the open day in October so hopefully that will make it easier to get answers!

Alwaysplayspicc · 25/07/2025 21:49

OhCrumbsWhereNow · 21/07/2025 23:47

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?

DS was torn between cello and E&PM at Guildhall. He was told he could take E&PM as a second study from 2nd year.
Hes about to go into 2nd year and has actually opted for EPM as a module, only because he’s realised he needs to focus his time on cello, but it’s definitely possible to take it as a second study.

OhCrumbsWhereNow · 25/07/2025 21:57

Alwaysplayspicc · 25/07/2025 21:49

DS was torn between cello and E&PM at Guildhall. He was told he could take E&PM as a second study from 2nd year.
Hes about to go into 2nd year and has actually opted for EPM as a module, only because he’s realised he needs to focus his time on cello, but it’s definitely possible to take it as a second study.

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That's very useful to know.

I think it will come down to whether she likes jazz enough to prioritise that in terms of Guildhall and at the moment my guess is that pop is going to win out.

Is your son enjoying Guildhall? Does he feel he gets enough 1:1 and pushed hard?

Part of it is weighing up the difference between somewhere with a lot of focused 1:1 (if that exists) and somewhere with less (one university has 30 mins a week 1:1 and the rest is group classes) but keeping on all the teachers she currently has.

Alwaysplayspicc · 26/07/2025 21:18

He’s really enjoying it, thanks.
He has 1.5 hours 1:1 (but has had as much as 2.5 hours) and then a weekly cello class that lasts 2-3 hours, plus string ensemble, string quartet (coaching and rehearsals), academics etc.
He definitely feels stretched and has made pretty impressive progress since starting there.
We’ve also been impressed by the pastoral care.