Dd y9 may want to do Music Degree

[Smellylittleorange]

She has already started GCSE study. I fear she won't have enough grading on instruments though. She has just started ABRSM level 2 theory she has grade 4 Trinity voice - will do grade 5 this year.
Currently plays a bit of keyboard mainly by ear. She bought the Lala land manuscript and has been playing from that recently.
She has also been playing the guitar and composing her own tunes.
I'm not very musical ..I can play Ukes that's it. She is also very interested in History and Opera .

Is there any chance of her doing music degree with what.is effectively only voice as her instrument ?

If you are in Hampshire look at the Peter Symonds (Winchester) specialist music course for 6th form which gives extra opportunities for music alongside the normal A levels.

@catshavestaff I am but completely wrong end I fear the travel will be too much for Dd. Looked at Barton Pev too but that's still 50 mins on train and 20 min walk.

Absolutely don't trudge through the music theory exams. Do grade 2 to orient her and then jump to grade 5. Buy the ABRSM pink book (by Eric someoneI think) for detail but note it has far more detail than you need. And buy "take grade 5 and pass first time". Also the website mymusictheory.com. Has a brilliant free tutorial course for grade 5 (and other grades I think).

Using these I took my year 5 Ds through grade 5 theory in 4 weeks (although I don't necessarily recommend that schedule!)

And I agree that, putting aside uni or a level requirements of which I know nothing, I think it would be v hard to study music and composition academically without decent keyboard skills. With a single line instrument , like voice/violin/brass it is much harder to get the hang of harmony

I think it will also depend on the course she chooses and where she goes to study. I did grade 8 theory (for fun! and grade 8 piano, violin, singing) but I didn't read music at university although i did loads of music for fun at university. I must say most of those I met there had 2 grade 8s plus they sang and plenty played the piano reasonably well too not least because if you do want any kind of career in music being able to play the piano is very helpful, schools eg often want a music teacher who can accompany children on the piano so if you are choosing between teachers with or without piano skills piano might just tip the balance.

This is so dependent on the sort of music degree she wants to do but wherever she ends up, I'd say Grade 5 theory and Grade 5 piano + Grade 8 performance are the absolute minimum standards, whether she does the exams or not.

Our local comps and 6th form colleges give a free half hour music lesson per week (you get to chose the instrument) if you are doing GCSE or A level music - it's worth checking out if your schools offer something similar.

I had three at Saturday conservatoire at one stage ... nearly £10,000 a year ... (and one of them loathed it).