Studying music in uk Options

[violingeek]

Hi i'm a late starter who started the violin at 12 and gave up after about one and a half year. I continued again at 17 and am now at grade 5. I'm intending to take about two or three years from now till i apply to college to study music. My only question is where should i study? I've heard that studying in the uk is pretty pricey for international students so i'm wondering whether there are cities in the uk where living expenses might be cheaper. Are there any good universities or conservatoires that are in the more affordable parts of uk? Btw just a side note, would they look down on musicians who have started late as we would not have all the orchestral experience and all the other things we've missed out?

[owainsutton]

Getting into conservatoires, especially on the violin, is very competitive - you need to be significantly beyond Grade 8 standard to have a decent chance of getting a place, and what they're looking for at audition is people who have a real chance of making it as professional performers.

University courses don't have that same specialisation in performance: while many do include performance as one element, they're a more all-round academic education, with an emphasis on research, historical awareness, analysis, composition, and so on. As a result, they're looking for evidence of academic ability as well as Grade 8-ish playing standard, and they'll give some indication on their website of expected standards in some foreign qualifications. You can always email them to ask, if they don't give the information you need.

As for costs: the biggest one will be the fees, which will be astronomic wherever you study! A basic rule of thumb for living costs is the further away from London, the cheaper it'll be to live. Cities with lower costs of living and good universities include Liverpool, Sheffield, Newcastle and Belfast.

[ffliwt]

Btw just a side note, would they look down on musicians who have started late as we would not have all the orchestral experience and all the other things we've missed out?

I didn't start violin until i was 16, i auditioned for royal welsh coll when i was 18 and got an unconditional reserve and then the next year when i was 19 got into welsh coll and birmingham conservatoire (where im studying now) so i'd say they don't necessarily look down at lack of time playing, however at my Birmingham audition they seemed very concerned about it and said that i 'Can't know who i am as a violinist/musician after only playing for 3 years' I had however had previous experiences on other instruments since the age of 6, so (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

I overheard once that it's significantly cheaper for international students but i may have got that totally wrong (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

But keep in mind you have to be well past grade 8 and even then you're lucky to get a place. (goodness knows how i got in!!)

How old are you now (how long did it take you to get to grade5?)

[violingeek]

Thanks for the replies! I'm now 19 and in a few months time, it'll be two years since I picked up the violin again. I'm intending to work first while concentrating on the violin for about 2 or 3 more years before applying to study music. Really hoping I'll be at the standard needed by then. I'm not too sure whether a university or a conservatoire would be better for me. I think I would have a higher change of getting into the universities than the conservatories because of my late start. Although I'm not extremely academic, maybe a B average student, so that's why I still can't decide.

[DiscoPants]

I didn't start violin until i was 16, i auditioned for royal welsh coll when i was 18 and got an unconditional reserve and then the next year when i was 19 got into welsh coll and birmingham conservatoire (where im studying now) so i'd say they don't necessarily look down at lack of time playing, however at my Birmingham audition they seemed very concerned about it and said that i 'Can't know who i am as a violinist/musician after only playing for 3 years' I had however had previous experiences on other instruments since the age of 6, so (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

That's absolutely extraordinary, well done!

PS I think you are wrong about overseas students: they pay more, not less.

[ffliwt]

I didn't start violin until i was 16, i auditioned for royal welsh coll when i was 18 and got an unconditional reserve and then the next year when i was 19 got into welsh coll and birmingham conservatoire (where im studying now) so i'd say they don't necessarily look down at lack of time playing, however at my Birmingham audition they seemed very concerned about it and said that i 'Can't know who i am as a violinist/musician after only playing for 3 years' I had however had previous experiences on other instruments since the age of 6, so (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

That's absolutely extraordinary, well done!

PS I think you are wrong about overseas students: they pay more, not less.

Thanks Discopants! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
And yes maybe i am - i remember overhearing it in a conversation but i probably heard wrong, seemed a bit odd!

[STRINGMUM]

Fees for overseas students will vary according to whether the student is from the EU or not. EU students pay the same as home students and if they're lucky their home country might pay them for them. Non EU students payed around ?18 000/year last time I looked. The very talented lucky few might get a scholarship but most don't.
Violingeek where are you from? It might be worth trying to get an advise lesson at some point from someone who teaches at conservatoire/university level to find out what they're looking for and what you'll need to do to achieve it.

[miffy]

Flliwt, it used to be true..back in my day when we still had grants..
It may still be the case for non-EU.

[jod]

In my day the number of Royal Northern Rejects who were on the Grad Dip performance Course at Huddersfield was extremely high. I don't know if this still is the case, but like Birmingham, I would not dismiss it, there are plenty of performing opportunites. The quality of String teaching was certainly high when I was there, and the number of people who got into conservertoires at post grad level was high.

The course name has changed since it became a University.

[violingeek]

I'm actually asian. I would really like to get into a conservatoire but i think my late start would put me at a disadvantage. I'm looking at unis outside of london because its more affordable. Huddersfield looks like a good choice, might research a little and find out. Are there any unis that are both academic and performing based, preferably with a decent strings dept?

[tetrachord]

I went to Napier University in Edinburgh which certainly had a very good reputation for its balance of performance and academic work when I was there. It was quite a small department though, so although it had a chamber orchestra predominantly for the strings there weren't enough numbers to stretch to a symphony orchestra!

Just thought - while outside London, Edinburgh doesn't necessarily fall under the 'more affordable' bracket (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) Well, I suppose you can check it out just in case it's the uni for you! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

[MNW]

I'm going to call a spade a spade here. If you are 19 and grade 5 on the violin then you have virtually no chance of getting into a conservatoire. Depending on your academic qualifications you may get onto a music degree at university but not for performance and certainly not at a sought after university.

[jod]

I'm going to call a spade a spade here. If you are 19 and grade 5 on the violin then you have virtually no chance of getting into a conservatoire. Depending on your academic qualifications you may get onto a music degree at university but not for performance and certainly not at a sought after university.

That very much depends when you decide to audition and attempt to get in.

I do not have enough information to be that dismissive. Huddersfield had mature students who went on and did Post-grad qualifications at conservertoires, this included string players.

Your spade, is now a glorified horticultural digging impliment. There is more than one way to start a musical career, and at the time I attended Huddersfield, it's music department was extremely well regarded.

[ffliwt]

I'm going to call a spade a spade here. If you are 19 and grade 5 on the violin then you have virtually no chance of getting into a conservatoire. Depending on your academic qualifications you may get onto a music degree at university but not for performance and certainly not at a sought after university.

That very much depends when you decide to audition and attempt to get in.

I do not have enough information to be that dismissive. Huddersfield had mature students who went on and did Post-grad qualifications at conservertoires, this included string players.

Your spade, is now a glorified horticultural digging impliment. There is more than one way to start a musical career, and at the time I attended Huddersfield, it's music department was extremely well regarded.

Indeed, though being older does put you at a lower chance of being accepted, we have many mature students. I have someone on my BMus1 course in his 50s!

[MNW]

I'm going to call a spade a spade here. If you are 19 and grade 5 on the violin then you have virtually no chance of getting into a conservatoire. Depending on your academic qualifications you may get onto a music degree at university but not for performance and certainly not at a sought after university.

That very much depends when you decide to audition and attempt to get in.

I do not have enough information to be that dismissive. Huddersfield had mature students who went on and did Post-grad qualifications at conservertoires, this included string players.

Your spade, is now a glorified horticultural digging impliment. There is more than one way to start a musical career, and at the time I attended Huddersfield, it's music department was extremely well regarded.

Firstly I didn't dismiss or even mention Huddersfield. I have no idea if it's a good university or not. I'm also not intending to be dismissive but honest with the OP. Violin is the most competitive instrument and as mentioned before musicians come with much more than grade 5 at 17/18 let alone 19. If he were to apply now then he wouldn't get in. If he applies in three years time I doubt he would get into a conservatoire but may get onto a music degree.

OP, what do you want to do with your music?