Hey to all!

I'm a first-time poster here, so be gentle with me I'm auditioning for piano (undergrad) at RCM, RAM, Guildhall and Trinity in London, and I was wondering is there a written exam/music theory test at Guildhall and RCM? I know there is one at RAM and Trinity, but I haven't seen one mentioned with the other two conservatoires...

Any answers would be very helpful!

RAM audition 2nd December
Guildhall 4th December
Trinity 8th December
RCM 11th December

!!! Yikes !!! A little bit of panick in the air!

No papers at any except RAM and trinity

and i'm auditioning for undergrad

x

Hello,
I'm a total newbie here But could someone please help me?

Does any of you guys know something about those written papers at Trinity and RAM? Well, actually I'm only interested in Trinity, my audition is on the 4th, and well.. I have no idea what kinds of questions to expect... like, is it more of a practical test, or is it rather something aimed at music history and describing terms or... what?

Any kind of answer would be of great help to me, thanks ^^

Just looked at track and I didn't get in to Royal Welsh Really gutted, got everything crossed for Birmingham but I think it's unlikely, the audition didn't go as well as Welsh

hey! welcome!
im at trinity on my gap year at the moment and auditioning for BMus on thursday...so iv done the exam before....and also, it REEALLLLY doesnt matter....they used to use it to set you for classes of you got in, but now they dont do that for first years, so its all a bit pointless!

the first part of the test is dictation....they play 3 rhythms and you have to write them down (easy, medium annd hard), the same with 3 melodies, a bass line and some chords....
and then the 2nd part is a comprehension thing where there are 4 texts and you have to explain the meaning of one of them.....

and thats it!

Sorry to hear this, Devil_Fiddler - there's so much competition for places. I hope Birmingham are more impressed than you fear; don't give up hope yet!

Thank you so much for your answer! and for the welcome. I was just beginning to skim through my music history notes and such, but then I won't be needing them
I'm relieved

I GOT AN OFFER FROM BIRMINGHAM!!! WITH A SCHOLARSHIP, NOT SURE HOW MUCH THEY ARE GONNA GIVE ME YET BUT GREAT NEWS!!!!

Congratulations!

Well done! I'm so pleased for you. Isn't it great to have an offer like that? Will you definitely accept, or do you have other irons in the fire?

thanks, I've still got Trinity and RCM to go so we will have to wait and see. Its just great to be knowing that I'm definatly going somewhere!

haha same!

is this scholarship something that everyone gets? because i have exactly the same!

I think they must give them out to most people, I guess it means they give us some money towards tuition fees if we choose to study there

birmingham are renown for giving out many many scholarships....being one of the colleges without a extremly high reputation, they use them to give talented people an incentive to study there so that they can improve their reputation!

I must admit it is an insentive to want to go there!

WOOOO! I GOT AN UNCONDITIONAL OFFER TO BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE TOOOO!!!!!!!!!





BUT not a scholarship, now i don't feel very special hahaha!

STILL, waiting to hear from Academy, and haven't done RCM or Trinity yet!!

Well done everyone!



xxxxXXXXxxxx

Sharing in the good news from Birmingham.....

Just received a Guaranteed Unconditional offer for Bmus Jazz at Birmingham Conservatoire.

Happy days :-)

Just seen, I have conditional reserve for Birmingham I am so, so happy - after a rejection from RWCMD I was completely expecting another from Birmingham, but this is brilliant!
And I say conditional, but the conditions are just two Es, not exactly a problem

Yay, congrats to everyone with offers!

In the meanwhile - having done my RAM and Guildhall auditions I feel inadequate, all the others seem to be much better players than me, I feel like a worm and want to crawl under the nearest rock and never show my face in public ever again

Is this normal?

Still have Trinity and RCM auditions ahead...

Hey- just thought I'd add myself to the pile here...
Got my last audition of 7 on Wednesday- at the RAM (scary stuff) and any advice on the written paper would be really really appreciated!!

Apart from that I have guaranteed conditional offers from Leeds and RNCM, and the Birmingham scholarship was rejected from RCM which I secretly don't mind, and am waiting on Trinity and Guildhall :s
in fact- have any singers heard from Guildhall yet??

Thaaaaanks x

Heyy,

If you haven't heard from Guildhall yet then it is probably a good sign. My friend and I (we're both singers at the RNCM) both auditioned at Guildhall on the same day last year and when we recieved our rejection letter (3 days later) it was dated that day... lol. Did you have an interview at Guildhall, if so then that is also a good sign. Good Luck with RAM, it actually isn't that scary... it was my favourite auditions Written paper is a doddle... you don't really need to revise anything.. it is easier than any a level stuff though so you should be fine.. Let us know how u get on xxxxxx

Well done everyone!

I got my Guildhall rejection letter exactly a week after my audition, though i'd already decided Guildhall wasn't for me!! Mind you, i decided RNCM was for me, and despite getting to the final round, didn't get in! haha!

However, i've still got my unconditional to Birmingham Cons, and yet to hear from RAM/RCM (though hopes are not high!!) and have Trinity tomorrow (eeek!) then they're oveeeer!!

And don't worry about RAM exam, i'm ###### at harmony but good at music history/essays so found there is something for everyone, besides, it doesn't exactly decide your place, it's to place people who get offers in ability groups for harmony/music history. If you play/sing like a prodigy, tbh, they don't care if you can harmonise a Bach chorale or not!! Similarly, you could be a harmonic genius, but if you're ###### and reel off some out of tune and scratchy mozart (i've become familiar with this) they wont want you either! haha!

Good luck everyone! x

note- the blanked words were "c r a p p y"

anyone offended by this?

Hi guys, I've finished all my auditions for piano now, I went to RAM on 1/12, Guildhall on 3/12, TCM on 4/12 and RCM on 10/12, but I haven't actually heard anything from any of them yet. I didn't get through to the second rounds for RCM, so that's a no basically, but I've heard nothing from the others? Is this good, bad or can you not tell?! It's driving me crazy! I didn't get called for interviews at RAM and Guildhall, but I don't think that's a definite sign like the RCM one? I don't know, any advice, guys?

Had an offer from guildhall the day after my audition and waiting to hear from the rest; although they seemed positive, you never can tell...

Got rejections from both RAM and RCM today; what skilled co-ordination! Fingers crossed for TCM and Guildhall...

Hi all. Hope everyones auditions went well! I just got an offer from Guildhall, so I will be going there in Sept. So excited!

Has everyone heard back from everywhere yet?

Congratulations, Possum18! Lovely news just before Christmas.

Got Trinity & rcm in addition to previous Guildhall, only ram is left, but think have plenty to choose from now . Thats the difficult part

Wow, Bnanno, you're like a superstar to me right now What's your instrument by the way?

Edit... Okay, got a reserve unconditional for Trinity... Haven't heard back from Guildhall and RAM. But I don't feel so optimistic about those two. Just really wish the reserve would change to guaranteed. Yikes!

Well done bnanno! That's fab. Good luck with deciding!

Also well done MyMagnificentSelf! Hope you hear from the others soon!

Hi everyone

I got an offer from Trinity!! I am very pleased and will definatly be starting in September!

Well done everyone else, time to celebrate!

Good news, well done!

Thanks everyone! Its finally sinking in..and its so exciting!

will remember to post my final decision when I finally make it: draw names out of a hat?

Hi

Has anyone not heard from Guildhall yet? My daughter did a singing audition on 3rd Dec, and got sent for an interview, but the post has arrived and STILL no reply! Is anyone else still waiting?

Annie Jane,

got an offer from Guildhall the day after the audition...but it might be different for voice. They do say 2 weeks in the audition letter.

Hi AnnieJane. I did a singing audition at the Guildhall on the 15th, and recieved my letter on Saturday. I hope she hears some good news soon!

Thanks Bnanno and Possum for your replies and many congrats on your places!
Do you mind me asking do you have to accept your places by a certain date? We're wondering whether she's on a reserve list and they're waiting to see how many places are left. All this stress just before Xmas is murder!

Anniejane

Hi Anniejane, Post seems to be a bit hit-and-miss at the moment, so I wouldn't read too much into whether other people have/haven't heard. I'm still waiting for a letter which was posted on the 16th, but have also received things which were only posted a couple of days ago (so there isn't any rhyme or reason to what gets through quickly and what takes ages - my bank card recently took 12 days first class ).

If you haven't heard anything in early January it might be worth giving them a ring - they may not be willing to tell you anything over the phone, but it might help you in terms of knowing that you've tried to get information. If you do this, it's probably best if your daughter makes the phone call because this shows initiative and independence on her part. I'm based in the university sector (in a different subject) and would much prefer it if students contacted me themselves rather than parents doing so. I do not actually disclose any information to parents about student's work, progress, results etc - any requests simply get passed to the learning and teaching office (who also don't give info out about current or past students). Obviously at the application stage things would be different, but there is still a preference in my department for dealing with students themselves.

Hi

I've just realised that I probably come over as an interfering mother - I'm really not! It's just that I happen to be a forum member and saw the discussion.

My daughter did ring them a week ago and they told her she would definitely know before Xmas, so perhaps it's the post! Thanks everyone for your help.

No. I'd just assumed that you were a forum member and your daughter wasn't.

The 'interfering' parents are the ones who repeatedly badger the department on 'little Jonny's' behalf during the application process (and I'm not talking about the occasional polite enquiry), expect to sit in on lectures and tutorials to meet little Jonny's teachers and make sure that he's being taught properly (how do they expect to know that unless they are experts in the particular area of the subject concerned ), want to discuss all of little Jonny's essays and marks because 'he got five As at A-level and you've only given him 59' (A-levels are not a degree and the marking criteria, expectations etc are different and have all been explained to little Jonny) and and want to get feedback on his work and progress (well little Jonny has been offered a feedback session which he didn't sign up for, and if he doesn't want to tell his parents how he's doing then that is his choice and they need to discuss it with him ). This is only a minority of parents, and most of you would be quite shocked at the behaviour of such parents. The sad thing is that it adds to staff workloads and therefore ends up taking time away from the students.

Thanks AnnieJane. The Guildhall said they wanted your response to their offer by the 31st January.

I havent been on here in a while....in that time ive been offered places at Bham, RNCM and Trinity, and reserves at RCM and Guildhall! i was so shocked....i thought id only get in one place after last years shambles!!!

however...im now in a decision making position....and as lovely as that may sound....ITS HORRIBLE!!!

i think im choosing between RNCM and RCM....any thoughts would be most welcome....cos im making no progress in deciding. ive done a pros and cons list and they both come out with the same number for each....i want to be in london, but the rncm sax department is (in my opinion) the best in the country!
eeeeek!

well done to everyone else with their offers!

I don't know if this will help, but I've been to the RNCM Saxophone day for the past three years, and I can say that the organisers (basically the RNCM sax department) are first rate tutors and performers, and the students I've heard there are also first rate performers

yeh ive been to the sax days there too, i went to the jrncm, so i know the tutors quite well....love it....but its not in london!!! stress!

Hi everyone

I just saw this thread and thought i'd share my news...

Currently on a gap year after not getting any places last year after acquiring an injury during the audition process. This year applied for BMus Flute at Royal Welsh, Trinity, Birmingham and Leeds and recieved GU offers from leeds and welsh!! i didnt like leeds so ive turned that down which means im going to welsh next year!! yay!!

anyone else got a place at welsh for next year?

Eleanor

Now have got a whopping entry scholarship offer from Trinity- totally unexpected-, so am even more confused than ever

My advice would be to take the one that's offering you the most money (as long as you have a great teacher of course)! For me, grad school is a big issue because it is SO costly so a scholarship might be a big determining factor in where I go.

That's great bnanno! What instrument do you play?

Hi everyone, Congrats on all your offers!

After the long process of applying to millions of places, i have been offered a guaranteed conditional offer for Flute and Leeds College of Music, and wondered what peoples opinions of Leeds College of Music were?

i have also got offers from universities such as leeds and cardiff, so have no clue what I should do next year!