Music: Conservatory or University?

I've been looking at some of the music-related threads and noticed that most music students are applying to Manchester, Sheffield, Oxford etc - normal unis, in other words. Do people think this is preferable to going on to study at the Royal Academy of Music or somewhere? Are entry requirements for conservatories a lot tougher? Or is it that you don't just want to be surrounded my other music students for the next three years? I'm curious!

Reply 1

sherunsaway

Depends what you want to do. If performance is your thing, and you really want now to have a career in orchestral/operatic/solo performance or if you're really serious about composition and you do a composition course, then go for it. However you don't necessarily have to do undergraduate courses at conservatoires. If after doing an academic course at a normal uni while specialising in performance, it's possible to get on a postgrad course at one. A lot of singers go to a normal uni first to give their voice time to mature.

Bear in mind though the courses would vary a lot between normal unis and the music colleges. At music college, as one would expect, a lot of your time would be spent having tuition, practicing and playing in ensembles. You would have to be pretty devoted to it. At a normal uni, you could obviously do those things, but they would be balanced more with musicology, composition and other things. At a music college, there would be perhaps a more competitive atmosphere with so many talented musicians, many whom you would likely be competing with in the highly competitive music industry. Some thrive in it, others perhaps can't cope with the demands.

So in summary, going to a normal uni will provide you with a broader education and provide you with more of the skills that employers want yet don't expect to get as much performance tuition paid for. However, if you are determined to make a career out of performing/composing, then a music college may be better.

As for how difficult they are to get into, a lot of them prize themselves on having extremely talented musicians, and pretty much the whole application process is based on the auditions/tests. As a result, it can be pretty difficult to get in as they generally expect people to be grade 8 distinction/diploma standard or better. However, it can be worse for certain instruments than others.....voice (particularly soprano) and flute would be some of the hardest to get into I would imagine alongsides piano and flute just down to how many people play them to a high standard. If you applied for tenor horn or euphonium or something rarer like that, then you probably would stand more chance. Since they aren't predominantly academic institutions, it is common for many of them to give EE offers so you could say that they aren't that hard to get into really.....

Reply 2

J'en ai marre

However, despite the low academic requirements, many students at music college have straight A grades. As stated above, a uni music course generally provides a more wide-ranging syllabus, which means there is no need to specialise until a later stage. The amount of academic work in conservatory courses is limited and it is common for students to spend about four hours a day practising.

I chose to apply to uni since I'm not convinced that I want to be a professional performer or instrumental teacher and am keen to hone my compositional skills and think a theoretical approach is the best way to do it. Also, the more I read about musicology, the more interesting it seems.

University music courses can be quite tough regarding entrance requirements too. A lot of the places with the best reputations are looking for at least AAB at a level and a pass at grade 8.

Reply 3

Pink*Guildhall

yes, i agree. i can't think of much more to add except in terms of social life. obviously at a uni you are surrounded by others doing different subjects, at a conservatoire everyone studies music.

Reply 4

Clanger

Pink*Guildhall

yes, i agree. i can't think of much more to add except in terms of social life. obviously at a uni you are surrounded by others doing different subjects, at a conservatoire everyone studies music.

Key point I think. Conservatoires are relatively small and very focussed. Great if you want to have a shot at being a professional performer career wise. The drawback is the potential narrowness of student life. Sure you can still get involved in non music things but there are so many more opportunities at a university.

As university Music Depts are tending to move away from perfomance and more towards musicology, the differences betwen conservatoires and universities looks like it will become a bit sharper year by year. The uni then conservatoire route may become increasingly popular for those with the performance skills and some composers.

Reply 5

sexysax

Agree with all that has been said so far. Conservatoires didn't interest me, not just because I am nowhere near the standard required, but because I don't want to be a professional performer with goodness knows which orchestra etc. I like performing now and again but I love the academic side, and as others have said - mixing with loads of different types of people at a university.

Reply 6

the_alba

Thanks everyone for your responses, you've really cleared things up for me. I guess being at a conservatoire would be very hot-housing and competitive, and I see your point about the social life aspect.

Reply 7

MikeyB!

And if you studied at an academic institution for an undergraduate degree, it wouldn't prevent you from studying at a conservatoire for postgrad. Many composers and singers (as mentioned before) do an academic undergrad, then go on to music college.

Reply 8

arkatie

Okay, so I'm currently on a gap year during which time i have done a bit of travelling, working and will now be volunteering doing music sessions with special needs kids in Sri Lanka and with an organisation called the music project in the war torn North while preparing to do my LTCL in flute in December. I have 8A*s and 2A's at IGCSE (music wasnt on offer) and 2A*s (history and biology) and 2Bs (unfortunately music and geo) at A'level. I grew up in Sri Lanka where schools do not offer A'level music as a subject and so I was forced to take it outside of school and largely self teach with some limited help from my flute teacher which was not ideal. I have a distinction at ABRSM grade 8 flute, have played in the 3 orchestras, was choir captain at school and have a bit of local performing experience. However, my general musical and theory knowledge is absolutely terrible. Having never studied it as a subject (outside performance) until my A'level course and then only learning from the syllabus, it just really is abysmal in my opinion. I have tried getting out books from the library and educating myself but i find it difficult to self motivate and learn it all. I have no keyboard skills, I cant tell you the birth years of composers or correctly define different forms,etc. and my knowledge of harmony and counterpoint rules are severely limited but when I play my flute, the music just happens and I can feel it within me! I don't expect to become a big time performer, but I want the music in me to reach its full potential and then, I would like to use it for good and perhaps become a music therapist. I ideally would like to go to a university as i like the more rounded approach and really, really want the more diverse student life and interactions it comes with compared to a conservatoire but performance is the only thing i have a real handle on and i don't think thats enough. I'm worried that I stand no chance of getting in anywhere nice and am sure everyone else knows so much more than me. I was head girl, house captain a prefect,etc and I know that I am making life difficult for myself and could get in easily to study history or the like, but this is my dream, the question is, is it unrealistic?