2 questions about music degree

1) do you need to play the piano to go to a good place? I have particular ambitions for oxbridge because i would apply there for a choral scholarship (i sing countertenor)
I am not a pianist, but i am taking my diploma in clarinet this summer, and I'm roughly the same standard at singing although you really cant compare the two.
2) are there any chances of good jobs at the end of it all? my dad says its a hopeless degree and i that i should do law, but i love music :rolleyes:

(musical or otherwise)

Reply 1

bohemian

I got a low offer from Manchester (which personally I rate higher than Oxbridge for Music) without any piano skills. I didn't lie about that either. If you go to a good uni and get a 2:1 or 1st, then it doesn't matter hugely what you graduate in. All my academic music teachers went to Oxbridge and they told me that the majority of people they knew doing Music at Oxb went into accountancy/law. How interesting. Of course, if you think you have no chance of landing a music-related job (unlikely) then you might be in a better place to get some kind of job after uni by studying law/English/history/something like that.

Reply 2

andymt

thanks a lot.
does anyone else have offers or got into uni without any keyboard skills?

Reply 3

bohemian

Oh yeah I forgot, I know someone who got an offer from Kings London but they didn't have grade 5 piano, so the conditions of their offer included that. Why don't you just look on the uni websites, which tell you whether they want piano skills or not? If they expect them, they will state what level. If they don't say, the probably don't care.

Reply 4

musicbloke

Well I've just finished the whole Cambridge thing (and didn't do too badly). I don't play any music at all. Just into writing essays really. There's a bitchy test in first year, which I failed, but who cares? Yeah, you can do it!

MB

Reply 5

Pink*Guildhall

i remember going to a careers lecture a couple of years ago put on by the junior conservatoires in london. i remember them clearly telling us that lots of people do a law conversion degree after an academic undergrad. degree.
apparently law is one of the most boring degrees. and it's much more competitive to get on to a good law course as it's become such a popular degree.

i'm studying at manchester. they say they want piano skills to grade 6 (i think) but there are a fair number of people in my year who don't have that. i guess it depends what you mean when you say that you're not a pianist.

Reply 6

themadprofessor

andymt

2) are there any chances of good jobs at the end of it all? my dad says its a hopeless degree and i that i should do law, but i love music :rolleyes:

(musical or otherwise)

performance - if you are very talented, work extemely hard, are good with people, and have a fair bit of luck, there is a good chance of getting a job. though making a living solely from this is unlikely - performers are normally also teachers. the reality of a successful performer's lifestlye is teaching during the day, and performing occasionally in the evenings.

composition - if you are all the above, there is very little chance of getting a job. you will have to teach or do something else to make your money.

there are quite a few opportunities in music related (admin/marketing etc) jobs. though because everyone wants these jobs, the pay very low, unless you have a skill from the business world, like law.

Reply 7

The_Lonely_Goatherd

Hiya! Regarding Oxbridge entry, you're supposed to be Grade 5 piano standard on entrance, but if you explain about why you're not in your personal statement and they really really REALLY like you, they may take you in anyway, as long as you're up to that standard by the end of the first year (Oxford also has a bitchy keyboard test...which I am going to fail, despite being a pianist! :biggrin:

). They've done it on at least one occasion, so who knows? :smile:

Reply 8

NJHL

AndyMT I've heard you sing countertenor (maaaany times), I honestly think on that basis you'll get a choral scholarship and into music...but you can still do a choral scholarship and do chemistry, which if i recall like you said you liked doing?

Reply 9

tinkerbellejess

I got into uni on a music course without any great piano skills (I had a few lessons at one point but that's it) so I'm sure you'll be fine. Like others have said, if they like you they'll let you in anyway.