Studying Music at University/Conservatoire

I’m a Year 12 student from London with a keen interest in studying music after school. I play the clarinet and saxophone, and currently study these instruments as first and second studies at the Junior Royal College of Music in London on Saturdays. I really want to go somewhere that has a great music course, with lots of opportunities to play music instruments, as well as somewhere that has a good student life and community.

I’ve been wanting to study at Oxford, but recently realised I haven’t looked into the music course at Cambridge in much detail, often assuming it’s too traditional for my interests.

My main question is: what are the key differences between the music courses at Oxford and Cambridge? Is one more suitable for someone with my background and interests?

Additionally, I’m also applying to conservatoires, as well as Durham, Manchester, King’s College London, and Edinburgh universities. If anyone has experience studying music at any of these places, I’d love to hear your thoughts, especially on choosing between conservatoire and uni.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Reply 1

The_Lonely_Goatherd

Hello! I'm an Oxford alumna (Worcester College, 2007-2010).

Oxford revamped their music course a few years ago. Cambridge were looking to also revamp their course but I'm not sure if they have done so yet.

Assuming they may have both revamped by now: the main difference would be that at Cambridge, each year of your degree counts towards your final transcript/degree classification. You have exams at the end of each year. Whereas I believe at Oxford, everything may still count on your third year degree options and how well or badly you do in them. There are advantages and disadvantages to both systems, and it really depends on which one personally would work better for you.

If Cambridge hasn't revamped their course yet: Cambridge has more of a focus on harmony and counterpoint than Oxford does/did.

Something to be conscious of is that (at least at Oxford) performance is a very small part of the examined course. You can play away to your heart's content extra-curricular-wise, but within the course, there's more limited options for being examined on performance (around 25% of the final degree, maximum). I believe it's probably a similar case at Cambridge but cannot say for sure...

There is a current Oxford music student floating around on TSR! If I remember their username eventually, I'll tag them in this thread for you! :colondollar:

Reply 2

The_Lonely_Goatherd

Something worth noting, if you have a semi-serious interest in the academic study of music: you can do a music degree at uni and go to a conservatoire for postgrad. The other way round is less common. You would probably struggle to get into Oxbridge postgrad having done a conservatoire undergrad. Something to bear in mind! :ninja:

Reply 3

tagreen_08

Original post by The_Lonely_Goatherd

Hello! I'm an Oxford alumna (Worcester College, 2007-2010).
Oxford revamped their music course a few years ago. Cambridge were looking to also revamp their course but I'm not sure if they have done so yet.
Assuming they may have both revamped by now: the main difference would be that at Cambridge, each year of your degree counts towards your final transcript/degree classification. You have exams at the end of each year. Whereas I believe at Oxford, everything may still count on your third year degree options and how well or badly you do in them. There are advantages and disadvantages to both systems, and it really depends on which one personally would work better for you.
If Cambridge hasn't revamped their course yet: Cambridge has more of a focus on harmony and counterpoint than Oxford does/did.
Something to be conscious of is that (at least at Oxford) performance is a very small part of the examined course. You can play away to your heart's content extra-curricular-wise, but within the course, there's more limited options for being examined on performance (around 25% of the final degree, maximum). I believe it's probably a similar case at Cambridge but cannot say for sure...
There is a current Oxford music student floating around on TSR! If I remember their username eventually, I'll tag them in this thread for you! :colondollar:

Thank you so much that’s all really helpful!

Reply 4

The_Lonely_Goatherd

Original post by tagreen_08

Thank you so much that’s all really helpful!

No problem!

I believe the username I was trying to remember is @qwerties ! :ninja:

Btw, do make sure you visit any uni or conservatoire before firming it on UCAS/any conservatoire equivalent system. I firmed Oxford but insured one of the other unis you mentioned without seeing it. Went to the offer holder open day for the insurance uni, realised very quickly I'd hate it there, but there wasn't anything I could do to change the insurance at the time. Then I missed my grades for Oxford and almost ended up at insurance uni :headfire:

Thankfully Oxford were merciful and took me anyway, so the story has a happy ending, but yeah: learn from my mistakes :yep:

Reply 5

tagreen_08

Original post by The_Lonely_Goatherd

No problem!
I believe the username I was trying to remember is @qwerties ! :ninja:

Thankfully Oxford were merciful and took me anyway, so the story has a happy ending, but yeah: learn from my mistakes :yep:

Sorry to ask another question- what do you mean by insuring and firming? Is that like first choice and second choice? Sorry I’m still quite new to this system

Reply 6

The_Lonely_Goatherd

Original post by tagreen_08

Sorry to ask another question- what do you mean by insuring and firming? Is that like first choice and second choice? Sorry I’m still quite new to this system

Yes: once you have your offers from unis, you 'firm' a first choice and then have an insurance choice (second choice, if you miss the grades for your first on results day) :yes:

Reply 7

Katya25

Original post by tagreen_08

I’m a Year 12 student from London with a keen interest in studying music after school. I play the clarinet and saxophone, and currently study these instruments as first and second studies at the Junior Royal College of Music in London on Saturdays. I really want to go somewhere that has a great music course, with lots of opportunities to play music instruments, as well as somewhere that has a good student life and community.
I’ve been wanting to study at Oxford, but recently realised I haven’t looked into the music course at Cambridge in much detail, often assuming it’s too traditional for my interests.
My main question is: what are the key differences between the music courses at Oxford and Cambridge? Is one more suitable for someone with my background and interests?
Additionally, I’m also applying to conservatoires, as well as Durham, Manchester, King’s College London, and Edinburgh universities. If anyone has experience studying music at any of these places, I’d love to hear your thoughts, especially on choosing between conservatoire and uni.
Thanks in advance for any advice!

Hey! Music finalist at Oxford with all my friends from junior conservatoire at Cambridge so have a good understanding of both. TLG is right - Cambridge is way more harmony/techniques based with most of their optional modules being very ‘historical’ (my friends did an optional paper on Carmen the opera, for instance). Oxford has a much more philosophy/sociology core by way of a mandatory paper called foundations (and later musical thought and scholarship) which seeks to ask questions about why we study music (and experience it!) the way we do. It’s pretty unique to Oxford. Also, the optional papers at Oxford have a bit more of a vocational scope to them (it’s fairly normal to go to do placement in a school for a paper called ‘music in the community’). If you are interested in jazz Oxford has heaps of history papers on jazz through time as well as all of our technical harmony papers having at least one jazz option (for finals you realise a standard melody for an extended jazz ensemble). On top of this, Oxford has pretty insane funk bands/jazz bands (as well as more traditional orchestras). One of my tutorial partners plays bass in a couple of these bands and honestly plays gigs across London and Oxford about 4-6 times a term (which is only 8 weeks!) on top of all his standard orchestral stuff. Hopefully that gives you a good picture! Happy to answer anymore questions.