Music Study at University

If you’re passionate about playing and serious about study, you might be thinking about continuing with your music education at university or conservatoire. Making the decision to study music at university is the first step, but where do you go from here? If you’re still at school, you probably don’t know too much about music as a degree subject, and the choices available can be rather confusing at first!This article is intended for those wanting to study music at university in the United Kingdom – other countries have very different systems and requirements, so unfortunately you can’t apply this information across the board!

So, here are some questions that you may or may not have thought about!

What grade do I have to be to get on a university music degree course?
Do I have to be able to play the piano?
What’s the difference between university and conservatoire?
What do BA (Mus) and BMus mean, and what’s the difference?
What career prospects are there with a music degree?
What’s life like for music students at university?

What grade do I have to be to get on a university music degree course?

If you want to study music at university, you will normally need to be at least at grade 8 standard on your main instrument. If you play other instruments, it will often be an advantage, even if you are not at such a high grade on them.
Do I have to be able to play the piano?
No, you don’t. However, having some basic piano skills will definitely be an advantage to you, so if you are thinking about going to study music at university some time in the future, it might be a good idea to get some piano lessons organised as soon as you can. Being able to play the piano makes life easier for several reasons – you will understand the both the treble and bass clefs with ease, you’ll be able to understand chords more quickly, you will learn score-reading skills more quickly, and it is in so useful to have an instrument to hand which can play several notes simultaneously.What’s the difference between university and conservatoire?

The courses offered by universities and conservatoires overlap to a certain extent, but there are a few clear differences. Usually, a university will offer a more “academic” course which will include a broad range of musical subjects, from music history to composition, tonal analysis, music technology or performance. You take “modules” in a number of different subjects, and can usually decide for yourself which subject has the major focus for your studies. At conservatoire, you are primarily a performance student, and as such will be an excellent player. You study the other subjects as subsidiaries to your performance. Conservatoire students are expected to put in several hours a day of self-study practice on their instruments, and often go on to careers as orchestral or solo musicians, or become composers. University students spend more time reading, writing essays (and playing!), and often go on to become teachers, librarians or take on management roles in the music industry.

Being a student at university also means that you will meet people from a wide range of backgrounds who are studying a diverse range of subjects. Universities are often huge institutions with several thousand students. Conservatoires, on the other hand, are much smaller, and you will form close-knit friendships with other students who share your talent and passion.What do BA (Mus) and BMus mean, and what’s the difference?

BA (Mus) stands for “Bachelor of Arts degree in Music”, and BMus stands for Bachelor of Music. Both are recognised undergraduate degrees. The BA(Mus) degree is more usually offered at universities, and the BMus is more often at conservatoires, but both institutions sometimes offer both types of degree. A BA degree is less specialised and more general. A BMus degree is more about performance or composition, whereas a BA degree can be about a wide range of musically related topics. A BMus degree sometimes lasts for four years, whereas a BA usually only takes three. A 4-year BMus degree might include a year spent abroad, studying at a conservatoire in a foreign country.

What career prospects are there with a music degree?

Finding a job connected with music is not a easy option! The competition is great, and the earnings are usually low, sadly. The vast majority of people decide that they want to study music at university because it is something they enjoy doing, not because they want to get rich! Having said that, most music graduates do go on to have fulfilling and enjoyable careers. Here are some options that you may not have thought of (some careers would entail further study in other areas).

Music librarian
Music copyright lawyer
Record company manager
Peripatetic teacher
Examiner for the ABRSM
Studio engineer
Jingle writer
Computer games music composer
Tour manager (for orchestras or soloists)
Music journalist

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