palmer_eldritch Posted November 13, 2006 Report Share Posted November 13, 2006 I'm looking to apply to a few music performance courses in Scotland, with Strathclyde University's course being my number one choice. I am however aware of how competitive it is, so i'm having to keep my options open. Anyone have any knowledge of courses i should keep an eye out for? Any recommendations? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HairyScaryMark Posted November 14, 2006 Report Share Posted November 14, 2006 Strathclyde University is the only one I have heard being recommended for contempory music. I have a friend who went to Napier but I haven't heard from him since. Edinburgh and Glasgow University also have music courses but I don't know much about them. I suspect they are quite classicaly based. Strathclyde is quite competitive but not as competitive as elsewhere. I have at least one friend who is a good musician yet didn't get accepted. My other friend isn't the most amazing ever yet got accepted for it.The Royal Scottish Academy is also probably largely classicaly based but might be less so than it once was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam 45 Posted November 15, 2006 Report Share Posted November 15, 2006 Stratchlyde is more classically based than people think and the odds are VERY slim. They let about 25 people in this year, with rougly 500 applicants or something. Also the equipment isn't that great. The audition process works as:You send them a CD/ of your audition after they review your application.If they like what they hear, you will be invited for a live auditon. This audition will cost you 30 pounds (travelling from Aberdeen can get you out of the audition fee). A short listening test will be conducted. Here you will listen to 10 different extracts of music and be asked to comment on them, you will then be given 5 mins to write a short essay on a song or piece that inspries you. The live audition will consist of you playing up to 10 mins of music on as many instruments as you feel you are competent on. You will also be given a folder including; a few bars of musical notation, a chord sequence for you to play or solo along with and a series of pictures. You are aksed to base a short composition around one of these pictures (getting roughly 10 mins to come up with it).You will then have a short discussion with Gerry Rossi and usually the head of your instrument tutor. This consists of questions such as; why do you wnat to attend the course ectThis was my first choice place to go to last year but i only got as far as the audition stage. Since then i have only heard bad things about teh course and how it is going downhill. Consiering the amount of applicants you have to be very good on the day on your instrument.I study at James Watt College, which is in Greenock (moan i know, but i commute from Glasgow). They run a HNC or HND music performance course which consists of; instrument tuition, live performance, creative industries (music industry class), DAW (computer recording ie Reason and Protools), Music Theory (grades 1-4 covered in 1st year), keyboard skills, recording techniques, songwriting and graded unit (your year project) There will be a few more but i cannae mind. The facilities at James Watt are the best in the UK due to a recent renovation of the music department - this is the reason i chose to go there. Also HND's from JW are very recogniseable to univerisities.I had a chat about music performance courses with the head of the music department and he didnt have anything good to say about Strathclyde unless you are well aquianted with classical and jazz. He recommended Napier, Perth, Brighton, Newcastle and 1 more place in England which may have been Liverpool. Also a HND at JW will allow you to enter most courses directly into at least 2nd year, Perth let you go directly into 3rd year.There is a nice laid back attitude about studying at JW and as long as you attend and put the work in you shouldnt have any toubles.Hope this helps, any questions just ask. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DustyDeviada Posted November 15, 2006 Report Share Posted November 15, 2006 One advantage of going to Brighton Rory - you never know who might drop in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam 45 Posted November 15, 2006 Report Share Posted November 15, 2006 Ha nice, on another note - Ian Brown is the patron of our college. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DustyDeviada Posted November 15, 2006 Report Share Posted November 15, 2006 Ha nice, on another note - Ian Brown is the patron of our college.I hope he doesn't give tips on how to sing live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam 45 Posted November 15, 2006 Report Share Posted November 15, 2006 I hope he doesn't give tips on how to sing live.Hahaha. Apperently the patron was meant to be Alan McGee but they big people didnt think taht was a good idea due to his drug history......Ian Brown really makes sense now :S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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