I've just finished my first year at Bristol University, as a student of Joint French and Music, and it's quite honestly been the best year of my life. Bristol University maintains a fantastic reputation and high ranking year in, year out, however their Music department remains something of ... Read review
...in, year out, however their Music department remains something of a hidden gem.
My principal instrument is the harp, and I'm sure that the opportunities the Bristol Music department has offered me are far more varied and far more numerous than at any other department in the country. Possibly, this is due to the fact that the department is so small. Only 30/40 students (joint and single honours) are admitted each year, and this inevitably ... ...easily.
The Music department is housed in the beautiful Victoria Rooms in the centre of the city, and it's known amongst the students as the Vic Rooms. The building is gorgeous, with several statues and fountains decorating the steps leading up to the impressive, colonial style building. Once inside, there is no shortage of chandeliers, particularly in the reception and in the main auditorium. This is one of the features that sets ... more
I've just finished my first year at Bristol University, as a student of Joint French and Music, and it's quite honestly been the best year of my life. Bristol University maintains a fantastic reputation and high ranking year in, year out, however their Music department remains something of a hidden gem.
My principal instrument is the harp, and I'm sure that the opportunities the Bristol Music department has offered me are far more varied and far more numerous than at any other department in the country. Possibly, this is due to the fact that the department is so small. Only 30/40 students (joint and single honours) are admitted each year, and this inevitably leads to smaller, more intimate classes where we have lots of one-on-one time with our lecturers and professors. What's really wonderful, is that the staff genuinely seem interested in the wellbeing of their students, and they're all very approachable - if you do have a problem, it's reassuring to know that it can be sorted out very quickly and very easily.
The Music department is housed in the beautiful Victoria Rooms in the centre of the city, and it's known amongst the students as the Vic Rooms. The building is gorgeous, with several statues and fountains decorating the steps leading up to the impressive, colonial style building. Once inside, there is no shortage of chandeliers, particularly in the reception and in the main auditorium. This is one of the features that sets us apart from other university music departments - we have our own HUGE concert venue right in the centre of the department! The acoustic is amazing, and every Wednesday there are free lunchtime concerts given by a mixture of unviersity ensembles and famous visiting artists. Also, there is usually a big concert for each separate ensemble at the end of each term.
Ensembles play an important part of University life (geddit?!) whether you're a member of the Music department, or a student from another part of the university. Off the top of my head, these are just a few to choose from: Symphony Orchestra - the best, auditioned ensemble. Have recently played Shostakovich V and Bax IV. University Singers - the best auditioned choir. Chamber Orchestra - auditioned chamber ensemble. Chamber Choir - slightly larger than 'singers' but still auditioned. Wind Orchestra String Orchestra Sinfonia Madrigals Choral Society University Big Band University Swing Band ...plus lots, lots more!
Auditions for each ensemble are held at the beginning of the academic year: a sign-up sheet is in the reception of the Vic Rooms and if you select a time, you'll have a 10 minute audition with the relevant member of staff. It's usually just a piece of your choice, some sightreading and that's it!
As a Music Student, you're expected to be a member of at least two University ensembles, but as you can see, from the sheer volume of them, this is really no problem :)The course itself is really wide and varied in the first year. You study the following units:
Historical Studies I - from Renaissance to Baroque/early Classical
Historical Studies II - from Classical to modern day
Technical Studies - lots and lots of harmony, chorales etc
Composition - acoustic/electroacoustic and studio work
Introduction to Baroque Composition
The following link will take you to the prospectus site: http://www.bris.ac.uk/prospectus/undergraduate/2008/sections/MUSI/168/admissions#progAs far as workload goes, as a joint student I study far more units than my single honours friends. They usually have about 6 hours per week of classes, plus another 4 hours of rehearsals. Private practise is a very important part of the course, and this can fill up all your extra free time very nicely! There is a lot of extra reading expected also - at the beginning of each semester, a unit booklet is distributed which suggests complementary texts to the units you're studying. The library (on Tyndall's Park) is a bit of a black hole though, so if you desperately need a text, it's best to reserve it online EARLY and go collect it asap.
One of the most important reasons I love the Muso depo though, is the fact that all the people there are wonderful. I've made my closest friends within the department, and it has to be said, all the personalities and interests of the students do seem to match very well. As there are so few students, the different years mix, and it's not unusal to see first and third years sitting together in the Union Bar, the Epi on a Monday night for the free jazz! There's a lovely camraderie, and you'll often end up with your best friends accompanying you for recitals and performances etc.
In short, the deparment, although small, is perfectly formed and brilliantly balanced. Music may be a more demanding subject than others, due to private practise and rehearsals, but Bristol do a fab job of maintaining their famous motto: 'Work hard, play hard'
Advantages: Friendly with a strong course Disadvantages: Not many opportunities for solo performance
If you're planning to study music at university, Royal Holloway is definitely worth considering. This may be coming from a biased viewpoint, considering that I go there, but the department can claim to be one of the best in the country (having been awarded 5* in the latest two Research Assessment Exercises), while being more relaxed than somewhere like Oxford or Cambridge.
The department is housed across the road from the main campus, in a lovely little building complete with narrow corridors and winding staircases, which just gives it a bit more character than many other 60s-esqe, concrete office-block type departments. It's a reasonably small (although growing) department, with about 50 people in each year. Which means that you can quite easily get to know nearly everyone in your year, at least to say hello to, and many people in ...
butimba 15.09.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Music
Advantages: Very in-depth, interesting and rewarding course. Disadvantages: Home project kit a bit of a disappointment
TA212 - Music Technology
Passing this course is counted as 60 Points at Level 2 towards either a BA or BSc Open University degree. Please note this a review of the TA212 course in 2008 so there may be some slight differences. In 2008 (and hence also in my review) there were 7 TMAs but the 2009 course only has 6 for example, other than that I should the subject matter is very similar if not exactly the same. A full description, as well as the cost and study dates, of the current course can be found here:
www3.open.ac.uk/courses/bin/p12.dll?C01eTA212
PERSONAL BACKGROUND
It had been over 10 years since I last studied with the Open University so I wanted to start back with a subject I felt fairly familiar with but, more importantly, that I would enjoy studying and find rewarding. Having worked in IT for over 20 years and been ...
richb90 12.01.2009 (17.02.2008)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Music
Advantages: Top rated, excellent oppurtunities, small intake, good options Disadvantages: None really
I have just completed my first year of a music degree at The University of Manchester. Overall, I would rate the tuition and facilities as totally excellent. Even the lecturer strike had no effect on my studies, it didn't for the rest of the University either - they had a guarantee that exams would continue etc. and this was held to be true. This was quite impressive, considering the trouble students at other Universities had.
The first year consisted mainly of core/compulsory modules, but most of the second year is optional. Basically, everyone is brought up to the same standard in the first year - and this generally happened.
Modules I took were:
Western Music and Its Contexts A: Focusing on different periods of music in depth, with an essay for each and a final exam.
Western Music and Its Contexts B: Same as above ...
nathgregory 08.06.2006 (14.11.2006)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Music
