Undergraduate Music. Faculty of Arts

Transcription

1 Undergraduate Music Faculty of Arts

2 When I left Bristol University, I was certain of two things; I wanted to be an arts journalist and I wanted the whole world to know that opera isn t elitist. So I set up FringeOpera.com, an online guide to the huge wave of accessible opera happening in the UK. Francesca BA Music and French, 2012 Founder of Fringe Opera Why study music at Bristol? Studying music at university offers you the chance to become serious about what for most people is a pastime or passion. However, studying music is not just about honing the musical skills you already have, but about discovering a range of approaches to music and pursuing them at a high level. You will learn how to perform music professionally, to arrange, to conduct and to compose. You will learn the grammar of different styles of music and analyse works, you will study music history in broad outlines and in specialist seminars at the cutting edge of research. You will also acquire a considerable amount of soft skills. You will work on your own (practising, researching, composing, writing) and with others (rehearsing and performing). You will appear in front of audiences and learn how to present your work in recitals, scores, recordings, presentations, essays and dissertations. To do all of that, you will learn how to plan projects and manage your time. One of the most valued features of life as a music student in Bristol is that all our musical activities take place in the palatial 19th-century Victoria Rooms building. The Victoria Rooms comprises a theatre/concert hall, a recital room, electronic music/recording studios, a Study and Resource Centre as well as a range of versatile teaching and practice spaces. 100% of students agree staff are enthusiastic about what they are teaching (National Student Survey 2013)

3 What will I study? Single Honours course BA Music, three years Joint Honours courses BA Music and French, four years BA Music and German, four years BA Music and Italian, four years W300 WR31 WR32 WR33 Our current BA syllabus enables us to maximise the integration of our research work into our teaching, and to provide opportunities for you to develop your subject and generic skills as well as your knowledge of music. The first year of the course provides a broad foundation, with units in music theory, performance, arranging and conducting, acoustic and studio composition, and music history. During your second and third years, you can increasingly focus on those areas of music you are particularly good at or are interested in, and can choose from a range of options covering different aspects of performance, composition, theory, history, analysis and aesthetics. Teaching consists of a mixture of lectures, seminars and tutorials with supporting group work to enable the practice of oral presentational skills at all stages of the course. All units within the course will be either 20 credit points or (in the final year only) 40 credit points. Instrumental and vocal lessons If you are taking a performance unit you receive a fortnightly lesson on your first instrument or voice paid for by the department (and additional lessons if you take a 40 credit performance project in your final year). Contact hours There are normally 20 contact teaching hours for a 20-credit point unit or equivalent pro-rata. Assessment Assessment can take a wide variety of forms including coursework essays, written exams, assessed homework, dissertations, editions, workshops, recitals and composition portfolios. Dissertation Final-year dissertations, individually supervised by subject specialists, offer an opportunity to write extended studies on particular issues (be it composers, repertoires, genres, reception of music, analytical studies, trends and influences within and across musical periods). In the current syllabus, there are specialist group tutorials devoted to the craft of dissertation writing. Scholarships Organ scholarships are available at Bristol Cathedral, St. Mary Redcliffe and the University Church of St. Paul in Clifton. There are also a number of choral scholarships at Bristol Cathedral. Further details are available from the departmental administrator and Student Funding Office. For further details, please visit bristol.ac.uk/music/ scholarships. Year abroad Students studying music and a modern language will spend their third year abroad on an approved course of study or a work placement in a French-/ German-/Italian-speaking country. 94% of students are satisfied overall with the quality of the course (National Student Survey 2013)

4 What are my career prospects? Many graduates plan a career in music as teachers, performers, librarians or administrators, and many undertake postgraduate study or training to enable them to do this. Our graduates go into a wide variety of jobs including teaching, research, arts administration, retail management, finance, performing, librarianship, conducting or composing. We believe that the education offered here will help you to develop a range of skills that is increasingly attractive to employers and which prepare you for a world in which migration between jobs is increasingly the norm. The variety of different elements and challenges in our BA course means that you will develop a generous portfolio of transferable skills. These include accurate comprehension of tasks, the ability to work independently and within a team, analytical precision and critical engagement with subject matter, IT skills, communication and presentation, self-criticism and self-awareness, project planning and time management. 90% of graduates go on to work or further study within six months of completing their course* *Destination of Leavers from Higher Education survey 2011/12 Making your application Entrance requirements Typical offer for BA Music Please visit bristol.ac.uk/ug15-music for other qualifications A-levels ABB including A in Music (contextual offer BBB including Music) IB Diploma 33 points overall (contextual offer 32 ) with 6, 6, 5 at Higher level including 6 in Music Access Pass Access to HE Diploma (Music) with at least 30 credits at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit English Language Profile B* GCSEs No specific subjects required Selection UCAS or Common Application. We may interview mature applicants and applicants with non-standard qualifications Part-time study Six years with daytime, weekday teaching Deferred entry Welcomed *For details of English language profiles please visit bristol.ac.uk/study/ undergraduate/language-requirements For information on contextual offers please visit bristol.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/ apply/#typical-contextual-offers You should list your academic and practical achievements as clearly and as concisely as possible under section 5a of the UCAS application; please include the most recent practical exams that you have taken on any instrument(s) or in any vocal or theory examinations. Your personal statement should be carefully and clearly written as this is normally our only evidence of your writing and communication skills. Please tell us why you wish to study music and what appeals to you about your chosen course. You should tell us of any work or cultural experiences that may be relevant to your future studies (for example, books about music that you have found particularly stimulating or the range of music that you listen to). Please tell us about other achievements (such as Young Enterprise or Duke of Edinburgh awards) or your leisure and sports interests. Overall, we are looking for well-rounded people and musicians who will contribute to the life of our department with real enthusiasm and initiative. Further information Find out more about the Department of Music: bristol.ac.uk/music

5 Contacts Undergraduate Admissions Office Tel +44 (0) Fax +44 (0) Accommodation Office Tel +44 (0) bristol.ac.uk/accommodation Disability Services Tel +44 (0) bristol.ac.uk/disability-services International Advice and Support Tel +44 (0) bristol.ac.uk/international-office Student Funding Office Tel +44 (0) bristol.ac.uk/studentfunding If you need all or part of this publication in an alternative format please contact Customer Relations and Student Marketing Tel +44 (0) University guide to the city of Bristol bristol.ac.uk/citybristol Undergraduate study website bristol.ac.uk/ug-study Follow us on Become a Bristol VIP to receive information tailored to your interests: bristol.ac.uk/vip Photography: University of Bristol The information contained in this leaflet is correct at the time of printing (June 2014). Courses and facilities are liable to alter or be withdrawn at the University s discretion.