Why study Music?

Studying music at university is a wonderfully enriching cultural experience. It's also a challenging educational one. A university degree course in music is traditionally more academic than a course at a college of Music; here the emphasis is primarily on performance.

University-trained musicians are expected to have much knowledge of their art. The diversity in the music field is enormous and, this together with the coursework helps students develop transferable skills which may be used in various jobs. These include performance, technique, theoretical background, historical knowledge, pedagogy, composition and writing, research, presentation, teamwork, independence, and leadership. Depending on interests, training and background, there is potential for a wide array of careers related to performance, management, business, technology, recording, education, writing and publishing and more.

After graduating from a music course at a UK university you will have a range of employment opportunities depending on your area of specialism. In the music industry itself, technicians, sound engineers and producers are always in demand and often work on a freelance basis.

Skills acquired in musical production are also transferable to other media areas such as broadcasting and film-making. Graduates in music who specialise in performance may pursue their own careers as recording artists or find employment with orchestras and/or as session musicians. There are also employment opportunities in specialist fields such as ethnomusicology and psychotherapy. Finally, music graduates from a UK university can work in education where their skills are highly prized and contribute to the enjoyment of music by future generations. In any profession, an employer will value music graduate’s technical expertise and production skills.

Anthony Storr, the late great British psychiatrist said “Music exalts life, enhances life, and gives it meaning. Great music outlives the individual who created it. It is both personal and beyond the personal.  For those who love it, it remains as a fixed point of reference in an unpredictable world.  Music is a source of reconciliation, exhilaration, and hope which never fails."

So if you want to leave your mark on the world or just love music, a music degree opens so many doors.