Not sure if you want to go to Music College?! Everyone has a different journey, some can think of nothing else they would rather do than play the viola, while others explore many different avenues before they decide.
Many thanks to Isobel for sharing her story….
My Journey to Music College
I was only five years old when I first laid my hands on a musical instrument; a very small, orange violin that I couldn’t wait to start playing. Ever since I’d seen my sister’s best friend playing on her viola I was completely hooked and I just had to play one too. After a few years of scraping away at the violin I finally got the chance to move on to the instrument that had inspired me to start playing all along and from that day on I was completely and utterly viola-obsessed! It was very obvious from the start of my music learning that it wouldn’t simply be a passing hobby but a life-long passion, and friends and family have said to me that it’s certainly no surprise that I’m on my way to start music college this September. However, for me, the journey to music college and my decision to audition wasn’t quite so easy…
As a kid I wanted to join as many orchestras and music groups as possible and that continued well into my teenage years. Over the course of 14 years I would take part in countless orchestras, string orchestras, quartets and a whole host of other curious ensembles. Each of these opportunities allowed me to explore more and more of the world of music: being a part of the National Children’s Orchestra introduced me to amazing orchestral repertoire, whilst my local music school encouraged my interest in chamber music. Joining Aldeburgh Young Musicians introduced me to even more genres of music and I quickly found myself become interested not only in classical music, but jazz, folk and world music too.
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Alongside my viola playing I was also singing in jazz groups and choirs. It is certainly safe to say that all my free time was totally dedicated to music-making! Despite this, I was never certain that music, as a career, was right for me. I had always been very academic at school and I was very interested in the sciences, so a lot of times when I was younger and thought of what I wanted to do in the future, I would think of university: I was smart, therefore I should go to university. I was conflicted because on every music course, in every performance and at every concert I would think to myself, ‘This is it. This is what I love doing.’ , but when I actually thought about having to audition and compared myself to all the other amazing young musicians I’d met, I felt far too inexperienced and not talented enough to receive a place. So I didn’t apply. I went to lots of university open days, applied to study Astrophysics and steadfastly ignored the voice in my head telling me it wasn’t the right thing to do.
After all my exams had been and gone, and results day came around, I was not only scared that I wouldn’t have done well enough to meet my offer to study at Birmingham University, but also terrified that I had done well enough and I’d have to go and study a subject I didn’t really love…for three years. I got in. At the time I was relieved more than anything, I had worked hard and my grades showed me that all the revision had paid off. Funnily enough, the first thing I did on finding out I had received my place to study Astrophysics, was to contact the head of strings at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire to see how quickly I could arrange to set up viola lessons with a teacher there. During those first two weeks of term I was very unhappy and I knew that I was doing completely the wrong thing: I was sat in lectures wondering when I’d next be able to practise and putting all my effort into the university’s orchestra auditions, rather than working on any of my course work. The only time I truly forgot about how miserable I was, was when I was having lessons and joining in with the first year chamber music activities at the conservatoire.
I was on the phone with my parents one evening, when my mum told me she thought I should stop doing what made me sad and pursue what I love. She told me she believed I should study music. I can’t quite describe the weight I felt lifting of my chest, when I heard those words and I knew, without any doubt, that I was finally going to be doing the right thing. After two weeks of university, I dropped out. The next month was the biggest, scariest and possibly the most stressful of my life so far, but luckily I was not alone. I had amazing support from Birmingham Conservatoire and my wonderful teacher. Not only was I helped with the last minute preparation of my audition pieces, but they helped me to find a course that would enable me to make the most of living in Birmingham. The course was a part-time study year that allowed me to have lessons, practise and take part in all the activities at the conservatoire. I managed to make it through audition season, and this September will start my first year at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. The rest of this year will be spent practising, rehearsing with my quartet, playing in orchestral projects and enjoying the freedom to really work on something I love doing- without any exams or assessments to bother me!
I’m extremely lucky to find myself in the position I’m in, but none of it would have happened if I hadn’t had the courage to trust in what I truly loved and been prepared to work my absolute hardest to get where I am now. Deciding what to do after you leave school is scary, and often it’s our own self-doubts that holds us back. If my experience has taught me anything, it’s that you can always find the confidence to pursue your passion, you just have to trust that there are no wrong decisions- only different routes to get where you’re supposed to be.
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