Leeds College of Music International guide by Leeds Conservatoire

INTERNATIONAL GUIDE 2014/15

WHY CHOOSE LEEDS COLLEGE OF MUSIC?

You’ll get an intensive education experience, including oneto-one tuition, workshops, ensembles and masterclasses, tailored to your needs, talents and aspirations. Music is at the heart of everything we do and, in parallel with the music industry today, we encourage different disciplines, genres and styles to come together and create amazing, ground-breaking work.

41%

YOU’LL GET A PIONEERING CONSERVATOIRE EXPERIENCE

OF 2013 LEEDS COLLEGE OF MUSIC GRADUATES WERE AWARDED A 1ST CLASS HONOURS DEGREE. A FURTHER 49% WERE AWARDED A 2:1.

To us you’re more than a student; you’re the music industry professionals of the future. We’ll help you to explore your talent, guide your creativity and lead you towards a more rewarding career in music.

YOU’LL HAVE ACCESS TO STATE-OF-THEART FACILITIES Leeds College of Music is England’s only All-Steinway School and the only UK conservatoire with Apple Authorised Training Centre status. We have 60 teaching and practice rooms, 7 recording studios, 3 mixing studios, a 350-seat performance space and a 120-seat recital room (both housing Steinway Model Ds).

YOU’LL BE TAUGHT BY THE BEST A conservatoire is nothing without its people – and our tutors are known across the globe. As a student at Leeds College of Music, you’ll work closely with active musicians and visiting professors of national and international repute, and earn invaluable insights into the music industry.

WHY CHOOSE LEEDS COLLEGE OF MUSIC?

41%

YOU’LL GET A PIONEERING CONSERVATOIRE EXPERIENCE

OF 2013 LEEDS COLLEGE OF MUSIC GRADUATES WERE AWARDED A 1ST CLASS HONOURS DEGREE. A FURTHER 49% WERE AWARDED A 2:1.

APPLE LOGIC 101 INTEGRATED EXAM

82% STUDENT PASS RATE IN THE

WE’LL PREPARE YOU FOR A CAREER IN MUSIC We know that in the twenty-first century employability matters. That’s why we’ll equip you with the business and technical skills you need to build a credible portfolio career. And the fluid boundaries between our pathways will expose you to more collaboration opportunities than you ever thought possible!

YOU’LL FIND INSPIRATION IN THE CITY OF LEEDS Leeds is the cultural heart of Yorkshire, the biggest county in the North of England. It is one of only two cities in the UK to have its own opera and ballet companies, and is home to the UK’s largest regional production theatre and the largest music festival in the North of England.

YOU CAN GAIN PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Studying and living in a city of more than 200 music venues and a healthy independent music scene means your scope to perform and promote yourself – at the conservatoire, in Leeds and beyond – is unlimited.

% 85.3 OF 2011 FIRST DEGREE GRADUATES ARE IN EMPLOYMENT OR FURTHER STUDY

APPLE LOGIC 101 INTEGRATED EXAM

82% STUDENT PASS RATE IN THE

% 85.3 OF 2011 FIRST DEGREE GRADUATES ARE IN EMPLOYMENT OR FURTHER STUDY

NDERGRADUATE OURSES

Our undergraduate programmes are built around a mixture of one-to-one tuition, small-ensemble work and seminars, as well as a focused and diverse programme of masterclasses and workshops, delivered by visiting musicians and industry professionals. We are the only UK conservatoire to: §§ O ffer undergraduate pathways in Classical Music, Jazz, Popular Music, Music Production and Business*.

§§ O ffer a Combined Degree that allows you to pursue more than one discipline at undergraduate level

§§ O ffer an Accelerated Degree that allows students following the Popular Music and Music Production pathways to complete a full BA (Hons) in two years

* BA (Hons) Music (Business)starts September 2014, subject to validation

BA (HONS) MUSIC (BUSINESS) Our BA (Hons) Music (Business) pathway prepares you for a dynamic career in the music industry. You will develop skills in key areas of music business, including management, artist development and live music management; and receive mentoring from industry professionals in those areas in order to achieve excellence. The course will focus on putting your skills into practice in real-life entrepreneurship projects, including starting a record label in a small group and realising a small startup enterprise in your chosen specialism.

NDERGRADUATE OURSES

§§ O ffer a Combined Degree that allows you to pursue more than one discipline at undergraduate level

§§ O ffer an Accelerated Degree that allows students following the Popular Music and Music Production pathways to complete a full BA (Hons) in two years

* BA (Hons) Music (Business)starts September 2014, subject to validation

BA (HONS) MUSIC (POPULAR MUSIC) This course is designed to develop your talent and give you the tools and experience to sustain a career as a working musician in today’s fast-moving industry. The programme centres not only on developing your body of work, but also on helping you to become innovative, adaptable and business-minded. You will focus on finding and refining your musical identity, and with industry professionals including successful songwriters, promoters and record label representatives regularly visiting the conservatoire, your networking opportunities are unbeatable. w ww.lcm.ac.uk/courses/ Undergraduate/BA-Hons-Pop

BA (HONS) MUSIC (JAZZ)

BA (HONS) MUSIC (PRODUCTION) This programme develops your skill as a composer and gives you the practical knowledge necessary to become a sophisticated music producer and compete in a fast-moving music industry. Working in dedicated studio environments with experienced professionals, you will become well-versed in Logic, Pro Tools, Ableton, Max/MSP and other software, and earn Apple Authorised Training qualifications. Aided by the conservatoire’s Mac Labs and world-class specialist equipment including an SSL G Series console, your proficiency in the latest technologies will bring your compositional styles and productions to life. www.lcm.ac.uk/courses/Undergraduate/ BA-Hons-Music-Production

BA (HONS) MUSIC (CLASSICAL MUSIC) Your core skills in performance, composition, analysis, critical listening, research and reflective writing are developed throughout this programme, equipping you with the tools and experience required to sustain a portfolio career. Performers will have extensive opportunities to perform and composers will have the opportunity to write for dedicated ensembles as well as receiving intensive tuition with professional composers and conductors. Our students are often asked to take part in professional recordings, concerts and other projects. www.lcm.ac.uk/courses/Undergraduate/ BA-Hons-Classical-Music

The BA (Hons) Jazz pathway delivers a strong combination of technical skills and identity development that will help you to find and refine your own musical voice. The course focuses on core skills such as rhythm and harmony, language, improvisation and aural awareness, which will develop the commercial awareness and versatility you’ll need to succeed as a working musician. With access to the conservatoire’s ensembles and Classical, Popular and Production communities – as well as Leeds and Yorkshire’s fertile jazz scene – your opportunities to experiment, perform and get your work heard are unlimited. w ww.lcm.ac.uk/courses/ Undergraduate/BA-Hons-Jazz

BA (HONS) MUSIC (JAZZ)

ACCELERATED DEGREE BA (HONS) MUSIC (COMBINED) If you want to pursue more than one discipline at undergraduate level, you can combine any two of our four pathways, Classical Music, Jazz, Popular Music and Music Production, to earn the BA (Hons) Music (Combined) qualification. This is ideal if you: §§ A ren’t yet sure which of your two interests you most want to focus on §§ W ant to support your specialism with complementary study in another area. For example, you may want to inform your work as a classical composer with a detailed knowledge of jazz styles §§ E nvision working in a specific role in the future – for instance, you might want to be a producer specialising in jazz recording, in which case you could choose to combine Music Production and Jazz w ww.lcm.ac.uk/courses/ Undergraduate/Combined-Degree

Across our Popular Music and Music Production pathways, we offer you the opportunity to complete a full BA (Hons) Music qualification in just two years instead of three. Rather than of taking a long summer break after your first year you will continue your studies at the conservatoire. You can specialise in either Popular Music or Music Production. Choosing the Accelerated Degree enables you to: §§ E nter the job market and begin earning a salary a whole year earlier than your peers §§ R educe your accommodation and living costs by up to a third §§ D emonstrate a ‘get ahead’ attitude to prospective employers www.lcm.ac.uk/courses/Undergraduate/ Accelerated-Degree

“There are so many passionate musicians at Leeds College of Music and it’s just so great to work with them” Gladys Wong, BA (Hons) Music (Classical), Hong Kong

“I’ve been able to interact with a whole cast of talented, creative, and like-minded musicians from around the world. Under the guidance of knowledgeable tutors, I’m encouraged to investigate the musical universe on a larger level.”

FOUNDATION DEGREE MUSIC PRODUCTION This course has been designed with a strong vocational element in order to prepare students for the competitive world of employment in the creative industries. The programme includes a professional work placement which allows you to graduate with relevant work experience. Once you’ve completed the Foundation Degree you can top it up to a full BA with one further year of study. ww.lcm.ac.uk/courses/Undergraduate/ w Foundation-Degree-in-Music-Production

FOUNDATION CERTIFICATE The Foundation Certificate is a oneyear course designed to prepare you for degree-level study in music. You can choose from a range of modules such as Classical Music, Jazz, Popular Music and Music Production and follow a learning programme that is tailored to your needs. As a performer or composer you will receive individual instrumental/composition lessons, while production students work in small groups in our industry-standard studios. All students participate in regular specialist workshops and masterclasses. www.lcm.ac.uk/courses/ Foundation-Certificate

Matt McGraw, BA (Hons) Music (Jazz), USA

OSTGRADUATE OURSES

Our postgraduate courses are designed to give you an accurate academic and vocational understanding of what it takes to be a successful music practitioner in the 21st century. As well as receiving focused, individual tuition from our performance, production and/or composition staff, you work on a one-to-one basis with one or more creative practitioners of your choosing, providing you with invaluable mentoring and a strong industry and/or arts perspective. Performance and Composition students come together for regular contextual and research seminars, which facilitate collaboration and further your personal development and critical engagement.

OSTGRADUATE OURSES

“I think Leeds College of Music is a very special place. It is a very vibrant environment and there are lots of opportunities for our students, including cross-pathway collaboration. For example, a classical music student can learn recording techniques and a production student can learn score reading skills.” Anastasia Belina-Johnson, Classical Music Pathway Leader

MMUS/MA/PGDIP PRODUCTION The Production pathway focuses on developing your artistic vision, whether producing your own creative work or that of other artists, and supporting you in creating high quality products. The conservatoire has a long history of delivering music production and has a range of excellent studio facilities, running Logic and Pro Tools on Apple Mac computers, and music production suites that include a range of bespoke live spaces and an SSL G Series console. www.lcm.ac.uk/courses/ postgraduate/production

MMUS/MA/PGDIP PERFORMANCE Our performance master’s degree has been designed to support your performance practice development and career ambitions. You can study a range of disciplines and as the performance pathway does not restrict students to genre-specific activities, you will be supported if you wish to engage in experimental and crossover approaches to performance. www.lcm.ac.uk/courses/ postgraduate/performance

18 “I remember when I first got my acceptance letter from Leeds College of Music I was so excited! The environment, the teaching, facilities and just the fact that it’s an institution dedicated to music, that’s amazing. You will meet people there that you won’t meet in other walks of life even though they’re all musicians. That was really cool, learning things from different people and different influences.” Tavinder “Cynikal” Sanghera, BA (Hons) Music (Production), UK

MMUS/MA/PGDIP COMPOSITION This pathway will support you in developing your artistic vision and compositional practice. You can study a range of disciplines including classical composition, electroacoustic music composition, film music composition and popular music composition, or engage in experimental and crossover approaches to composition. www.lcm.ac.uk/courses/ postgraduate/composition

MMUS/MA/PGDIP PERFORMANCE AND COMPOSITION The combined pathway allows you to develop performance and composition skills holistically and may be suitable for artists such as singer-songwriters, improvising musicians (e.g. laptop based live electronics) and jazz musicians who write original material. www.lcm.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/ performance-composition

UDITIONS

You will need to audition for your place at Leeds College of Music. If you can’t come to an audition, you can send us video files of your performances instead. You can send them to us by: §§ Mailing a DVD-R §§ Using a free file-sharing system

HOW TO APPLY Undergraduate You can apply for all of our undergraduate pathways, including the Foundation Certificate, through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) at www.ucas.com Postgraduate You can apply for all of our postgraduate pathways through CUKAS (the Conservatoires UK Admissions Service) at www.cukas.com or directly through our website. Tuition Fees You can see up to date tuition fees for international students on our website. Full details of how to apply, along with audition information, are available on our website at www.lcm.ac.uk/international

UDITIONS

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS BY PROGRAMME Foundation Certificate

Postgraduate

All applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis, but our standard requirements are:

MMus, MA, PGDip (all pathways)

§§ S tudents are usually educated to high school level §§ G rade 5 ABRSM or equivalent standard in Music Theory

BA Music (all pathways), Accelerated Degree, Foundation Degree All applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis, but our standard requirements are: §§ G ood high school grades, including Music or Music Technology

All applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis, but our standard requirements are: §§ G ood honours degree (upper 2nd (2:1)) in Music or a related subject

EDINBURGH

Professional experience can be taken into account as part of the application process and all suitable applicants are invited for interview and/or audition. All international students must have an IELTS score of 6.0 or equivalent.

LEEDS MANCHESTER LIVERPOOL BIRMINGHAM LONDON

§§ G rade 8 or equivalent standard in your principal study instrument/voice §§ G rade 5 ABRSM or equivalent standard in Music Theory

See www.lcm.ac.uk/international for details on how to get here.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS BY PROGRAMME Foundation Certificate

Postgraduate

All applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis, but our standard requirements are:

MMus, MA, PGDip (all pathways)

§§ S tudents are usually educated to high school level §§ G rade 5 ABRSM or equivalent standard in Music Theory

All applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis, but our standard requirements are: §§ G ood honours degree (upper 2nd (2:1)) in Music or a related subject

EDINBURGH

LEEDS MANCHESTER LIVERPOOL BIRMINGHAM LONDON

§§ G rade 8 or equivalent standard in your principal study instrument/voice §§ G rade 5 ABRSM or equivalent standard in Music Theory

See www.lcm.ac.uk/international for details on how to get here.

Leeds College of Music is an Apple Authorised Training Centre, meaning that its facilities and trainers meet the standards set by Apple – the world’s number one brand and technology leader in media, education and creative applications – and that the conservatoire is able to offer the full range of Apple Authorised courses to students. www.apple.com/uk/education/aatce

Leeds College of Music is the only English conservatoire to hold the coveted AllSteinway School status, meaning 90% of our pianos are from the Steinway family. We demonstrate a commitment to excellence by providing our students with the best equipment possible for the study of music. w ww.steinway.com/institutions/ all-steinway-schools

Leeds College Of Music 3 Quarry Hill, Leeds, LS2 7PD Telephone: +44 (0)113 222 3400 www.lcm.ac.uk/international