Hello! Future student looking for advice concerning Bmus

College Majors Music Major
1

Greetings,
I am 21 yo, from Mauritius (found in the Indian Ocean). Unfortunately in our island, there is little to no emphasis on Arts & Culture, despite of our multi cultural society and great potential for arts.
In this society we are expected to either become doctors, lawyers, or accountants, which are symbols of stability and good social status.
This is the reason I have been undergoing a personal struggle for my career choice. Pushed by parents and social factors, I have started studies in accounting but felt so unhappy and like a fish out of water in this domain. And I stopped accounting. During the gap years, I have concentrated on violin and become more and more convinced that my path is that of the arts.
In my heart, I have always wanted to do music since I play violin, and it’s not that my parents stopped me from choosing this path but without bias and good judgement on my skills, I know that wasn’t eligible the auditions required by most universities and conservatories of the world. And unfortunately there is no institution here that give real music education.

But this year, I am about to do my ABRSM diploma and think that there’ll be a higher chance of me getting accepted in universities which the pieces that I am playing.

With the wish to study Bmus, I hope that someday I’ll come back to Mauritius and be able to promote music and arts education but I sincerely think that a country without arts, is a country without a soul…

However, I do not think that my father will be able to finance completely my studies since he still have to finance my sister’s education. That is why I am now looking for scholarship.

Can you please give me your insight on procedures concerning applications,scholarships, recorded auditions, are grades necessary to be eligible (my grades aren’t extraordinary but i plan to take SAT exams too this year), am I not too old for music?

Help please, I am totally confused and lost, and don’t know where to start.
@-)

2

You do not have to apply to a conservatory, where auditions are very competitive. Am I understanding that you do not feel you are at the level of conservatory study? What is the ABRSM? Maybe you could clarify if you do, in fact, want to audition at a conservatory.

There are many ways to study music. You can apply to a conservatory/music school BM program within a university if you want financial aid: freestanding conservatories tend not to have many scholarships based on need, but do offer merit scholarships- but those go to the top applicants.

You can also study music in a BA program which has fewer music classes, more liberal arts classes than the BM. Some BA programs have performance, some don’t. Some offer lessons, some don’t. You would have to research each school. In any case, you could take lessons on or off campus, and participate in orchestra and ensembles as extracurriculars in a school where credit is not given for performance.

You can also study something else (accounting for instance!!) and still take some music classes, take lessons, and play in extracurricular music ensembles and orchestra.

If you apply for a BM, there will be auditions (or you send a recording). If you apply for a BA, auditions are often not done for admission (though there might be auditions once on campus, in the fall, for music organizations). But you can send a recording as part of a supplement to the regular application, and your playing might help you win scholarships.

You do not clarify what type of scholarship you want, whether you would qualify for financial aid based on need or want to apply for merit scholarships. For merit aid at universities, you may need stellar grades, and for merit aid at conservatories, you may need stellar talent and skill. Some schools do give aid for a history of community service, that type of thing, as well.

3

ABRSM is a board of examination of the Royal School of Music, which is available in different countries of the world. The problem with this board however is that the level of the examinations vary from country to country. For example, grading a grade 8 in UK will be different than grading a grade 8 in Mauritius for example, or Singapore. Thus having an ABRSM certificate doesn’t guarantee that you are a good musician.

Actually I am looking for possibilities and opportunities for scholarships - whether merit based or need based.

I am also open to studying either at a conservatory or a university for Bmus performance. As I am preparing for my ABRSM diploma, I was also thinking of recording my pieces for auditions as well (auditions in person is way too expensive for me…).

4

Have you considered looking at conservatories/schools of music in Australia and New Zealand? For instance, the conservatory at the University of Sydney? http://music.sydney.edu.au It might be a more economical option for you, both in terms of tuition and travel costs.