Stephanie Cooke, Amy Higgs and Ceri Bradford graduated from the BMus 4-year course, June 2003

Ceri Bradford

"It hadn't occurred to me before I went to uni that adding a vocational element to a music degree was possible let alone so beneficial - when you're looking at standard music degrees, there never seems to be that option. As it happened, the C course started that year, so when they asked if we wanted to switch onto the new C Course, I knew that it would be useful to the career path I wanted to follow, making my degree more relevant and me more employable.

The most significant part of the course for me was my placement at an arts centre. I was treated as a full member of staff with my own role and responsibilities, ranging from programming events and concert management to writing contracts. The placement was so diverse and extensive that it has now enabled me to focus on those particular elements that interested me the most, giving me and my career a direction - before when people asked what I wanted to do after uni, I would always say "something to do with arts management" but now I can be much more specific. I had thought that working for a year might put me off a career in the arts, but if anything, it has made me more determined.

From a personal perspective, my placement really developed me as a person, giving me much more confidence and a self-belief that helped get me through the final year in one piece. Although the placement was unpaid the amount of experience that I got, and the fun that I had, really made up for it.

I found the additional modules during the second and final years as useful as the placement year; learning about subjects (for instance funding and marketing) and then having seen them in a practical situation made the process more rounded and easier to comprehend. I now feel incredibly lucky to have been given the opportunity to do this course and to have been directly involved in creating the arts on a professional level, and hope to do so more in the future."

Amy Higgs

"One of the main reasons why I chose to study music at Surrey, was because of the possibility of the work placement during the third year. I found the arts management modules both interesting and extremely relevant. My year with the London Symphony Orchestra's pioneering education department, LSO Discovery, confirmed my desire for a career in music management. Without this experience I feel it would have been considerably more daunting to apply for a job in this field. The year also provided me with practical and personal skills I would otherwise not have.

In my opinion, a music placement is an extremely unique and enjoyable experience, definitely worth considering!"

Steph Cooke

"I chose the University of Surrey because compared with other universities I had visited it seemed to have the best atmosphere and lots going on, which I think is particularly important for a music department. There was a real sense of community even just on my first visit during an Open Day. The content of the course seemed very rounded and balanced but also allowed options from as early as the second semester.

When I began my degree I had not yet decided that I would definitely do the 4 year course as it was just being set up and we hadn't heard much about it. When given the C course as an option I thought it was a good opportunity to make a music degree more appealing to prospective employers after graduation, which I believe it has done. Due to a year's work experience and with taught vocational modules such as marketing and budgetary skills, I have developed in areas which I would have otherwise had limited knowledge.

The placement itself was challenging but worthwhile. It also provided a much needed change from study after the second year and meant that I was refreshed and looking forward to returning to university life for the final year.

Overall I believe doing the 4-year C course has made me more employable and given me a wide range of experiences and skills which will be useful whether I choose to work within the arts or another area of business."

Victoria Arnold 

I enrolled at Surrey on the straight music course but so enjoyed the introductory arts administration modules that I switched to the professional training route, which offered a year in industry. I took a placement as LSO Discovery Assistant, working with the London Symphony Orchestra’s education team on outreach projects in local schools and communities. In the LSO’s busy Barbican Centre offices I learnt an enormous amount through interaction with colleagues, players, conductors and animateurs. It was an opportunity for considerable personal growth and through facilitating courses at London conservatoires and other venues I began to make contacts across the industry as well.

Returning for my final year I had a greater sense of perspective and the true value of the placement year became apparent just six months later when I managed to secure a job at LSO St Luke’s - the LSO’s new home on Old Street - despite having several assignments and a final recital to complete. I started part-time as Events and Office Assistant, taking on basic administrative and financial tasks. This role developed steadily and as others moved on I developed a greater understanding of the way the building worked both as an education centre and a leading London events venue.

Now on my fourth job title in as many years(!) I work as Sales and Events Manager, with a focus on corporate and private events such as conferences, receptions, dinners and parties. I help manage the diary and take clients from their initial enquiry to locking the building at the end of the night. Our programme is so varied there are always challenges to overcome but my background knowledge of the organisation undoubtedly equipped me with most of the tools needed to survive! We recently took another C-course graduate as our Administrative Assistant and it ' s a delight to see others benefit from the firm grounding that professional training provides.

Lucy Walker

Programme studying at Surrey: BMus (with sandwich year)
Level: Completed

I chose Surrey for both its campus and the course. The campus gives students the resources to study whenever needed but also provides students with the opportunity to relax, with either a coffee and a chat or a night out in the union.

The course offered the invaluable sandwich year option with management modules. It gave me the chance to experience working in the music industry and allowed me to learn about the industry - its structure, its policies and its current issues. This gave me a level of understanding which would greatly benefit my professional appeal with future employers.

What I loved about the department was the lecturers’ enthusiasm for their subjects. They were passionate and interested in the topics, which inspired the students to be too. The course offered such diversity in its wide range of modules from the traditional more analytical ones to the more mainstream topics of today’s industry, with modules such as Popular Song Analysis and African American Studies.

I did my professional training year in the London Symphony Orchestra’s Education Department ’Discovery’. Here I gained a wide range of vital skills from my own time management, to project management, where I completed many tasks including marketing, scheduling, setting up workshops and booking LSO players.

I have returned to work for the LSO in their education centre and music venue ‘LSO St Luke’s’. This job was offered to me due to their knowledge of my hard work from the professional training year in ‘Discovery’.

Anya Poroschina

Since I graduated from the University I have come to a conclusion that my placement year has been the most useful year of my degree. Even though at that time it seemed like the hardest year. During my placemenent with the OSJ (Orchestra of St Johns) I had an opportunity to learn how to adapt to a new working environment (which due to building works was not always the best or the easiest) and how to face and overcome challenges. I think the main thing that I learnt in my placement was how to solve problems without getting stressed, and this is really crucial. I found it much easier in my current job to find the solutions for difficult situations because I have already had this experience. Also, looking back I realise that I really enjoyed some of the tasks, like organising events, fundraising and working in the music industry.

Overall, it was a difficult year, because it was the first time in my life I had to face real challenges, real problems and solve them all by myself. The hardest part was to accept that placement year was not going to be easy as it is so completely different from life at University. When I accepted that, my work became much easier. I definitely do not regret taking a placement year and would recommend it to every student!

I am currently working as a consultant at ITEC (International Travel and Education Company, Moscow) advising Russian students on higher education abroad and arranging their enrollment into Universities all over the world

Anthony John

My placement was at the Royal School of Church Music, where I worked in the Development Department, and it was immensely valuable. It enabled me to explore the many career opportunities outside of performance where my musical interests, knowledge and skills could be relevant and utilised. The lectures allowed me to learn about many of the issues behind arts policy and practice and its administration, much of which has proved relevant and helpful to the practical and paper work I do now as a trainee creative leader. I have since gone on to postgraduate study, taking an MA in Ethnomusicology.

Lis Lomas

The course really opened my eyes to the music industry on a whole, when I wouldn't otherwise have had the opportunity prior to finishing my degree. Not only did my year in the industry at enable me to make the decision to work in the field of music publishing, but it gave me the metaphorical 'foot in the door' to start working as soon as I had completed my degree. Most importantly for me, it gave me inspiration for the completion and overall success of my degree, which will be a lifelong attribute, wherever my career is headed in the future.

I have been employed at Faber Music since graduating, and I am now Promotion Manager, working closely with Faber Music's house composers.

Emma Clarke

Despite initially obtaining a place at music college, I decided to study at the University of Surrey as the atmosphere on my first visit was so welcoming and I was very impressed with the staff and departmental facilities. I also felt that the ‘buzz’ of the University and the campus was how I always imagined university life to be!

An additional bonus was that the campus in Guildford is in close proximity to London, so this presented ample opportunities for work experience, developing contacts and experiencing the music culture of the capital. For the professional training year, the University has a range of established contacts in the music industry, so there are many different avenues to explore.

My professional training year was at Faber Music Publishers in central London, which is an independent British publisher of a range of musical styles. My role was as an Editorial Assistant, but I also worked in the promotion and media departments. As I was part of a professional team, I had to develop patience, sustain motivation and learn how to be confident in unfamiliar situations.

After graduating from the University, I had the opportunity to work in the USA at a Christian summer camp and also at a conference centre for 6 months. Following this, I spent 8 months back in the UK, working in two schools - my roles combined Community Arts Manager, Teaching Assistant and a Woodwind teacher. My BMus knowledge and skills directly qualified me for these three diverse roles and helped me work out what I wanted to do - I knew my passion and vocation was to be working with children. I gained so much experience in this portfolio lifestyle. I then took a position in South Korea teaching elementary and middle school students English as a Foreign Language, in a private English institute in Seoul. This was the next step for me to combine my skills with my passion to teach children, whilst gaining experience working and living in a foreign culture. In only 18 months after finishing at Surrey, my life has been exciting, varied, different and I'm following my dreams to make a difference in the world, using the skills and talents I’ve been given. I am a living example of how a music degree is flexible, useful, transferable and practical for life!