Bath Spa University

BA (Hons) Music

Monday 16 August 2010

Competition is High

Starting out a career in music is never easy.

I, like many, have had many barriers to overcome, yet I am still an amateur at 25 and still learning more, practising and attempting to improve my playing in an effort to move into a professional career.  I studied music at Bath Spa University and loved my time there.  Although I have felt since leaving that I was taught how to play music and not necessarily how to play the flute!

Learning music is easy.  Learning to read music is easy.  The more you practice, the easier the notes are to read.  It is similar to learning a new language.  You can learn the words but the difficulty comes when you have to put everything together.  You know how to read the music, but now you need to learn how to play your instrument.  You have to learn how to play in tune, improve your sound and improve your technique.

The competition in this industry is so high.  You have to be the best!  Practice, practice, practice!

Since leaving Uni, I have struggled to keep up my regular practice as I needed to find a job and have been in and out of office jobs since.  I am now realising exactly how much I want a career in music and am trying very hard to make this a reality and not a dream.  I am hoping to go to a University (thinking either back to Bath, or to Cardiff Uni as they have a very good music department and is much closer to home) to study for a Masters in Performance.  This way I can work on my performance and technique while getting experience of playing regular concerts, research more about music and performance and learn as much as I can about the career I wish to pursue.  Maybe then I will even go on to do a PhD... We'll see!

I hope this has given you an idea about me and what I am all about.  Through my blog, I am going to give you an insight into my musical world...