Are you looking to apply to one of the top music schools in Manchester?
You are already at the right place, as this article lists the 5 top music schools in Manchester.
These top music schools in Manchester will expose you to various musical genres, and also give you the relevant, theoretical, and practical courses that you need to excel in this career path.
Not only are you guaranteed a musical degree certificate in the top music schools in Manchester, but you will also be trained to channel your musical creativity, you get to meet other aspiring musicians and learn teamwork most importantly communication and every other thing necessary to make you one of the finest musicians.
What is Music?
A simple definition of music is said to be a combination of coordinated sounds or sounds to make melody, rhythm, and harmony.
Music is seen to be a beautiful work of art because it entails literally every mood and emotion we feel as humans.
Music has always been part of our curriculum from our elementary days in school and is now a career you can pursue in any of the top music schools in Manchester and get a degree.
Today, because music is a widely pursued profession, Top universities are now seeing to it that it’s incorporated into their curriculum.
Is A Music Degree Worth Pursuing?
A music degree is not a necessity to do well in a music career but for an aspiring musician, it is important not just but worth it. It is even worth pursuing in one of the top music schools in Manchester.
In as much as so many musicians today don’t have a degree in music, formal education in music is beneficial in our present day.
Getting a degree or a formal education in music combined with skills will give you an upper hand when searching for employment in the music industry.
How Many Years To Get A Music Degree?
An average of 3-4 years will get you a bachelor’s degree in music. Unlike other university programs, the curriculum for an undergraduate degree in music requires a lot of dissertation which helps students develop a range of meaningful and interdisciplinary skills that prepares them for employment opportunities like a music director, professor/lecturer, and sound technicians.
Outside your schoolwork, you need to put in extra effort because you will be required to attend extra classes, studio lessons, extra rehearsals, and concerts.
Music Education Schooling Specialization
- Piano classes
- Music technology
- Music Production
- Classes on families of instruments
- Music Theory
- Music History
- Sight-singing and ear training
- Lessons for instrument/voice
- Ensemble (band, orchestra, choir, jazz band)
- Pedagogy classes
- Conducting classes
- Recitals
- Student Teaching
- More depending on the program
The music curriculum mostly revolves around music history, theory, and performance. Most of the top music schools in Manchester allow prospective students with specific career goals to pursue an undergraduate degree in music.
Not every music school has a specialized curriculum and concentrations, thereby making some institutions more favorable than others if you would like to major in music education, audio production, or composition. You would like to examine, compare and choose wisely.
They further offer students the opportunity to advance their career in music education after getting an undergraduate degree where you can choose to specialize in musicology, ethnomusicology, arranging, etc.
If you would like to pursue a college or university professor as a profession then it’s advisable to have a Ph.D. or Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree.
The Degree Awarded
Though, there are several degrees awarded upon completion of a music program at a college or university the most known degree awarded is the Bachelor of Music (BM). In this article, we are going to discuss briefly the several degrees awarded in music programs.
Knowing different music degrees, and how and who can benefit from them will help you decide on which academic program and degree you actually want to pursue.
Music Degrees You Can Pursue
Here is a brief summary of music degrees to consider while pursuing entering the music industry:
1. Associate of Arts (AA):
An AA degree in music is more seen to be a beginner/Introductory music degree for an undergraduate which takes about two to three years to complete.
It is suitable for those searching for entry-level positions familiar with the music, such as music director or disc jockey.
2. Bachelor of Arts (BA):
A BA degree is a general & liberal art degree that takes four years to complete. It offers a wide range of studies with more focus on music courses alongside classes outside of the music field.
This music program is ideal for students interested in varieties of studies that teach them a wide range of skills.
3. Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA):
A BFA is a degree that offers specific musical classes, more intensive art courses, and fewer liberal art classes.
It takes a total of four years for completion and is suitable for students who would like to focus more on music education.
4. Bachelor of Music (BM):
A BM is a four-year undergraduate program that offers students the opportunity to master musical skills and performance.
This degree prepares students for musical careers with practical components ranging in a variety of musical careers, including a music therapist and performing artist.
5. Bachelor of Music Education (BME):
A BME degree is a four-year program ideal for students interested in becoming music teachers.
Their curriculum involves music theory, music history, music education courses, and aural skills. Part of their learning process is to observe teachers in a classroom setting.
Thus, this is a good choice for someone looking to become a kindergarten, high school, or college teacher and also a vocal music teacher.
6. Bachelor of Science (BS):
This degree conjoins both science and certain music concentrations for a specific application such as music production.
Students involved in a career focusing on sound production, recording or sound design will earn a BS degree.
7. Artist Degree (AD):
An artist degree is a program solely focused on music. The degree is usually earned after completing a bachelor’s or master’s program.
It takes a duration of one to two years to complete, making it the shortest music degree option. It is suitable for those looking forward to advancing their musical career.
8. Master of Arts (MA):
An MA is earned after completing an undergraduate study in music. It is the graduate level of a BA degree. This program entails general music lessons and specific topics like ear training.
9. Master of Music (MM):
An MM degree is a professional degree that focuses more on performance. MM concentrations may include:
- Composition
- Conducting
- Musicology
- Music Theory
- Performance
MM is appropriate for those pursuing a career in professional music or as the case may be.
10. Master of Science (MS):
An MS degree is a second degree for a BS. It broadens students’ knowledge of applied music. This program focuses more to enhance problem-solving skills during creative work and tasks.
The MS program in music is suitable for students who want to advance their knowledge in audio engineering and other related fields.
11. Doctorate of Music (Ph.D.):
A doctorate degree in music, or a Doctor in Music, is a higher level of musical education. This program focuses on advancing knowledge beyond general music.
Students who earn this degree portray certain significant love and dedication to music. With a doctorate in music, you can work as a professor or occupy a leadership position such as an art director.
12. Doctorate of Musical Arts (DMA):
This program focuses more on music composition, theory, and performance.
It presents in-depth knowledge of music compositions and related courses.
Pursuing the DMA program means you have an interest in being a music professor or you want to pursue other highly advanced music careers.
General Entry Requirements For Music Degree
According to the school of your choice, there are different general entry requirements. For Top Music Schools in Manchester, the requirements are stated below;
- Typical International Baccalaureate requirements: 30 points
- Typical A-level requirements: GCSE/IGCSE English Language grade C/4 or ABB including music. Because of how creative music is, often times students are selected based on talent and merit.
- Typical IELTS requirements: IELTS 7.0 overall with no less than 6.5 in any one component.
- An acceptable equivalent qualification.
Careers in Music
Although teaching and performance are the most popular career paths in music, there are many career paths that are available for you to follow when you study music, they are perhaps too numerous to mention.
Below are some of the career options available to those who study music.
1. Artist Management
2. Audio production and editing
3. Band director
4. Choral director
5. Conductor
6. Transcriber
7. Film Scoring
8. Instrument builder
9. Lyricist
10. Marketing
11. Music consultant
12. Music licensing and clearance
13. Music Production
14. Musicologist
15. Orchestrator
16. Performer
17. Piano tuner
18. Promoter
19. Songwriter
20. Sound engineer.
The List of Top Music Schools In Manchester
- University Of Manchester
- Chetham' S School of Music
- Anthem Music School
- Maunders School of Popular Music
University Of Manchester
This is one of the best places to study music in Manchester, so it is no surprise it comes at number 1 in our list of top music schools in Manchester.
This university which was founded in 2004, ranks number 35 in the world and 9th in Europe according to the Academic Ranking of world universities.
It offers a wide range of courses in the music department, great facilities, and excellent tutors which will aid you as you study music in this institution.
Areas you should expect to develop in while attending this institution include; Musicology, performance, and composition.
Other perks of studying music at the University of Manchester include; taking master classes and performing at the Cosmo Rod Ewald Concert hall, being exposed to music production and management opportunities available in the department and also provided by the choral programmer and Music Society, and experiencing over 100 concerts and events each year.
Requirements:
1. Students applying for performance units ought to have the equivalent of the ABRSM degree (grade 8) on the instrument they play or their voice.
2. You need AAA including music for a joint course with RNCM.
3. You need AAB including music.
4. If you are not interested in A-Level music, you need your ABRSM grade 7 theory and your AAB
5. Students must be sound in English Language and Mathematics and have the equivalent of at least Grade C or 4 in GCSE/IGCSE
How To Apply:
How Your Application Is Considered
The school hopes to see your reason for choosing to study music at the university and also be aware of what skills and experience you have to help you achieve that.
Tuition:
Entry fees for 2023 have not yet been determined. Tuition fees for home students were £9,250 per year for entry in 2022, and are expected to rise slightly for 2023 entry.
Chetham' S School of Music
At number 2 position in our list of top music schools in Manchester is Chetham' s school of music. This school comes highly recommended as it boasts of some of the best tutors and facilities for teaching those pursuing a music degree.
Regardless of age or case of disability, Chetham' s school of music has a reputation for maintaining a high standard and providing the best education in music to people from all walks of life in its institution.
Aside from the properly built rehearsal rooms, it also possesses some of the best performance spaces and provides acoustically designed practice rooms for students willing to apply.
Requirements For Admission:
1 An application form signed by the current head teacher. Also, include references and school reports from your current school.
2. Copies of relevant exam certificates e.g. ABRSM
3. Instrumental tutor' s reference which reflects the applicant’s attitude to learning and ability to learn.
4. YouTube links to videos of you playing pieces using your principal instrument and any other instrument.
For composers, the YouTube link should be for written examples of your work.
6. 90£ application fee to a bank account which will be made known to you upon acknowledgment of your application by the institution.
How To Apply:
Applications are sent to this mail aliceherbert@chethams.com
Tuition
- Day Student Fee: £ 25,821 per year; £ 8,607 per term
- Boarding Student Fee: £ 33,324 per year; £ 11,108 per term
Anthem Music School
Ranking at number 3 on our list of top music schools in Manchester, UK, is Anthem music school.
This institution provides music lessons and courses for students of all ages. They have a team of highly trained professionals in the various musical fields, including composition, performance,
etc., who are willing to take their time to ensure you understand the theory and practice of music and also become outstanding.
If you want good music lessons and you live around Greater Manchester, this is the one for you.
Many have testified of the difference and how calm and patient the tutors are. The population of the classes is set to no more than 5 to ensure maximum dissemination and assimilation by teachers and students respectively.
Apply here
- Tuition: 49£ per month for a 30 minutes weekly class
Maunders School of Popular Music
In 2008, renowned musician Neil Maunder founded this institution. Since then, this school has gone on to make a name for itself as one of the best schools to study music.
A few things that make this school peculiar include its top-notch facilities, affordable tuition, lessons for all ages, and also provision of online or face-to-face classes.
How To Apply:
To schedule a lesson, please call Neil at 07716755544 or fill out the online form.
- £15.00 for 30 minutes
- 5 x 30 minute sessions – £70.00
- 10 x 30 minute sessions – £130.00
- 60 minute – £25.00
- 5 minute – £110.00
- 10 minute – £210.00
- Workshops – £15.00
Are scholarships available to applicants?
For schools like the University of Manchester, there are financial support packages. You would have to visit the official website of the school you are applying to, to find out what package is best for you.
Do I need to submit a sample of my work during the application?
For most schools that award a degree, you may need to submit one or two samples of your work alongside as a performer or composer.
What courses in high school should I take to prepare?
We strongly advise that you take advantage of any music-related studies that are available to you, even though some schools do not require you to take specific High School courses in order to be admitted.
The following courses would be highly relevant: Ensemble, Choir, Band, Chorus, Computer Skills, Keyboard Skills, Ear Training, Music Reading, Music Industry Studies, and Appreciation of Music.
Can I get a degree in a Music School?
Yes. Musicians Institute provides a wide range of degrees as stated in this article.