Hi guys,
So, now halfway into the new spring term, (meaning I now have a bunch of new deadlines to meet), I figured it'd be a good idea to look back at the autumn term in my first year at college. There were a lot of new classes, tasks to be done, coursework and exams. That said, there were a lot of fun times, exciting opportunities, and many memories already made.
Right, where to begin...
The Course
My course in general is a lot to cover, so I'll probably do a post on what my actual course is and what I do, but for now, I'm just going to cover what it entailed in the Autumn term. Everything is pretty evenly spread in the first term here, with an emphasis based equally on academics and practicals. My lessons consisted of:
Music, Culture and Performance
Artist Development
Performance and Repertoire classes
Symphony Chorus
Physical Awareness
Stagecraft
International Phonetic Alphabet
Italian Language
Singing lessons
This is essentially what my first year covers. In the first term, there is a large focus on getting an equal overview of everything whilst you're settling in, but classes, and their frequency, changes as the year progresses. Nevertheless, a lot of stuff gets covered straight away, making my days sometimes rather jam-packed - check out A Week at the RNCM.
The Work
Yeah, the work...it isn't easy. One of the main reasons behind this is purely because of the type of course I'm doing. Yes, like any other degree course, there are essays to write, coursework to submit and exams to sit, but here, that is also coupled with all of the practical elements - performing, learning new repertoire, concerts and more. You have to become pretty organised, pretty fast, because we have new schedules each week, plus juggling the different work. Not long after we had settled in, deadlines were already fast approaching. There was a historical essay, a high definition recording to submit, theory/musicianship coursework and exams, all before we finished for Christmas! These essays and coursework submission all add to your final academic essays, so there was no practice, you just have to do it! These things also don't come with many reminders, you have to become pretty vigilant, and find out all the information for yourself, there isn't anyone to coach you through it!
As well as all the submission of coursework, you have to make sure you're prepared for your classes, as you really don't get the most out of them unless you do (which normally involves a ton of reading)!
I mentioned about how learning songs is also a big addition to the workload. I have to put a lot more effort and thought into the research and language of the song than ever before! Yes, I would and still do sit down with my teacher, go through the language, and meaning of what I was singing, but now, it's the same just a bit more intense! For each new song I learn, I have to record it in my Singing Book. This song will have to have the translation and IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) written alongside the lyrics, as well as what the song is about, and a brief history of the composer. This is a lot of research and writing, but it helps in the long run, as we have to introduce, and give a brief history, on what we're singing whenever we have to perform!
The Opportunities
Being at this conservatoire gives you so many incredible opportunities, from day to day classes, projects, and concerts. We are encouraged to make the most of our performance and repertoire classes, and should try to perform in them as much as we can for experience, and valuable feedback. I even remember my singing teacher back home, telling me about these classes, and how I should never sit back, because you'll regret it if you don't make the most of them. She was definitely right! In all honesty, it's a daunting class, having to perform in front of your peers, and then be taught in front of them too, but it really helps with your performance and confidence - even if it does take some getting used to (for me it certainly did)!
The RNCM is already known for it's amazing productions and concerts, so getting to be involved in these was always something to look forward too! But, I didn't expect for us to be putting on a opera/orchestra concert in the first week, doing Carmen in 40 minutes! We had about one full week of rehearsals, and before we knew it, we were on stage. It was an amazing concert, involving the entire first year, and a few postgrads and all in all, a lot of fun to do!
I mentioned how we are always given incredible opportunities, and I'm not lying! We are bombarded with emails of different exciting events. One exciting project I worked on last term was, the Children's Opera Project. This is were some of the college students team up with a composer, and some local primary schools, to put on a children's opera. This opens up a completely new experience for these kids, and allows them to perform on stage, alongside us, ending with a big performance for their family and friends.
So, that was my first Autumn Term at the RNCM, and lets just say, this term only gets tougher! But still, I'm definitely in the right place, I'll tell you about my Spring Term soon!
xo
Miriam
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