Studying music is a privilege

After I finish next June I obviously won’t be a student and that means I won’t be musically guided by anyone anymore (unless I go to some violin course in the future, which I might well do). This makes me realize even more than last year the importance of spending an efficient and productive time at the Academy. As postgraduate students, we have greater freedom in our studies and we are expected to manage our own timetables as we like and tailor them to our own individual needs. We have lots of not compulsory classes i.e. performance classes, orchestra excerpts classes, workshops etc. although we are strongly encouraged to attend. I take an advantage of it and do my best to go to as many of them as possible, because it is a great source of learning for me and it helps me to work more independently and at the same time it encourages a necessary skill in myself of becoming a “teacher of myself”. All the knowledge and experience I get at the Academy I will then use in my musical career later on. London is a very competitive place to be, so it is necessary to learn to rely on yourself, because you might find yourself in a situation where you have to help yourself. This applies to every situation in your daily life. It is not at all easy sometimes.

I have been also very alarmed by the result of British referendum in June, which resulted in leaving Europe and thus in my opinion narrowing the already tight path of coming to London to study music in future. I am afraid it might become very hard for us musicians. The tuition fees might be even more expensive. This fact makes me appreciate my last year of studies at the Academy even more. It has been a great privilege for me to come to study here!

This term has been unsurprisingly very busy for me. I have been working as a teaching assistant on a Saturday course for little children aged 4-7 in my school. The programme itself is very engaging. The huge advantage is that I can learn from more experienced teachers and discuss anything with them. With the youngest group of children we sing a lot of catchy songs and teach them through Solfa method. The more advanced pupils play stringed instruments in an orchestra or in smaller groups and thus can put their musicianship into the practice. It seems to work very well. The children love playing and having fun together and I am enjoying it very much too.

As a part of my studies, we are going to a different music school with my classmates to teach some music to pupils who have never studied it before. That is going to be also a very good experience.

Apart of lots of teaching and studying, I am preparing for a Duo Competition taking place in the end of this term alongside with my pianist. It is always very stimulating and motivating to set a target to work towards to. Some concert experience includes an orchestra project at the Academy with a world-class British conductor, Sir Mark Elder which I am very excited about and playing a recital at Butterworth Centre for people suffering from dementia. In these sort of places you can feel and realize how much difference, a big impact music can have on a lives of people. Music is definitely something of worth doing. How lucky I am…