“How much are you willing to give up?” Investigating how socio-economic background influences undergraduate music students’ experiences and career aspirations within UK conservatoires

Devaney, K. (2024) “How much are you willing to give up?” Investigating how socio-economic background influences undergraduate music students’ experiences and career aspirations within UK conservatoires. Project Report. Society for Research into Higher Education.

Abstract

Although discussions concerning representation within the classical music industry are gaining public attention, it is unclear if and how this is prompting change within teaching and learning inside UK music conservatoires. This scoping study addresses a significant gap in the literature by illuminating current undergraduate students’ experiences of studying at two UK music conservatoires, centring on if and how socioeconomic background influences their experiences of studying and their future career aspirations. Data were collected from undergraduate music students (n=54) through an online survey, followed by nine semi-structured interviews. Although the original intention of the study was to collect data from working class music students, the sample changed to students from middle-class backgrounds from state-school backgrounds, or those who had faced financial barriers to accessing music education prior to starting their undergraduate degree. Three key themes are addressed through the report. The first theme highlights how many of the participants who took part in the study felt they needed to catch-up to their peers from more affluent backgrounds and who had received additional musical training prior to starting their undergraduate degree. The second theme explores concerns raised by participants in the teaching and learning cultures of UK Conservatoires. The third and final theme explains how undergraduate students’ career aspirations were impacted both positively and negatively by their experiences of conservatoire life, and how economic background played a role when considering entering the professional classical music industry. The report concludes with how the findings contribute to the wider field of research and recommendations for conservatoire leaders and music education stake-holders. ***** This report is available open access at the Official URL given below. *****

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