Whether you see yourself as the next John Coltrane or Chet baker, there are plenty of places where you can advance your music career across the island of Ireland.

Let’s not forget that the majority of us that consider taking up an instrument of any description often have visions of ourselves jamming out to our favourite songs without first considering the dedication that is attached to achieving this level of fluidity.

Many of us simply enjoy music as a pastime or it might even have been it to have been their favourite subject at leaving certificate level. Even if you aren’t actively thinking about mastering an instrument there are many reasons why you might want to consider studying a music course at college.

Given the amount of freedom that you would have experienced with your music if you studied the subject at leaving cert level. You will be given even more freedom in what area of music you choose to pursue at college.

Being able to specialise in a specific area that you are interested in means that you will no longer have to put up with studying areas that you might not be as strong in or perhaps even worse have little interest in.

There are plenty of music courses that are thought by some of the country’s leading Jazz, classical or even rock musicians.

Your grade in other subjects such as maths won’t matter when it comes to leaving certificate music. This is a blank slate where all music students have an equal chance of achieving a high grade or points in their exam, regardless of their ability in other subjects.

In order to achieve this kind of grade in music, students will need to spend just a few hours a week on their study and practice for the leaving cert music exam.

In this article, I will take a look at some of the options that are out there for music students in Ireland. Hopefully, this makes the decision-making process a bit easier for you so that you can begin progressing in a direction that aligns with your aspirations in music.

Get the grade that you deserve in leaving cert music with the help of a few tips!

What are the benefits of studying music theory?
making music into a career is a dream that many students share. source: unsplash
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Looking at options for music students

Why not take a look at some of the jazz courses that are offered within one of Dublin’s leading and youngest universities.

The Centre for Jazz Performance Studies was founded in DCU in 2017, and is a centre of excellence in the research, study, and performance of jazz. The Centre’s teaching staff is comprised of some of the most renowned jazz performers in Ireland, dedicated to the study and dissemination of information around jazz performance practice.

Jazz is music without borders, that celebrates inclusion and community through its central activity of improvisation, and has always valued innovation both in performance and in learning. The Centre’s activities reflect this ethos through its activities in the fields of jazz research, performance and pedagogy.

The Centre trains high-level performers through the BA in Jazz and Contemporary Music Performance, and both celebrate the traditions of jazz and, through research, is actively involved in innovation in both the performance and pedagogy fields.

The BA in Jazz and Contemporary Music Performance at DCU is a four-year, full-time Honours degree which trains you for a life as a professional performing musician. To take to the stage as a performer demands intensive training as well as talent.

This music course can help you on your way to a career as a professional musician. You will also understand the context of the international music scene today, how the music business works and how you can make your mark in it.

Dublin City University is also home to the Helix, which is a well-renowned concert venue. If you decide to pursue your education in music at the university you will certainly have a great platform to showcase your hard work.

If you are serious about progressing at a particular instrument then Dublin City University should be right up there at the top of your list.

Read up on how learning an instrument can help your performance in the leaving cert music practical exam.

studying with friends
You could also prepare for your Leaving Cert Music Exam with friends - Photo by May Gauthier on Unsplash

The British and Irish Modern Music Institute (BIMM)

Another great option that is out there for music students is Dublin’s BIMM. The college offers an array of different music-related courses for students to delve into at a variety of different levels.

The BIMM Institute is a collection of eight autonomous institutions with more than 7,000 students in Brighton, Bristol, Dublin, Birmingham, Manchester, Berlin, Hamburg, and London that focuses on providing creative education.

Given the rapid advancements in technology over the past decade, there has been an accelerated shift towards a digitalised medium of music consumption.

The necessity for music professionals that are capable of mixing and mastering a song so that the levels and audio balance are correct prior to commercial release is ever-growing.

Given the increased accessibility that has come with popular music streaming platforms such as Apple Music and Spotify you no longer need to book an expansive studio in order to create music. Nowadays artists can create music from just about anywhere in the world with nothing more than their personal computer.

With this has come a growing demand for professionals who can round off their creations to give them that professional feel.

Regardless of whether you are into music production, DJing, sound engineering or commercial songwriting, BIMM offers students from just about any discipline in music a place to progress in their respective competencies.

BIMM would particularly appeal to students who have a specific interest or desire to pursue a career in sound engineering or music production more broadly after graduating from their course.

By choosing to study at BIMM you would be opening yourself up to a world of possibilities both in Ireland and elsewhere. The music college is globally renowned for the music graduates that it produces. You might also draw some inspiration from some of your peers on the course.

You would be surprised what might come of having a group of talented musicians in the same space during their time at the college. Who knows you might just find the members of your next band or make connections that you will rely on throughout your professional music career!

If you are considering taking music lessons and learning a new instrument with your music teacher or online, then you need to know how your lessons will look. There are so many musicians and music teachers that teach students how to play an instrument, though you will learn that they all have their own style of teaching.

How one music teacher might work or structure their lessons might look a lot different to another. This is why you need to have a familiarity with what level you are at with the instrument and how the music lesson will be conducted.

Take a look at this article that details taking up a new instrument as a hobby in Ireland!

music recording
Music technology is also popular in universities. source: pixabay 

Get help with Music from a Superprof Tutor

There are copious reasons why you might want to consider getting help studying music in Ireland. Having an experienced music teacher alongside you will help you in your college exams.

A music tutor will be able to guide you through your routine or college exam preparations which can be a huge advantage. Let’s not forget that tutors in this area will often have worked with countless musicians of abilities in the past and will be tuned in to what exactly it is that you need to work on in order to take the next step with your learning.

A tutor can have a big impact on your progression, not only can they coach you through the grades but they will also be able to tailor your lessons to target areas of weakness that you might have with your instrument.

Whether you are really struggling to throw yourself in front of a crowd or just need a helping hand in keeping up with the pace of your band, there is no reason to be shy! Follow the footsteps of many greats by getting help from a music tutor or mentor.

Improving your ability at any instrument takes some time, you’ll need to dedicate sufficient time to practising and be able to sustain these preparations over the course of a few years.

Provided you’re not a musical prodigy and have been able to play your instrument from birth, It will benefit you greatly to consider taking classes sooner rather than later.

By opting to learn and revise music either theoretically or through an instrument with a tutor from Superprof not only will you improve at your playing your respective instrument, but you will develop an enhanced understanding of the process which underpins music production.

Take a look at this article on how music lessons are typically structured across the different levels here!

Your tutor will also be able to offer some assistance on what course is suited to your own specific ambitions within music. Why not try out a music tutor today and consult them about what course you should study at college?

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Samuel

I enjoy reading fiction, playing chess, live music and traveling.