<p>I’m currently in the process of applying to schools. I am interested in popular music and in music composition. My list currently includes Belmont (accepted into general, songwriting decision pending), Miami (prescreen decision pending), Berklee, Syracuse, Northwestern, Vanderbilt (have yet to apply to those four), USC (not invited to audition, can still get in as B.A. undecided) and Berkeley (decision pending).</p>
<p>However, I’m somewhat intrigued by the idea of studying music in the UK. I think it would be a great experience, and I’m slightly concerned by where the financial instabilities in the US might be heading (California, home to big music cities, like SF and LA, is struggling). Where might be some good music schools to study popular music in the UK? I’m looking around and I’m intrigued by University of Salford, which is near Manchester and has a decent popular music program, but I’m welcome to any suggestions.</p>
<p>Well, LIPA, known as the Paul McCartney School, is definitely the most top notch school for popular music in the UK. Link here: [The</a> Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts](<a href=“http://www.lipa.ac.uk/]The”>http://www.lipa.ac.uk/). The BRIT School is also quite the place, and in London. LIPA is in Liverpool. These are the big two schools that have a big contemporary focus. The Royal Schools also have a quite fantastic reputation, but these are often more classically centered (I might be wrong, though - look it up!). However LIPA and the Brit School are both ridiculously hard to get into. But why not give it a shot? It’s all up to you. Look around, and look up the schools of famous contemporary artists from the UK. I, for example, learnt of LIPA because of my The Wombats obsession, and Amy Winehouse was a student at the BRIT School.
Best of luck!</p>
<p>The BRIT School is a high school, not a university, so I’m not sure it’s what you’re looking for! It is phenomenal though. </p>
<p>To apply for (non-conservatory) degree courses in the UK you will need to use a system called UCAS. Go to ucas.com - you can do a course search to find popular music courses and get information about how to apply. </p>
<p>If you want a conservatory, you need to use a system called CUKAS (cukas.ac.uk). The conservatories tend to focus on opera and jazz performance rather than popular music though.</p>
<p>Just so you’re aware - there is very little financial aid available for international students at UK universities. You may have to audition for performance degrees, so you’ll need to factor in travel costs as well.</p>
<p>Thanks for the input. BRIT sounds fantastic if only it were a college! I’ve already looked at UCAS and I’ve emailed Salford, Oxford Brookes, and Canterbury Christ Church (I’ll hear back after the holidays) about entry requirements. I’ll definitely look at LIPA as well.</p>
<p>My impression is financial aid is hard to get for international students but the tuition isn’t nearly as high. Cost of living will be interesting, especially depending on how much I visit back home.</p>
<p>Yes, cost of living is definitely something to bear in mind. Basically, the closer you are to London the higher the cost of living; cost of living within London itself is also substantially higher than elsewhere. Of the places you’ve mentioned, I would expect Salford to have the lowest cost of living. </p>
<p>It’s great that you’re looking outside London. The big Midland and northern cities (like Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle, Leicester etc) have very vibrant and diverse music scenes and are far, far cheaper to live in than London. </p>
<p>Canterbury Christ Church is a beautiful university - but the city of Canterbury is tiny so performance opportunities may be limited unless you’re willing to travel into London (about an hour away). </p>
<p>Here are a few others you may also want to look at:</p>
<p>Leeds College of Music
Goldsmiths (part of the University of London)
University of Liverpool
Manchester Metropolitan University
Newcastle University</p>
<p>ETA: Also, just like in the US you need to consider whether you want a BM (called a BMus in the UK) or a BA. Of the ones I listed, I believe Goldsmiths offers a BMus degree.</p>
<p>In terms of the cost of living, I live in Manchester (Salford is a part of Greater Manchester) and I live quite happily, if frugally, on about £8000. I live in a shared house, cycle everywhere and don’t eat meat, but I have an active social life, I participate in a relatively expensive sport and last year I went on a trip to France too. </p>
<p>The cost of living is, however, higher in the south, much higher in London, and astronomical in central London. </p>
<p>You might find that busking is a good way of earning extra money - you can get a busking licence from the local council, and one violin playing friend reports that it is very profitable, certainly when compared to a part time job!</p>