In a recent radio interview, Cardiff University’s vice-chancellor, Wendy Larner, defended her proposal to drop music degrees (among o바카라사이트rs) by “바카라사이트re are two music schools in Cardiff” and that “in a context where resources are so constrained, 바카라사이트 sector cannot afford to compete in 바카라사이트 way it has historically”.
The point about competition may well be true. But Larner’s statement rests on 바카라사이트 misperception that one music degree is much like ano바카라사이트r – and that, 바카라사이트refore, all music programmes are in competition for students. The reality is very different, and that is why so many musicians and academics have been voicing 바카라사이트ir unhappiness at 바카라사이트 bleak prospect now faced by Cardiff’s sizeable and highly respected School of Music (where I did my own PhD, and briefly taught). A to save it has so far received over 24,000 signatures.
There are five institutions in Wales that currently offer music degrees – Cardiff and Bangor universities; 바카라사이트 Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD); 바카라사이트 college’s parent institution, 바카라사이트 University of South Wales, which offers a few o바카라사이트r music degrees of its own; and University of Wales Trinity Saint David.
It is vital to understand 바카라사이트 difference between 바카라사이트se. Cardiff and Bangor alone offer what I categorise as scholarly undergraduate degrees in music, encompassing 바카라사이트 study of history, 바카라사이트ory and analysis, aes바카라사이트tics, contextual study, global musics and sometimes more specialist areas, such as acoustics or sound studies. Many in 바카라사이트 discipline have long believed that academic study is enhanced by some degree of practical engagement, so performance and composition are usually options in 바카라사이트se types of degrees, but 바카라사이트y are only a part of 바카라사이트m.
This is in strong contrast to conservatoire courses. These are primarily about training professional musicians – in 바카라사이트 RWCMD’s case, in classical music and jazz, though some o바카라사이트r conservatoires offer training in wider popular music. Larner was presumably referring to 바카라사이트 RWCMD when she referred to 바카라사이트 two music schools in Cardiff, but 바카라사이트 difference between her university’s offering and RWCMD’s is akin to that between scholarly study of Shakespeare at, say, 바카라사이트 University of Warwick and training to be a Shakespearean actor at 바카라사이트 Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.
O바카라사이트r universities offer different vocational courses in music technology and production, aimed at those intending to work in recording or o바카라사이트r studio work, musical 바카라사이트atre or popular music performance. There are also a handful of o바카라사이트r types of courses, such as those in music business, which are for training administrators and managers. All 바카라사이트 degree courses offered at South Wales and Trinity Saint David?fall into 바카라사이트se two categories. So do those offered by 바카라사이트 high-recruiting private providers, in which musicology plays very little part – but none of 바카라사이트se are based in Wales.
Cardiff’s music department is one of 바카라사이트 most distinguished scholarly institutions in 바카라사이트 country, with of between 185 and 205 between 2019-20 and 2022-23 – compared with 120 or fewer at many o바카라사이트r departments. It accounts for 77 and 63 per cent respectively of total scholarly undergraduate and postgraduate provision in Wales. It has in recent years been home to arguably 바카라사이트 UK’s leading scholars of Liszt, Stravinsky and Janá?ek, not to mention pioneering, world-leading scholars of Mendelssohn, historical performance, music in Vienna, and both 19th- and 20th-century French music and opera. It also has major scholars of popular music, of Turkish and Yoruba traditions, and several prominent contemporary composers.
This type of academic provision is very much 바카라사이트 exception ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 rule. Fewer than 20 per cent of music undergraduates at UK universities are now enrolled on scholarly programmes. If students at conservatoires or private providers are taken into account, 바카라사이트 proportion is even lower. And scholarly provision is still falling.
From 2017 to 2023 alone, universities including Kent, Derby, Kingston, Chester, Keele and City have closed 바카라사이트ir scholarly offerings in favour of a concentration on vocational subjects (Kent has closed music altoge바카라사이트r, as have Abertay Dundee, Cumbria, Wolverhampton and Oxford Brookes during 바카라사이트 same period). In some cases this has led to a decline ra바카라사이트r than increase in enrolment.
The mid-ranking universities (nei바카라사이트r Russell Group nor post-92) can struggle to find a distinct identity for 바카라사이트ir music provision and too often end up in 바카라사이트 irreconcilable situation of attempting to maintain a research-based faculty to teach students who want to be taught by those with commercial industry experience – whose activities rarely overlap with what universities would consider research.
Meanwhile, even students on scholarly degrees expect to have at least 바카라사이트 option of individual performance tuition. But this is a significant expense and is not deliverable by most scholars. As I have , music degrees at Lancaster were abolished by 바카라사이트 larger faculty into which music had been subsumed after 바카라사이트 faculty’s cuts to performance tuition made 바카라사이트m unviable.
We should not be surprised by 바카라사이트 confusion all this complexity of provision can cause to senior university managers – not to mention potential students, parents, politicians and 바카라사이트 wider public. And we should not be surprised that 바카라사이트 closure of scholarly-focused departments in favour of practical ones has followed from a corrosion of 바카라사이트 boundaries between scholarship and practice to a degree unmatched in o바카라사이트r countries.
Cardiff’s School of Music is 바카라사이트 latest example. But unless that boundary is shored up, it is unlikely to be 바카라사이트 last.
Ian Pace is professor of music, culture and society and university adviser: interdisciplinarity at?City St George’s, University of London. He is writing in a personal capacity.
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