The launch of our Eastside Jazz Club has helped consolidate the integral role that Royal Birmingham Conservatoire has to play in a major UK city that enjoys a thriving jazz scene. While Birmingham’s jazz scene has been established over many years, our bespoke venue promises an exciting future for Jazz in the city.
Our Jazz Department is based around the Club, where student musicians share a platform and get invaluable side-by-side performance experience with the best on the scene, whom we welcome to our stage on a regular basis.
This course meets with the needs of the modern jazz performer – it places emphasis on practical work, with the majority of time dedicated to one-to-one lessons, small group coaching and private practice. You'll study modules that have been specifically and skilfully designed for jazz musicians, and as part of your learning we encourage you to explore in depth the relationship between improvisation and composition, which is central to developing your individual voice. You will graduate as a versatile, professional musician who is knowledgeable about the entrepreneurial opportunities available to you, and aware of the commercial realities for musicians joining today’s UK jazz scene as a portfolio musician.
Delivered by performers, band leaders and composers who enhance their teaching with professional experience, insights and connections, the course hones both your performance and professional awareness.
With individual specialist tuition throughout all four years of the course you will get the individual attention you need to prepare for a successful career in the music profession.
As well as having our own club that has taken its place on Birmingham’s vibrant jazz scene, our students enjoy professional experience opportunities with external gigs that familiarise them with the industry – for example through our partnership with Cheltenham Jazz Festival – one of many ways we prepare you for the future.
During the application and audition process, you must select which instrument(s) you wish to specialise in for the duration of your course. On this course, you can choose from the following options:
Only one specialism is studied. It may be possible to study a further instrument, but this will not contribute towards the qualification.
You may audition for two specialisms, with the intention of studying one instrument as a single specialism. Your audition will determine which instrument is taken as a main specialism.
For all courses, you must select at least one specialism from the 'primary' list. For those studying primary/secondary pathways, two instruments may be selected – one from the 'primary' list and one from the 'secondary' list. Joint pathway students may select any two instruments from either list.
The following entry points are available for this course:
Welsh Baccalaureate: 32 UCAS tariff points. Considered with three A Levels or equivalent level 3 qualifications.
OCR Cambridge Technical qualifications: 32 UCAS tariff points.
NCFE CACHE Level 3 qualifications: 32 UCAS tariff points.
WJEC Level 3 qualifications: 32 UCAS tariff points. Considered with two A Levels or equivalent level 3 qualification(s).
UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma: Pass overall
Foundation Studies (Art and Design, and Art, Design and Media): Pass overall
| Location | Fee | Year |
|---|---|---|
| EU | £28460 | Year 1 |
| England | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Wales | £9535 | Year 1 |
| International | £28460 | Year 1 |
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.
The Government is proposing to increase the cap on full-time regulated tuition fees to £9,535 from 2025/26 onwards and the University is planning on increasing fees to that maximum level once legislation is enacted. Part-time fees are charged pro-rata, where applicable.
Birmingham Conservatoire
200 Jennens Road
Birmingham
B4 7XR
Visit our website Visit our course page
Email:conservatoire.admissions@bcu.ac.uk
Phone:+44 (0)121 331 5901
Fax: +44 (0)121 331 5906
At Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
