Student testimonials
We are ranked among the top ten Music departments in the UK, including sixth in the Times Good University Guide 2020 (and top of those six for Teaching Quality and Student Experience); eighth in the Guardian University Guide 2020, and 11th in the Complete University Guide 2020. Our NSS satisfaction rate was 92%, with 100% of students agreeing that 'Staff are good at explaining things', and ‘I have been able to contact staff when I needed to’.
Here are the thoughts of some of our recent students:
Thanks to the support of the music department at University of Bristol, I was able to access incredible opportunities performing, composing, and conducting across the University and wider city. The choice of units allowed me to shape my own learning to what interested me, and the lecturers were all enthusiastic to give up their time to help us with any issues. Bristol is a wonderful city to be a musician in.
My three years of studying Music at the University of Bristol has provided me with immeasurable experience in Composition. Societies within and outside the music department provided me with the opportunity to transfer the skills I gained from my course into a variety of creative projects and commissions. The department’s industry-standard studio facilities gave me the opportunity to produce work to my greatest abilities. Without the support of the staff, especially my Composition supervisors, I definitely would not have gained the confidence and experience I have in my own work.
The Department of Music is very inclusive. The lecturers are always willing to give up their time to provide academic and pastoral support, and are very interested in getting to know all students individually. There are a great range of units within the degree programme which help develop existing skills and introduce you to new passions. I particularly enjoyed the many fantastic performance opportunities within the degree, and in the extra-curricular ensembles. The University’s Music and Opera societies were another huge part of my experience, and gave me opportunities to organise concerts independently, work on production teams for shows and to make friends for life. I had the best three years of my life at Bristol!
The music department at the University of Bristol is so welcoming and the lecturers have been fantastic, with all of them having a genuine interest in each of their students. The staff are extremely supportive not only on an academic level, but pastorally too. The extra-curricular scene at the University is so strong and the opportunities are plentiful, not just for music related activities but for nearly anything! While I have really enjoyed my degree, a large part of the reason I have loved Bristol so much is because of my involvement in the societies. The operatic, music, musical theatre, and many others, societies have so many opportunities not only for performers but working behind the scenes with tech, set design, costumes etc. The three years I have spent studying in Bristol have been the best three of my life!
The Music Department at Bristol has allowed me to explore my existing musical interests in great depth as well as helping me to discover new ones. A particular highlight has been the many opportunities the department has given its students to be assessed in a variety of ways such as audio visual mediums alongside the traditional essay and exam methods. I have left the University with a strong understanding of the specialisms I have chosen; I have been encouraged to find my compositional voice through experimentation and detailed analysis of existing scores as well as being allowed to pursue personalised academic study. The department staff are friendly and supportive and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Bristol.