When I moved to the UK to study music, there were a few things that I wasn’t expecting. Here are some musical culture shocks about the UK.
These culture shocks are purely from my own experience studying music at a conservatoire in the UK.
1. A mechanic v. an artist
In learning how to play an instrument, I have found that in the States, the approach is far more technical and mechanical. In the UK, however, I have found it to be more artistic.
In my experience, there might be one right way to play an instrument in the States. In the UK, there is a real emphasis on each student finding their specific voice as an artist with the instrument.
This was quite startling to me as a student because I was so used to just being told what to do, rather than being given options.
2. The teachers at the conservatoire
I have found that the teachers in my UK conservatoire are a bit more laid back. For instance, I call my teachers by their first names. They introduce themselves by their first names. Whereas in the States, I’ve seen a lot more teachers being referred to as “Professor — .”
3. Tea etiquette in orchestras
This is so British, but it was something that I literally learned in school and took notes on. When you are doing a subbing gig in an orchestra, how much tea do you get your colleagues during the break? It is an important question, and one that was discussed in a class at my conservatoire.
4. The different paths of music students
I have found that students seem to be more individualistic in the UK. They might all be headed down the path of “musician,” but each person has a different idea of what they want to do with that. In the US, I’ve found that a lot of the students share a specific goal, such as “orchestral musician.”
Again, these are just my observations from my experience. I thought they might be interesting to you.
All my best,
Eleanor
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