Why we chose to study music

Rebekah's story

Rebekah is a current student studying a Music BA. We asked her what sparked her love of the subject and why she chose to study it at university.

"Music has always been an important part of my life. Even when I didn’t really care about it, it was always there. For instance, at infant school where I took recorder lessons, or at junior school, where I spent afterschool at singing and guitar clubs."

"It wasn’t until midway through high school that I started seeing music through a different lens – no longer as a consumer but as a creator. Before year 9, I had only ever played piano at school as we were not given the option to play anything else. I don’t know why, but piano never really did it for me - even now I struggle a bit with it! I assumed that because I was bad at piano, I was bad at music. Luckily, once I had a new music teacher, I was given a range of instruments to choose from and I chose guitar.

Sometimes I’m asked why I chose guitar over other instruments. Maybe it was because that was the part I always admired in a song or because it was more affordable than other instruments, but if I was to be completely honest, I chose it because it felt and looked cool.

From here, music became a big part of my personality and life. I would practice guitar every day and eventually upgrade my gear and start playing in bands. After finishing high school, I attended Access Creative College in Norwich, which is where I really began to figure out my own style of playing and songwriting, and where I met my bandmate, who I still work with today in our band Headgazer. Studying at Access is where I have developed most as a musician so far, as I was able to meet so many different artists, with a variety of styles and music tastes."

"I began to work on songwriting and producing, which is what I mostly do today. I’m always looking to improve my production skills, and I frequently look to successful artists for inspiration. Bands like Radiohead and Squid influence some of my guitar playing, and bands like Massive Attack inspire me when it comes to the production/mixing side of things.

Overall music plays a big part in my life, and to say that only specific scenarios inspired can be limiting, as I believe everything has a part to play in my journey as a musician. Even simple things such as nature and the weather can be a source of inspiration at times. Music offers me a way to break down how I am feeling in a way that goes beyond just words. It gives me a chance to re-calibrate and keep my brain active. Most of all, it is incredibly rewarding. There is always something new to learn, even if you were to sit down and practice for five minutes, or analyse a single song, you would likely learn something worthwhile."

Hannah's story

Hannah is an associate professor in the Department of Music. We asked her what sparked her love of the subject and why she chose to study it and pursue a career as an academic.

"I loved performing and singing at school and then when I was at university, I met one of the UK's first musical theatre experts and discovered that you can study musicals and share what you find. It sounded like such a fun job to have and that led me to do a PhD."

"I found a document that completely changed the way I thought about musicals and how Black people have contributed to writing musicals and wanted to share it with the world. I was so excited to be able to prove that people of my heritage are integral to musical theatre history. Then, I met the author of a landmark book called Black Opera and she was so encouraging about pursuing my aims.

Take any opportunities that excite you and don't focus on whether it's the "right" subject. I changed my degree, and it was the best choice I made in my undergrad. It's ok to be unsure, to change your mind, and to be interested in lots of things."