Applying for Music at Oxbridge: The Course, and How To Craft A Standout Music Personal Statement

Find out more about the Oxbridge music courses and what to read/ listen to for your music personal statement with U2 tutor, Kai (1st Class Cambridge Music graduate and current Oxford PhD student, researching the existential implications of AI-composed music).

What does a Music course involve at Oxford or Cambridge?

Studying Music at university is an inspiring and thrilling experience—yet, until you have first-hand experience, it can be difficult to tell what an academic Music course actually entails. Specifically, how does studying Music at a university like Oxford or Cambridge differ from doing a performance or composition degree at a conservatoire? Is there a difference?

The short answer is yes—there is a huge difference. For although you can choose to make performance or composition play a role in your university studies, they will never become the main focus; at both Oxford and Cambridge, both performance and composition are each limited to around a fifth or sixth of your studies in a given year. So what do you do with the rest of your time? Here are some of the key components that make up most Music degrees:

• Music history

o   This is usually focused on the development of Western music (all the way from plainchant to the present!); the emphasis is on the continuities and discontinuities between styles through history. For example, how did Schoenberg’s atonal music emerge from Wagner’s late Romanticism? At the same time, music history explores how music has both shaped and been shaped by the extra-musical features of its historical context, such as literature, visual art, philosophy, theology, and politics. For example, what impact did Stalin’s censorship have on Shostakovich’s musical style?

• Theory and stylistic composition

o   This is the study of the fundamental methods and conventions that define a musical language. Although there will likely be an initial focus on the Western tonal and modal tradition—for example, Classical and Romantic harmony, Baroque fugue, and Renaissance counterpoint—there is also scope for things like jazz transcriptions, film music composition, and orchestration.

• Analysis

o   At first, analysis is not hugely differentiated from theory, as both involve understanding how music is constructed; at its most basic level, then, analysis involves things like identifying chords and structural markers in specific compositions. However, where analysis becomes really exciting is when you can build on these foundations to make your own judgments and interpretations. For example, there might be a Chopin nocturne you love, and that always makes you feel nostalgic; you could then try to get the bottom of how exactly Chopin’s compositional decisions—his choice of specific chords etc.—may serve to evoke such feelings.

• Composition

o   Here you have ‘free reign’, as it were. Although you will be encouraged to find your own compositional voice, you will be exposed to lots of different musical styles, especially those of living composers, in order to inspire you.

• Performance

o   This is predominantly assessed through solo recitals. However, given that you are studying at an academic university rather than a conservatoire, there is also an emphasis on understanding key issues in performance, rather than simply practising your instrument. For example, to what extent are a performer’s facial expressions part of their performance?

• Ethnomusicology and sociology of music

o   These related areas constitute the study of music in specific cultural contexts, with a particular emphasis on how musical practices interact with social structures. Ethnomusicology differs subtly from sociology of music in its focus on musics that do not belong to the broad tradition of Western art music—for example, the gamelan music of Bali. The sociology of music tends to be more focused on issues like gender, sexuality, and power structures, as they manifest in the music of contemporary society.

• Psychology of music (music and science)

o   This investigates how we perceive and are uniquely affected by music, using psychological methods such as listening experiments, surveys, and brain scans.

What should I read (and listen to!) in preparation for my music personal statement and interviews?

I would suggest, as a general rule, that there are two types of book you should read. Firstly, general overviews and introductions are extremely useful for providing a basic grounding in key areas, as well as for drawing your attention to specific topics that might strike you as especially fascinating. This brings me to the second type of book: more narrowly focused works on a specific topic, such as a composer, a period of history, or a key concept (such as cultural appropriation in music). Remember, though, that you are NOT expected to have read and to know everything! So even though I will provide quite a few suggestions, I would suggest that you stick to reading a couple of introductory books and a couple of books that align with your specific interests. What’s most important is that you read carefully and critically—make sure to note down your ideas as you read. This will be useful for your personal statement as admissions tutors are looking for applicants who can critique and present their opinions, rather than list an abundance of books they have read. Some introductory books include:

• An Introduction to Music Studies, edited by JPE Harper-Scott and Jim Samson

o   This book consists of a series of chapters by renowned specialists on the key areas and themes in the study of music—in effect, a much expanded (and much better!) version of the summary I gave above.

• Oxford’s Very Short Introductions

o   There are several of these for music, including: Music (in general); Film Music; Folk Music; Ethnomusicology; Psychology of Music; Early Music; World Music; Country Music; and The Blues. Because they are so short and readable, they are the perfect way to sample various areas.

• A Guide to Musical Analysis, by Nicholas Cook

o   This is a readable overview of key concepts and techniques in musical analysis; it’s especially useful for those who are daunted by the topic.

• Musicology: The Key Concepts, by David Beard and Kenneth Gloag

o   This book consists of a huge number of short entries on themes in musicology, including things like ethics, gender, globalization, interpretation, modernism, and the sublime.

In terms of the second type of book, there are two main ways to find them. You can look for what the above introductions reference when they are focusing on a particular theme. In addition, you can simply search on a website that sells books—such as Amazon, Waterstones, or Blackwell’s—for the topic you are interested in, such as Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring. In general, books published by university presses, such as Oxford and Cambridge, will be more detailed and will be written by specialist academics; for this reason, I would encourage you to give some a go, but also not to be discouraged if you don’t understand everything at this stage. The key point is to read what grabs your attention—for this reason, there is no extensive general reading list I can give. That said, here are some personal suggestions for particularly good books on specific areas:

• The Rest is Noise, by Alex Ross

o   This is an extremely popular book, and rightly so. Ross takes you on a journey through twentieth-century music, from late Romanticism, through Stockhausen, to Rock music.

• The Classical Style and The Romantic Generation, by Charles Rosen

o   Both these books are classics, and focus on the Classical and Romantic eras respectively. Their main strength is Rosen’s ability to present deep insights from the music itself—they are ‘serious’ musicology—in a beautifully readable manner.

• Cambridge Music Handbooks

o   This is a series of short books, written by specialists, each of which focuses on a specific piece, from Bach’s Mass in B Minor to The Beatles’s Sergeant Pepper. They are both accessible and rigorous.

• Sound and Symbol, by Viktor Zuckerkandl.

o   This is a beautiful and quite poetic book that explores the experience of listening to music. Although there is some analysis, it is engaging throughout and never dry. 

Finally, it is crucial never to stop listening to music! Never just read a book on musical history without looking up some of the music mentioned and listening to it yourself—otherwise, what’s the point of studying music? Listen to what you love, read about what you love to listen to, and listen to what you are reading about. At the same time, listen to pieces outside your comfort zone, and make sure you are familiar with some of the seminal pieces in the history of music—not just because they are important in the study of music due to their influence, but also because they are generally amazing!

Some good music pieces to listen to for Oxbridge applications

Try listening to a few pieces a week, along with the score (there are many YouTube videos with the audio synced up with the score). Here are some suggestions, in chronological order—this list is by no means exhaustive, and is focused on the kind of music that you will encounter whilst studying music history (that is, music from the Western art music tradition):

·         Dies Irae anonymous plainchant

·         O Ignis Spiritus Paracliti, by Hildegard of Bingen (12th century)

·         Viderunt Omnes, by Perotin (c.1200)

·         Ave Maria Virgo Serena, by Josquin (c.1475)

·         Missa Papae Marcelli, by Palestrina (c.1562)

·         Vespers, by Monteverdi (1610)

·         St Matthew Passion, by Bach (1741)

·         Piano Concerto no.21, by Mozart (1785)

·         Symphony no.9, by Beethoven (1824)

·         Dichterliebe, by Schumann (1840)

·         Tristan and Isolde (especially the Prelude and Liebestod), by Wagner (1865)

·         Symphony no.4, by Brahms (1885)

·         Symphony no.9 (‘From the New World’), by Dvorak (1893)

·         Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, by Debussy (1894)

·         Symphony no.5, by Mahler (1902)

·         Violin Concerto, by Sibelius (1905)

·         Gaspard de la nuit, by Ravel (1908)

·         Three Piano Pieces op. 11, by Schoenberg (1909)

·         Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, by Vaughan Williams (1910)

·         The Rite of Spring, by Stravinsky (1913)

·         Cello Concerto, by Elgar (1919)

·         Symphony, by Webern (1928)

·         Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta, by Bartok (1937)

·         Symphony no.5, by Shostakovich (1937)

·         Appalachian Spring, by Copland (1944)

·         Peter Grimes, by Britten (1945)

·         Four Last Songs, by Richard Strauss (1948)

·         Le marteau sans maître, by Pierre Boulez (1955)

·         Atmosphères, by Gyorgy Ligeti (1961)

·         Sinfonia, by Luciano Berio (1969)

·         Black Angels, by George Crumb (1970)

·         Rothko Chapel, by Morton Feldman (1971)

·         Music for 18 Musicians, by Steve Reich (1976)

·         Symphony of Sorrowful Songs, by Henryk Gorecki (1976)

·         Asyla, by Thomas Adès (1997)

·         Orion, by Kaija Saariaho (2002)

·         Partita for 8 Voices, by Caroline Shaw (2012)

·         Become Ocean, by John Luther Adams (2013)

Remember, the point of a personal statement is to be personal. Professors are looking for applicants who can demonstrate certain abilities, but how you gain those abilities and how you exhibit them in your personal statement and at interview is completely up to you and should be determined by your interests. Studying music at Cambridge or Oxford is an incredible experience.

Good luck, and happy reading and listening!

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Looking for a Cambridge or Oxford Music Personal Statement Writing Tutor or Support For Your Wider Oxbridge Music Application?

Music Degree Personal Statement Support

U2’s Oxbridge-educated mentors have a close insight into what admissions tutors like to see in a Music personal statement, and can help students to convey their skills, motivations, and long term goals, in order to stand out from other applicants. The statement should be the candidates own work, but our mentors will provide direction and guide you through the process of content building and writing. We offer offline drafting as well as tuition sessions.

Oxbridge Music Mentoring

U2 offers wider Oxbridge Mentoring programmes (book a free consultation to discuss options). We have a large team of Oxford and Cambridge Music tutors including 1st Class, Master’s and PhD level graduates.

The Process:

1) We suggest a Cambridge or Oxford Music graduate as a mentor and send their full CV for review. Our mentors are deeply familiar with the admissions process to study Music at Oxford and Cambridge University, and are well-placed to guide you through personal statement curation and preparation for the interview process. We may suggest a range of application tutors to choose from with slightly differing rates depending on qualifications and level of experience.

2) We typically suggest beginning with a 1.5 hour informal assessment/ taster session, where the mentor will informally assess the student’s current performance level for application, including test and interview. Following this, we issue a report with feedback, and structure a plan to best prepare.

3) U2’s approach for regular Oxbridge Music application sessions: The main focus of tutorial sessions will be to explore material that can be discussed in the personal statement and at interview - this may sometimes stretch to First Year Undergraduate. Mentors ensure each student refines their interests, and is exposed to a range of new concepts, guiding students in their reading and wider subject exploration. Together, we build a case for the student, solidifying the stance and direction they will take during interview and honing critical discussion and analytical skills for interview.

Frequency of sessions can be decided between student and mentor. Students can take either ad hoc sessions, or we structure a full programme for preparation, which may include further co-curricular opportunities such as our Oxbridge mock interview days. Honing the skills necessary to succeed for Oxbridge ideally requires long-term preparation and mentoring presents a wonderful opportunity to learn from some of the very best Oxbridge has produced.

Sessions from £75/h.