Thursday, December 04, 2008

Conservatorium of Sydney

Finally I can post this after finishing off there.
The place is full of crap. They have already made their status worldwide and you might think it's the best place to study and ppl there are the best. What disappointment I had when I entered that institute.
I worked my arse to get in there hoping and thinking it would be super hard since most my music life has been self taught and with my injured wrists/hands/arms.
I reached uni to find my application wasn't in when they sent me an acceptance letter. I was dead worried. I traveled hundred of miles there, the last I wanted was to fly home. I could have been to melb uni considering they accepted me far before syd uni.
Then I had to sit for a 'music test' for them to place me in class which I wasn't prepared. I thought it would be really hard and panicked but in fact it was like grade4-5 music theory. I was shocked.
I was thinking of doing a 2nd instrument in the uni as other music institution have offered for decades but to my surprise, they don't allow students to take a 2nd instrument with the excuse that they don't have enough staff or money to fund for it. There are major and minor students when in fact they are suppose to be just major. Minors are considered lousy players compared to the majors while majors are the performer ppl.
On my 2nd year I found out that my frens only needed to have a grade 5 in their instrument and no background in any theory to enter the uni. Wat was more annoying was frens ditching classes and yet being able to pass each semester. Music theory and aural was easy for me and I hardly learn anything which was disappointing. Practice rooms were limited. Pianos in there were crap and out of tune. Music stands in the lousiest condition ever. Equipments in the library and labs so crap you feel like throwing it off a building. Limitation of practice time - they kick students out after 10pm and uni only opens at 7am and sunday, uni is close while saturday it's half open.
A couple of my major assignments were not received but thrown away by the administration. It took me more then a year to settle this problem with my marks being really bad. Nobody in the uni were willing in settling this problem.
Even lecturers aren't happy about the new system of the conservatorium. Now they have cut courses short so students learn less but pay more. Students pay more money to the uni for the dean to spend it on crystals for fungshui and extra paintings on the wall instead of fixing the aircons and pianos in practice rooms and attending to the needs of the students.
My 3rd year, I received a 'hate' letter from the uni and found out that my entire enrollment for that year had been deleted for what reason I have no idea. I had to go straight to uni to settle this problem with the assurance that the administration would help me but later to my disappointment I had to do everything myself.
I wanted to just play music but to my disappointment musicians there half of them are doing music not because they wanna do it but because that is the only thing they can do. Some hardly practices and pass with good greats since their teachers give them grade 6 pieces. Just jamming for fun and none of them wants to do it. Just busking out on the streets is a no as well.
It's so easy to pass here until there is no such standard in music anymore. I didn't see the reason of studying and paying a whole load of money just to get a certificate when I don't learn as much as I would want to.
The uni now doesn't take in real MUSICIANS, those you imagine who are crazy, druggies, alcoholics and stuff. They only take in ppl whom them think they can control. All those I've mention are inspirations to a musicians life or inspirations between fellow musicians. It's like me. I live according to my emotions and mood. I'm inspired by my situations in my life - stress, love n all those things christians call sinful. But that makes a good musician does it not? The uni have kicked or declined real musicians into the uni and these ppl (my lecturer has mentioned) make it big in the states as famous musicians.
The shittiest thing about the whole thing is that they ARE students from the conservatorium who thinks exactly like me and have the same problem but none of them bothers to voice out their opinion.
So for those thinking of taking music, the Conservatorium of Sydney is NOT the place to go. It's only good if you're taking performance as your major.

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