My overall experience has been very positive. I feel like I’ve contributed to a lot of change, which makes me feel good and confident in knowing that LCM will forever help me to rectify any problems I may face in the future. I am always enthusiastic about my instrumental lessons. I was given lots of performance opportunities of various different palettes of performing. Very pleased with my time here.

The building’s entrance and café have had a massive upgrade and makeover. We have lots of new gear coming to LCM as well including new guitars, basses, amps. There are still some improvements in regards to the equipment that need to be made, on the classical course mainly. String instruments need to be better maintained and looked after, with strings being replaced and damages seen to. Instrument accessories also need to be made available along with the instrument, LCM may provide a violin but often not along with a shoulder rest or a decent bow. Otherwise practice rooms are well equipped with a piano in every room. There’s always a space to practice and rehearse.

I work quite closely with student services so I know they are really passionate about making sure that the welfare of students is looked after. There is always someone available to speak to, staff in particular are very open to listening and are good listeners too.

The SU are making really good progress this year, they are engaging more with students and expanding on the number and types of events over the year. This will impact positively on the future student unions that will follow.

Leeds is always vibrant and bustling, lots to do, lots of students. There is definitely a dense student culture because of the concentrated number of students in the city. Living is also very cheap, especially after exiting your degree.

I took part in many sports-related activities and was part of the “Real Folk and Ale” Society. It was all really good fun and there’s always time to join a few more.

I did the combined course which was great for me because I was really indecisive about what I wanted to do, I couldn’t decide between being a vocalist or a cellist, so coming to LCM enabled me to pursue both avenues in the way that I really wanted to. I aspired to be a frontwoman of a band which I achieved; I wanted to enhance my skills as a solo cellist which was possible again due to LCM. The individual tuition was excellent in that it was balanced and catered to me. On the classical course in particular, we are really blessed with some reputable tutors. My cello teacher was taught by Rostropovich, who in turned played with Shostakovich, and it’s that kind of linkage that directly informs your playing. On the pop course, band and artist direction is really excellent, and that is true throughout the entire conservatoire. Some problems I encountered were that there could be some changes halfway through the course in terms of marking and assessment criteria. I know LCM are trying to address this so it will be more consistent in the future.

My biggest part of work came from the musicians booking agency. I went on a UK tour with a singer-songwriter; I did 5 destinations in the summer and another 4 in the winter which paid really well. The agency also recommends my string quartet for events and functions. We played on Christmas day once which was nice but saddening at the same time!

Joseph Stones House accommodation has recently had a makeover. My stay there was really good fun, I would describe it like a greenhouse, you get to know everyone very quickly and easily. It was very overpriced though, student companies know 1st years will be staying there so they take advantage of that and charge obscene prices which is very unfair. I hope there will be a city-wide crackdown to clamp down on those issues.

Having worked full time for a few years it’s been great to get back to learning doing something that I love. It took me a while to get to grips with things but I feel happy that I’m on the right track and that I will achieve all the things I hoped to before I arrived. I definitely would recommend LCM if people are ready for University. If you have the right attitude and want to well you have everything you need to get the result you want.

Overall the facilities are pretty good. To cater for the large amount of people on such a regular basis must take a lot of work. It’s hard when there are people that don’t look after their own equipment properly, let alone other peoples. The new equipment over the summers really cool though. If there was another floor of rehearsal rooms that would be great, it’s hard to get a room sometimes unless you book in advance.

There are counselling services, financial services, tutors will help you with anything that you need outside class too. The facility staff even do small instrument repairs so the basis are well covered.

I haven’t had much to do with the SU although the emails that I get show they put a lot on and there is a lot of variety from nights to radio so overall I think they do a pretty good job.

My favourite thing to do in Leeds is to visit the Music shops and go to gigs. It would be great to have more music shops but it doesn’t seem Leeds is heading towards culture in that sense, more just clothes and coffee shops. The new arena brings in loads of big acts which is great for people that enjoy live music.

I haven’t joined any societies although a few of my friends are in them and they sound really fun. I’ve just got my focus on other things.

There are a lot of things that I really love about studying here. The people you are mixing with are all passionate and excited about the same thing I am, and look at it in a whole load of ways that I wouldn’t, which is great to increase your awareness. The freedom to create what you want with no limitations but also the guidance to keep you on track is also a great benefit. Also having access to things that I would never have tried before like Konnokal, an Indian Scat Rhythm that gives you great inner time, which have been integrated into my music practice are making me a better musician than I could have done had I not arrived here.

After studying I will be in a much better position to get a job doing music, from teaching, session work, gigging and writing the possibilities have massively opened up which is great. It’s just about being adaptable and having a positive mind, jobs tend to be really easy to get or really hard.

As a mature student I am renting my own flat so I don’t know what it’s like currently. However, when I was renting through student landlords it was terrible, from run down houses to rats in the ceiling and nothing got done about it. They can easily take advantage of innocent people with their new student loan.