After two years at NESCol, talented musician Louise is continuing her education at the Royal Northern College of Music.

19-year-old Louise Andrews from Peterculter has always dreamed of studying music at one of the UK’s conservatoires – specialist institutions that offer practical training in the performing arts.

Louise excelled at school, achieving A grades in five Nat 5s, five Highers and Advanced Higher Music. However, she decided at the end of fifth year that she was ready to leave.

She said, “I knew that I wanted to study music at a conservatoire, but I also knew that I wasn’t musically or socially ready to go straight there from school.

“I also didn’t want to stay in school as I had studied music as far as I could, and didn’t see the point in staying for S6 to study subjects I wasn’t interested in.

“NESCol was the perfect bridge between school and conservatoire education.”

Studying music at NESCol

Louise joined the HND Music course in 2023, where she thrived, developing her performance skills and musical knowledge.

She said, “I really enjoyed the mix of classes. As a music student, I learned about everything from the music business and how contracts work, to recording music for mainstream media, to structuring music lessons when tutoring others.

“The College facilities are top-class. Some of the studio recording and rehearsal facilities we have in the music department are on par with professional music studio facilities.”

Louise was impressed with the support she received at NESCol, particularly from her lecturers.

She said, “The support was phenomenal. In both years of my HND, my lecturers were always around, either on Teams or in person, should I need help with classes.

“They were also very supportive when it came to applying to UCAS. Paul Tierney, my second year lecturer, read through about four drafts of my personal statement before I submitted it!

“I also really connected with the teaching methods used by College staff. I found that subjects were generally taught in a clear and manageable way, and I was encouraged to ask as many questions as I needed to.”

Musical success

Louise is no stranger to success, and her accomplishments and contributions to NESCol’s music community were recognised at this year’s Go Celebrate! Awards. She received the Go Excel award, given to students who have excelled in their studies and College life.

Louise’s achievements don’t stop there – she also secured a distinction in her external Grade 8 Percussion exam for her outstanding technical ability.

However, it was being part of the student band, The International Space Station (ISS), that was Louise’s College highlight.

She said, “Being in this group allowed me to perform in several Aberdeen venues, support larger bands like High Fade and McFleetwood, as well as win a local Battle of the Bands competition.”

Battle of the Bands, hosted by Krakatoa, saw the ISS beat almost 40 bands to the top spot and secure a £2000 prize!

Photo copyright: Matt Jolly

Music career

Having recently completed her HND, Louise’s aspirations have become reality, and she’s secured a scholarship to study at a conservatoire.

She will soon start a BMus Music degree at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) in Manchester this month, with percussion as her first study.

After she finishes her degree, it’s no surprise that Louise hopes to continue in music.

She said, “I would love to pursue a career in full-time performance, ideally in an ensemble setting like an orchestra.

“This will likely be in addition to other freelance performing work and some private music tuition.”

Louise’s advice

Louise encourages anyone considering studying music to consider NESCol.

She said, “I’d say go for it! Studying music can seem daunting, but your lecturers are with you every step of the way.

“The well-rounded nature of the course means that so many pathways are open to you after College, whether you’d like to continue in higher education, or go straight into work.

“Studying at NESCol has boosted not only my musical and academic abilities, but also my social skills and confidence around new people too. It was absolutely the best decision for me.”

Study music at NESCol

From learning to play instruments and exploring genres and styles, to the technical aspects of recording, mixing and producing audio – NESCol provides a creative environment for emerging talent to develop and thrive.

Explore full-time and part-time music, sound production and drama courses