7/26/2019 Fl 0025806

1/12

Royal College of Music

Graduate School

RCM ARTIST DIPLOMA

IN PERFORMANCE

COURSE HANDBOOK 20102011

7/26/2019 Fl 0025806

2/12

2

1. Introduction 3

2. Rationale 3

3. Entry and qualifications 4

4. Mode of study 4

5. Assessment 4

6. Student support 6

7. Programme Management Arrangements 6

Appendices

I.

General Information 7

II.

Whos Who 12

If you would like any materialfrom this Handbook in larger print,please contact Registry:

registryprogrammes@rcm.ac.uk

7/26/2019 Fl 0025806

3/12

3

Royal College of Music

Graduate School

Artist Diploma in Performance 20102011

1. Introduction

Since its inception in 2003, the Graduate School has continued to develop a suite of postgraduateprogrammes. There are currently six postgraduate programmes available at the RCM:

Masters Programmes in Performance (incorporating PGDip, MPerf and MMus awards);

Masters Programmes in Composition including degrees in Composition and Compositionfor Screen (incorporating PGDip, MComp and MMus awards);

Graduate Diploma in Vocal Performance (Grad Dip);

Artist Diploma in Performance (Art Dip)

Artist Diploma in Opera (Art Dip)

Doctor of Music (DMus)

As articulated in the Colleges current Mission Statement, the Graduate School seeks to providespecialised musical education and professional training at the highest international level forperformers and composers, within an environment that stimulates innovation and research.

Through its programmes the Graduate School encourages all students to understand thenature of music as an art and a science, comprehend the position of music in cultural andspiritual life, demonstrating a love of music that can be readily articulated. In particular,Graduate School programmes foster self-critical, independent musical leaders, across boththeory and practice, showing initiative, taking musical risks and solving problems.

One of the central precepts of the Graduate School is the idea of the informed musician and itaims to nurture not only students ability but also their musical intelligence. This Handbook isspecifically designed as your guide in that process for theArtist Diploma in Performance. It mayalso be obtained from the RCM website.

2. Rationale

The Artist Diploma in Performance is designed for those students who have achieved a Pass withDistinction, or its equivalent, in previous studies at postgraduate level and who wish to spend oneyear working intensively upon solo performance as a prelude to entering the music profession. Itprovides time for preparation of recitals and competitions, under the guidance of the RCMsPrincipal Study staff and instrumental Faculty specialists, and a final examination in the form of aRecital Engagement or Concerto Performance.

7/26/2019 Fl 0025806

4/12

4

3. Entry and qualifications

If, as part of your MPerf or MMus at the RCM, you achieve a Pass with Distinction (correspondingto a mark of 70% or more) in the Year Two Principal Study unit, you may apply for the Artist

Diploma as the completion of your studies.

This opportunity is also open to external students who can demonstrate a comparable level ofachievement in their postgraduate studies elsewhere.

Artist Diploma applicants must separately achieve a mark of 70% or over at their entranceaudition. At the panels discretion, students with a mark of 6570% may on occasion be admitted.They may also be interviewed by the Director of Programmes and Research as part of the auditionprocess.

Where the audition takes place before the Principal Study unit of the postgraduate course hasbeen completed, any offer of a place on the Artist Diploma will be conditional upon the above

requirements.

4. Mode of study

Students accepted for the Artist Diploma work with their Principal Study professor for oneacademic year, receiving 90 minutes individual tuition per week for a total of 28 weeks. ArtistDiploma students may also participate in Faculty Classes and Masterclasses, with the approval ofthe Faculty Head.

5. Assessment

Towards the end of your Artist Diploma, as your examination event, you will normally be offered aRecital Engagement at a venue, either within or outside the RCM. Exceptionally you may beoffered a Concerto Performance with one of the RCM orchestras. A panel of judges will decidewhether your performance is worthy of an RCM Artist Diploma. In preparing the programme forthis event, students are advised to consider the model of a Wigmore Hall recital. The programmeprepared should correspond in length and nature to the first half of a performance undertaken insuch a venue. Accordingly, the following time ranges are offered as guidance:

a. Voice: 30 to 45 minutes

b.

Wind and Percussion: 40 to 50 minutesc.

Strings: 45 to 60 minutesd. Pianists: 50 to 75 minutes

The timings given include pauses and breaks. There are no specific programme requirements,although works should be selected from what is generally accepted as recital repertoire andpresented in their entirety, with at least one piece being a work of substance. Arrangements,particularly concertos, should not be presented in the recital context, and singers should avoidtrying to span the complete range of repertoire. Recitalists may explore a variety of composers andstyles, though a convincing programme of a particular specialist repertoire is also acceptable forthose who feel able to sustain this kind of presentation.

It is expected that at least two Art Dip candidates will be examined on any one occasion. Thenature of the programmes thus becomes of particular importance. Students are therefore advised

7/26/2019 Fl 0025806

5/12

5

that submission of the list of works to be performed, signed as approved by the Principal Studyprofessor and Faculty Head, must be returned to the Registry Programmes Team by the last day ofthe Spring term of the year of study. Programme changes will not normally be permitted after thistime.

The highest level of professionalism is expected in all aspects of preparation and deportment forthe Artist Diploma. Artist Diploma students represent the public face of the College at its highestlevel of student achievement, and are required to take this responsibility very seriously. At theexamination itself, stage dress and deportment must be appropriate at all times to a professionalrecital event. Where this is not the case, the Panel for the examination event may choose topenalise the student accordingly.

Programme notes are not a formal requirement of the examination for Artist Diploma studentsand, where provided, will not be assessed. Nevertheless, students should bear in mind thataudiences attending, for example, a Wigmore Hall recital would expect to receive well-presented,informative programme notes. They are therefore strongly encouraged to provide programmenotes and, where appropriate, to liaise with other students sharing the recital to ensure that notes

are presented in a consistent manner, preferably in one booklet. The Director of Programmes &Research and Deputy Head of Graduate School are available for advice on programme notes. ArtistDiploma students are responsible for creating and disseminating the publicity for their Recital orConcerto examinations and performances. Since these are public events, generation of largeaudiences is highly desirable. Students may seek advice about publicity from the WoodhouseCentre.

Where an Artist Diploma student competes successfully in the Colleges Concerto Competitionand is offered a concert performance with one of the Colleges principal ensembles, he or she mayapply to the Director of Programmes & Research for this event to be assessed instead of the RecitalEngagement. Approval for this is at the discretion of the Director of Programmes & Research. The

concerto must be of sufficient substance for the challenge of the event to be broadly equivalent tothat of the Recital Engagement. The request must be made in writing, and must be received nolater than the end of term preceding the concerto performance. Please also note that, in keepingwith the professional nature of the Artist Diploma, any Recital Engagement that may have beenpreviously arranged must be kept, even if the Concerto becomes the choice for examination.Failure to honour the engagement would inconvenience both the College and the external venuethat has been booked. Once the choice of examination has been made, no changes will bepermitted, and only one examination event per student will be set up.

The examining panel for Artist Diploma will include a minimum of two Heads of Faculty or theirappointed deputies, including the Faculty of the instrument being examined, and one Externalconsultant with considerable experience in performance examination and/or internationalcompetition juries.

Assessment is on a pass/fail basis, with the pass threshold set at 70% according to the Year TwoPrincipal Study unit as used within the RCM Masters programmes. A mark of over 80% will attracta pass at distinction level. Given the nature of the examination and the high standard expected,candidates should be aware that some recitals which have some degree of merit will neverthelessfail to reach the required standard. Where the Panel is not unanimous in its decision, the majorityview will be taken as determining the final outcome (in the case of an even split, the decision willgo with the outcome which most favours the student). In the event of failure there is no resitopportunity for the Artist Diploma.

7/26/2019 Fl 0025806

6/12

6

In practical examinations of this nature, there is no appeal against the musical judgement of aproperly constituted panel. Appeals, as with all RCM programmes, are only on the basis ofmitigating circumstances or procedural irregularities, as detailed in the Colleges General AcademicRegulations.

Ratification of Artist Diploma examination results takes place in the Masters Programme in Boardof Examiners. Candidates are directed to the Regulations and Overall Credit Framework for TaughtPostgraduate Programmes for a detailed account of how this Board operates.

6. Student support

The Principal Study teacher is the main point of contact for Artist Diploma students. FacultyHeads are also able to provide professional guidance and advice, in the form of individualdiscussion sessions to clarify each students aims, to monitor progress through the year and toprovide guidance in case of difficulty. Other support may be obtained from the Director ofProgrammes & Research and Deputy Head of Graduate School. Students will be asked to attend

two short 1-to-1 meetings in the Autumn Term and one in each of the Spring and Summer Termsto facilitate this process of monitoring. In addition, students will be asked to complete ananonymous exit questionnaire that will provide the RCM with discursive and statisticalinformation, as well as outlining the students future professional plans.

7. Programme Management Arrangements

The Artist Diploma is managed through a team led by the Director of Programmes & Research.Key members of this team are the Deputy Head of Graduate School and Heads of Faculty. Heads ofFaculty co-ordinate the processes whereby students are allocated to professors for individual

practical lessons and, where appropriate, transferred from one professor to another during thecourse of their studies.

Administrative support for management of the Artist Diploma is provided by the RegistryProgrammes Team.

Two key committees deal with matters relating to the running of the Masters Programmes. TheArtistic and Academic Management Group (AAMG), which meets fortnightly, deals with issuessuch as admissions, management of student numbers at admissions, and the annual review ofguidelines for auditioning and examining panels. It also acts in the role of a steering committeewhen periodic reviews take place. The Graduate School Committee (GSC) deals with alloperational matters relating to taught postgraduate programmes, including minor modificationsthat arise as part of the process of ongoing curriculum development. It meets once a term andreceives reports from key teaching staff. The GSC also receives and approves annual monitoringreports. There is student representation on the Committee.

7/26/2019 Fl 0025806

7/12

7

Appendix I

General Information

Vital and comprehensive details about most facets of College life are found on US , the

Colleges web portal, including:

Absences

Additional Studies

Changing Professor or Mode of Study

Competitions

Course Documents & Forms

Deferring Examinations

Fees and Funding

General Information for Students

Information Communications Technology (ICT) International Exchanges

Interrupting Studies or Leaving

Opening Hours

Performance Management Department

Planning & Review Week

Practical Examination Procedures

Principal Study Syllabuses

Procedures for Submission and Assessment of Postgraduate Written Work

RCM Students Association

Registration

References

Registry

Regulations for Students

Room booking procedures

Studios

Submission of assignments

Travel and Student Oyster Card

Virtual Learning Environment (vle)

All students are required to activate their College email account at the start of the academicyear. This is the primary means of communication between you and the College.

Access to Learning Fund (ALF)

ALF providesa limited amount of government money to assist undergraduate andpostgraduate UK students who are suffering financial hardship. The conditions and applicationforms are available from Registry Services or Student Services. Application forms may besubmitted to the Welfare Officer. Meetings are held five times during the academic year. TheAccess to Learning Fund is not available to Artist Diploma students. Students are advised tolook out for the notices inviting students to apply for Hardship Fund grants, or see the WelfareOfficer. Application deadlines are communicated to students via their RCM email address.

7/26/2019 Fl 0025806

8/12

8

Appointments with Graduate School staff

Dr. Amanda Glauert, Director of Programmes & Research (Room G11) and Dr. Ingrid Pearson,Deputy Head of Graduate School (Room 117) welcome regular contact with students. You cansign-up for a time to see Ingrid on the noticeboard outside her office door, Room 117, on the firstfloor of the Blomfield Building. Ingrid can be contacted at iepearson@rcm.ac.ukand tel. 020-7591

4364. Persons wishing to see Amanda should arrange this with her assistant, Rebecca Mair, inSecretariat, rmair@rcm.ac.uktel. 020-7591 4312.

Centre for Music and Multimedia (CMM)

A development of the RCMs Centre for the Study of Composition-for-Screen, the CMMencompasses the following areas:

composition for film, television and other multimedia forms,

electroacoustic composition and performance,

audio and video recording as tools for composition and performance,

the use of other applications of music technology

A feature of the centre is interaction between composers and performers. Many postgraduatestudents present work developed through the CMM. For further information, contact ProfessorDavid Burnand dburnand@rcm.ac.uk

Centre for Performance History (CPH)

Formed in 2004, the CPH incorporates important collections that together offer unique insightsinto the history of musical performance. The Museum of Instruments (in the East Quadrangle)houses an internationally renowned collection of instruments, associated documentation andsome of the most famous images from the Colleges collection of nearly 400 original works ofart relating to music and musicians. The CPHs other collections are mostly housed in a newfacility at College Hall, among them 10,000 prints and photographs of musicians, 600,000concert programmes from 1736 to the present day, press-cuttings and memorabilia. TheMuseum is open to staff and students of the RCM and the public on four afternoons a week(Tuesday-Friday) during term time, and during the summer vacation, or you may make anappointment to visit the Museum at other times. You may also book appointments to consultthe collections at College Hall. Specialist members of staff are available to offer help and adviceand during the later stages of your degree you may opt for an elective in Performance History.

For further details of the collections and numerous images, see the CPH websitewww.cph.rcm.ac.uk.

Centre for Performance Science (CPS)

The CPS promotes collaborative research and teaching among musicians and scientists at theRoyal College of Music, London. From the investigation of music cognition and perception tothe study of expert performance, the CPS benefits from its position within a vibrant musicalenvironment. As such, the Centre is particularly well placed to explore the interface betweenskilled artistry and scientific discovery. A number of postgraduate students are actively involvedin the work of the CPS. For further information see the CPS webpages at

www.cps.rcm.ac.uk/CPS/Home

7/26/2019 Fl 0025806

9/12

9

Grove Forum

Staff and students at the College are involved in a wide range of research activity. Grove Forumsare held on most Thursdays during term from 5:15pm, and offer an opportunity for all members ofthe College to hear the fruits of research by colleagues and by a wide range of guest speakers. Theformat of the meetings is flexible including concerts, lecture-recitals, discussions and scholarly

papers and the atmosphere is informal and friendly. Proposals for presentations from postgraduates are welcomed, and can be emailed to grove@rcm.ac.uk

Library

The Library is open from 9am to 7pm from Monday to Thursday, and from 9am to 5:30pm onFriday. and offers a comprehensive service for advice, lending, reference, listening and research.One of the worlds major collections, it offers a comprehensive service for advice, lending,reference and listening. A wide range of reference material (dictionaries, encyclopaedias,catalogues, bibliographies, collected editions and journals) is maintained, and an increasingnumber of works can be consulted on CD-ROM or via the internet. There is a reading room for40, a listening room for 20 and an IT room with 11 computers (additional computer access is

provided in a multimedia room with Sibelius score-writing facilities, one floor above). Audio-visual facilities include CDs, LPs, cassettes, tapes, DAT, mini-disc, videos and DVDs.Postgraduates are strongly encouraged to make use of the excellent general humanities libraryin neighbouring Imperial College for wider, interdisciplinary reading, and to join the publicmusic libraries in Kensington and Westminster. New postgraduates should attend a libraryinduction session during their first weeks at College. This vast resource will open many doorsfor you and may well lead to life-changing experiences!

Noticeboards

The College has a range of noticeboards on which important information is posted. It is

essential that you locate those relevant to you and that you consult these on a regular basis.

Postgraduate Noticeboards Registry corridor (Registry side)

Faculty NoticeboardsKeyboard Registry corridor (side opposite Registry)Strings Registry corridor (side opposite Registry)Brass Walkway between Blomfield and South buildingsWoodwind Walkway between Blomfield and South buildingsVocal Top of stairs leading to libraryComposition Top of stairs leading to libraryHistorical Performance Top of stairs leading to libraryPercussion Percussion Suite

Other NoticeboardsChamber Music Registry corridor (side opposite Registry)Competitions Registry corridor (Registry side)Orchestral Registry corridor (Opposite side), also in Orchestral

office corridorAlexander Technique Blomfield building 2nd floor corridorExternal Engagements Blomfield building 2nd floor corridorStudents Association South end of walkway between Blomfield and South

buildings

7/26/2019 Fl 0025806

10/12

10

Questions and Problems

As a general rule, you can follow these lines of enquiry in order to find solutions to queries orproblems that arise:

activity (i) first step (ii) if not resolved (iii) finally

1-to-1 lessons Individual professor Head of Faculty Deputy Head of GraduateSchool/ Director ofProgrammes & Research

Classes/lectures Individual lecturer Deputy Head ofGraduate School

Director of Programmes &Research

Ensemble

activities

Individual professororcoach

Head of Faculty Artistic Director andDirector of Programmes &Research

Option choices Deputy Head ofGraduate School

Director ofProgrammes &Research

General matters Registry ProgrammesTeam

Deputy Head ofGraduate School

Director of Programmes &Research

If you have a personal matter you wish to discuss, you should speak first to the Counsellor.

If your complaint is about a general programme matter and involves several students, you maywish to take it first to the Students' Association to request that they take forward the

complaint.

If the complaint is about the conduct of a member of staff, you should address it to the RegistryManager, Elly Taylor, etaylor@rcm.ac.uk

Advice on College regulations and procedures may also be obtained from Rebecca Mair, inSecretariat.

If you wish to appeal an examination decision refer to the procedure for a Review of a Decisionby a Board of Examiners in the College General Regulations for Students, available on thewebsite.

If your complaint is about a serious disciplinary matter refer to the Student Code of Conduct inthe College General Regulations for Students.

The steps outlined above should be used for any problem or complaint you have. See also thesteps in the College's Complaints Procedure for students, in the College General Regulations forStudents.

If you wish to use any of these procedures, you are asked to contact the Registry Manager.

Pigeonholes

All students have a pigeonhole situated half-way down the stairs leading to the Library. It isessential that student check their pigeonhole daily whenever they are in College.

7/26/2019 Fl 0025806

11/12

11

Woodhouse Professional Development CentreThe Woodhouse Professional Development Centre is on the second floor of the 1895 building.It provides support and guidance to all RCM students and recent graduates, in preparation fora lifelong career in music. This unique facility was established in 1999 and continues to thrive.The Woodhouse team provide a range of performance opportunities, including education and

outreach work, and supports musicians through these experiences, encouraging them todevelop the initiative, flexibility and imagination required to thrive in an ever-changingprofession. New postgraduates are strongly advised to visit the Centre during their first fewweeks in College.

The Department is open from 9.30am to 5.30pm (closing at 2pm on Wednesdays) and thefollowing resources are available:

performance opportunities in a wide range of venues and situations

education and outreach project work

instrumental and vocal teaching experience

advice on self promotion including CV, biography, publicity materials, and photography volunteering opportunities

guidance and support in making job and trust applications

funding advice including sponsorship, grants and trusts

external competitions and scholarship information

a weekly email jobs bulletin listing current work vacancies in music

Library resources and information

access to useful contacts throughout the music business

7/26/2019 Fl 0025806

12/12

12

Appendix II

Whos Who

Graduate School

Amanda Glauert, MA, PhD, ARCM, HonARAM Director of Programmes Research

Ingrid Pearson, BMusHons, PhD, DipEd, LTCL, LMusA Deputy Head of Graduate School

Faculty Heads

Nigel Black, FRCM Head of Brass

Simon Channing, BA, PGCert Head of Woodwind

David Hockings, DipRCM, ARCM Head of Percussion

Vanessa Latarche, HonARAM, FRCM, FTCL, LRAM, ARCM Head of Keyboard

Mark Messenger, LRAM, FRCM, FRAM Head of Strings

William Mival, MMus, FRCM Head of Composition

Nicholas Sears, MA Head of Vocal Studies

Research Centre Heads

Paul Banks, BA, DPhil, HonRCM Centre for Performance History,Chair of Historical Musicology

David Burnand, BMus, MA Centre for Music and Multimedia,Chair of Music Multimedia

Aaron Williamon, BA, BSc, PhD, HonRCM Centre for Performance Science