Emily
Priest

Why did you choose NTU and your course?

What was your favourite thing about studying at NTU?

Have you worked on any live briefs or competitions?

During my studies, there were many opportunities to participate in live projects, both internally and externally. Within the scope of the course, I was a music critic at Hockley Hustle, reviewing a varied selection of acts throughout the festival, assisted the Beat the Street festival’s box office to provide attendees with wristbands, created a marketing poster to advertise Base 51’s rhythm and best festival, volunteered in the air hub at Download Festival providing customer service to attendees and worked as an editorial intern with Songlines magazine to curate their August/September 2023 edition. Several guest speakers attended our lectures, providing insights into their area of the music industry including managers, PR, marketing and artists. Similarly, I attended Ditto X, a music conference in London, organised by the university to again attend various talks throughout the day to hear from a wider field of experts. These experiences have provided me many opportunities to work within the music industry, gain many transferable employability skills particularly communication and boosted my confidence.

Did you get involved with any other opportunities at NTU. How did these opportunities improve your experience?

I participated in various NTU Music ensembles including the choir, brass ensemble and concert band, participating in weekly rehearsals and regular termly concerts, particularly notable was singing with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The Halie and BBC Concert Orchestra. I also attend their annual tours to Belgium and The Netherlands in the concert band. Equally, I worked as a student ambassador, helping out on open days supporting the course staff to deliver talks to prospective students. I also attended Ditto X, a music conference held in London, listening to various talks throughout the day from various experts in the field. I completed the NTU’s digital marketing and sales academic course. These experiences have enabled me to perform a variety of works throughout the city and with both semi-professional and professional orchestras, share my personal perspective of undergraduate study and its realities, gain industry specific knowledge and gain transferrable skills in areas outside of music that are equally relevant to a musician, especially for being self-employed.

If you could give new students some advice, what would it be?

Be involved with as many opportunities as possible to gain an insight into the whole industry so you can understand which areas are of interest and which ones you are not interested in. Ensure that you engage within lectures and attend these to fully understand the subject and to ask the lecturers as many questions about the assignments.