Studying Transcultural and Traditional Music Studies

There are very few courses in the country that offer specifically what I was looking for. It was also important for me to be able to carry on with my career while being able to study, the nature of this course allowed me to do exactly that. Additionally, Simon Keegan-phipps' work (course leader in my first year) was very inspirational to my undergraduate dissertation so to find out that he was a key member of staff I found very reassuring.

 

With the limited number of courses of this nature in the UK, it was not hard to find once I completed my undergraduate degree. I did a lot of research online by searching my specific interests, however, this one met my requirements so perfectly it was an easy choice.

 

As my course is online, my arrival was more of a series of emails. However, the members of staff made sure to reach out plenty of times ensuring I was ready and what to expect. They managed the advantages and disadvantages of an online course very well. 

 

 

A typical day focusing on my masteres will involve a video call, this will either be as a cohort with a lecturer or between a few of us that has been set up independently as part of our study. I will also check Blackboard for resources that have been uploaded by the lecturer, there are regularly new videos, reading suggestions or prompts for our work. The rest of the day will then be reading and writing! Working away at the hand-ins, refining and researching the topic at hand.

 

I've been able to greatly advance the quality of my writing and develop a greater understanding of what it takes to master a topic, no matter how small and niche it may be. It's also enabled me to connect with others within the field despite it being an online course, I've met a lot of others that are active within the field and made important connections that I hope will serve me in the future.

 

The course was in fact almost exactly what was advertised and what I expected, therefore, ensure you fully research and understand what the course is offering. If, once you have done this, you are very motivated then you will not be dissapointed! Also, a decent level of computer and internet literacy will serve you greatly.