Hannah Elliott

Why did you choose to study your course?

I actually found it hard to decide what to study at university. I think I was drawn to an academic music degree rather than the conservatoire route because I wanted to keep my education as broad as possible - I knew I loved music but really had no idea what I wanted to do after university. The degree at Manchester seemed to be really broad and flexible which I liked.

Why did you choose to study at The University of Manchester?

I remember looking at lots of prospectus booklets and what really stood out about the music course at Manchester was the emphasis on having a varied and modern syllabus. I absolutely loved the module on Bob Dylan in first year.

What has been the highlight of your course so far?

I loved the ensemble performance module in second year- getting to sing music you love in an octet with your friends as part of your degree isn’t something everyone gets to do.

What has been the most challenging part of your course?

It was all pretty challenging but I think that is what makes the course so great. It is scary but I appreciate how important it is to be pushed out of your comfort zone at university. I was also lucky enough to do conducting for my final recital module in third year. This was challenging in so many ways - technically, musically and personally too - I definitely didn’t find it easy to stand in front of a choir at first.

What subject areas are you interested in?

I am most interested in the creative and performance aspects of music. I particularly enjoyed the film composition module in third year and the ensemble performance module in second year.

How would you describe your student experience?

I have had an absolute blast. It is great living in a place that has such a buzz - it’s exciting! There are so many places to go out and societies to join. Manchester is such a fantastic city especially in terms of the arts. I think it is really important to go and enjoy music outside of university and I feel so lucky to be able to go to so many fantastic independent venues and see amazing performances whenever I like. I am also a huge fan of HOME cinema, and I have loved having the Whitworth Art Gallery on my doorstep.

Are you involved in any extracurricular activities?

I was lucky enough to be selected as a choral conductor in both second and third year, which meant I was one of the choir leaders for both of the university chamber choirs. I am so grateful for this experience and learnt so much about both myself as a conductor and musician. I was also the Chorus

Master for the annual music society opera ‘The Enchanted Pig’ by Jonathan Dove in my final term, which was so much fun. It was great to undertake such a huge creative project with my peers. I would definitely recommend being involved in as many music society groups as possible!

What are your plans for life after graduation?

I have really loved composing and songwriting during my time at Manchester and I think I would like to apply for a master’s next year in composing for film and television. I have always been very passionate about cinema and I love making things with other people. I plan on spending the next year teaching piano and violin and composing and producing music in my spare time. Hopefully, this will put me in a good position to apply for a masters the following year.