BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
A music degree can be an intense – and intensely rewarding – life experience.
It doesn’t matter how old we are, or what discipline we choose to study. When we make the decision to learn about our art at an academic level, we are stepping toward a future dedicated to our passion. And that’s why it’s important to make the most of it while we can, before we venture into the professional world.
In this new series, we learn about what happens to musicians after they graduate from university. Through these interviews, we’ll explore how some of our generation’s leading talent have taken the knowledge they obtained at uni, and applied it into their careers.
You’ll read about the biggest challenges they faced during their studies, their confidence, and their big breaks.
Each one of these artists has graduated from the Queensland Conservatorium, and now reflects on how far they’ve come since their first day of study. In this interview, we get up close and personal with Eliza Scott.
Eliza tells us about her early life in Armidale, where she picked up the violin as a child (probably before she could read). She received her AMusA in 2010, and during her studies at the Queensland Conservatorium she won a number of awards and even took on the role of concertmaster with the Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra.
Eliza has participated in opportunities and residencies with the Australian Youth Orchestra, Australian Chamber Orchestra Academy, Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. She’s also performed with the Tasmanian and Queensland Symphony Orchestras.
Thanks for taking part in our chat! Tell us all about your musical life and career.
I was born into a musical family in the regional town of Armidale in Northern New South Wales. At the age of three, I started learning the violin, and have been playing ever since.
Armidale is a thriving hub for music making and growing up. I was able to immerse myself in the community music scene as a member of many community orchestras and chamber music groups.
It was after attending my first Australian Youth Orchestra National Music Camp in 2012 that I realised that playing in a professional orchestra would be my idea of a dream job. I’ve been pursing that dream ever since!
Before we move forward, let’s talk about how you’ve arrived there. What did you study at university and why did you want to enrol in this area?
For my undergraduate degree, I studied a Bachelor of Music (Honours) at the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University. For me, the choice to study there was an obvious one. Throughout high school, I’d had the immense pleasure of having lessons, tutorials, and masterclasses with associate professor Michele Walsh, the head of strings at QCGU. I knew that if I were to study violin at a tertiary level, I would want to learn from her. Lucky for me, I was offered a place in Michele’s studio, and the rest, as they say, is history!
Following my graduation, I looked abroad to continue my development as a violinist, and in September 2018 I began a Masters of Performance at the Royal College of Music, London. My studies in the United Kingdom have been generously supported by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts.
So how did you find your academic experience?
Moving from Armidale to Brisbane was a dramatic shift for me, and I found the differences between country and city life to be difficult. As a result, I was somewhat perpetually homesick and many people had to endure countless stories about my cows, my dog, and the produce of Armidale (namely, my Dad’s fresh honey).
Luckily, I was part of the most wonderful cohort, and the people I met in orientation week of first year have remained some of my closest friends.
Whilst it took me a while to settle into life in Brisbane, I left last year feeling like I had been wholeheartedly embraced into the musical community there.
In other aspects of university life, my academic experience at QCGU was a rewarding and fulfilling one. I loved the subjects on offer, and I particularly enjoyed my Honours year under the guidance of my supervisor Dr Meta Weiss.
Completing my Honours research allowed me to combine the academic and performance skills that I learnt in my undergraduate degree into one project. It was challenging, but nothing beats the satisfaction of handing in a successful thesis.
What do you remember being your most challenging year, and why did you decide to push through?
I think every year of adult life presents itself with new challenges that we have learn to navigate. My first and second years of university were particularly difficult for me. I had a lot of self-doubt and wasn’t even sure that I should have been pursuing performance. In the end, it was setting short-term, achievable goals that got me though my uncertainty.
Whether it was moving up one chair in the Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra, or getting into a new Australian Youth Orchestra program, I was constantly trying to prove — at least to myself — that the practice I was doing was making a difference to my playing.
Once I started to be able to tick off some of those goals, I realised that I actually wasn’t doing too badly, and found the courage to push on.
What were some of the most important lessons you picked up while you were a student that were not academic?
Of course there are the simple yet extremely important lessons we learn, like always having a pencil and rubber at rehearsals, being on time (so therefore, being early) for rehearsals, and adhering to the dress code when wearing stage blacks for a concert.
Whilst many of these things seem insignificant, they can be a show of respect for your colleagues, and could be the difference between being asked back for a gig or not.
I also learnt invaluable lessons from watching the journeys of my peers as they navigated their way through tertiary study Australia-wide: the importance of integrity; being reliable; staying humble; networking; and, remembering that as unfair as it may seem, sometimes luck plays the biggest role in getting a job; you can’t control everything!
How did studying music at uni help increase your confidence as an emerging young artist?
From the very start of my education at QCGU, I was nurtured and encouraged as an orchestral violinist. I had the honour of working under esteemed conductors and always felt as if I was treated as a musician, not a student.
So, when I had my first-ever engagement as a paid orchestral violinist, though I was very nervous, I also felt comfortable as this is what I had been trained to do all throughout my degree.
Tell us about how you navigated the world of music after your graduation. Did you have a ‘big break’ or was it a very slow burn?
The day of my graduation ceremony for my undergraduate degree was the day I found out I had been accepted into a Masters at the Royal College of Music. As such, it doesn’t really feel as if I have truly had a go in the ‘real world’ yet. I’ll let you know how it all pans out in two years’ time!
How have you used the networks obtained through your degree, and how do you work to maintain these relationships?
Throughout my degree, I was given countless opportunities to create new networks and professional relationships both in Australia and internationally.
These days, thanks to the wonderful social media networks we have at our fingertips, it is easier than ever to maintain friendships and keep up with the happenings of our colleagues.
Perhaps the most important working relationship I made whilst studying at QCGU was thanks to an internship I took part in with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra as part of my studies. Following my internship, I auditioned and was granted a place on their casual musicians list.
During my third and fourth years at university, and in the months prior to my move to London, I was lucky enough to be able to perform with the orchestra on many occasions. Not only was this an exceptional learning experience, but it has also helped support me financially through my Masters degree.
It is my hope that when I do return to Australia following my studies abroad, I will be able to continue to foster the working relationships I forged at QCGU.
In what ways do you continue to use the knowledge or skills you achieved during your studies, now that you’re well into your career?
I received such an exceptional all round training at QCGU that it is easy to say that I use the skills I learnt there every day. Whether it be writing grant applications, teaching one-to-one violin lessons, performing in orchestras and chamber groups, or even just playing my daily scales and studies, I can trace much of my knowledge back to the teaching I had in Brisbane.
What words of advice would you offer to young musicians along their academic journey?
Remember that the saying ‘this too shall pass’ applies not only to the seasons of life we wish were over, but also to the seasons of life we wish would never end. So make friends, have fun, work hard, learn lots, and allow yourself to step back and have a look at how far you’ve come, every now and again.
We’re excited to collaborate with Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University to shed light on life after university for those studying music. Stay tuned for our next interview!
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Images supplied.
