My career - MA Music Management

Profile picture of Katie Clifton
Katie Clifton
MA Music Management
BMus Music
Katie studied the undergraduate BMus music course at The University of Sheffield and is currently studying for an MA in Music Management with us.

Why did you choose to study at the University of the Sheffield’s music department?

“I first found out about the University of Sheffield all the way back in September 2017 when I was starting to look at different universities that offered an undergraduate degree in music. From my very first visit, I was astounded by how welcoming and friendly the department were. The breadth and variety of modules offered was unmatched by any other university that I had looked at, and this diverse way of learning and perceiving music was what I wanted to achieve and take away from my undergraduate degree. This diversity allowed me to develop and discover a variety of passions such as musicology, music psychology and music education. This, along with the wealth of extra-curricular activities and opportunities that the music department offers, has allowed me to narrow my passion into where I want to go after education.”

What made you do a master’s in music management?

“I decided to do a master’s in music management because I was really interested in learning about music from a business and managerial perspective, something that I hadn’t explored much throughout my undergraduate. This, alongside extra-curricular activities that I took part in during my undergraduate, has also sparked my passion for music management. For example, I volunteered with Music in the City (the music department’s student run volunteering outreach organisation), and this allowed me to organise and run music projects and events for the Sheffield community.”

What are you enjoying most about studying music management?

“I am absolutely loving studying music management and it is hard to pinpoint what I am enjoying the most, but I would say the main thing that I enjoy is learning from two different departments. As a music management student, I have modules from both the music department and the management school, so being taught from two different sets of academics is both refreshing and inspiring. Having modules from the management school such as ‘marketing’ and ‘critical theories and concepts in the creative and cultural industries’, is interesting as it is completely new material and it is also stimulating to link and apply general management theory to music."

What extra-curricular activities have you got involved with during your masters?

“I have carried on with a lot of the extra-curricular activities that I have been doing for the past three years, such as volunteering and being on committee for Music in the City and singing in the Singing Society, but I now also play in the University of Sheffield’s Symphony Orchestra and University of Sheffield’s Chamber Orchestra. I also volunteer with Music in the Round, which is a local arts organisation specialising in chamber music, which has given me an insight into how an arts organisation works.”

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What is it like living and studying in Sheffield?

“I really love living and studying in Sheffield, and after nearly four years it really does feel like home. Although Sheffield is a city, it is very easy to navigate your way around as the university campus and the city centre are close together. The city is really green as well and it is really nice having the Peak District so close to your front door - depending on where you live, it can be just a 30-minute walk. The Student Union is also fantastic, putting on lots of nights out in its nightclub the Foundry, as well as offering bars and cafés to study and socialise in. As a music student, there is a varied music scene to get involved in, with lots of different places to perform and watch music.”

Do you have any idea of what career you would like to pursue after your masters?

“Before I applied for a master’s in music management, I wanted to have a career in arts administration or management, acquiring role such as learning and participation, development, operations or marketing. This has not changed at all and the masters has fuelled my love and passion for this career path even more, especially alongside volunteering at Music in the Round and Music in the City. "

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