NATHAN MCLAUGHLIN
Music | Bachelor of Education
How did you find out about Transitions?
I was in an email group with people in a drama class and their teacher sent them a link about Transitions. I clicked on the link out of interest and learned that Transitions was also for music so I took the initiative to apply!
When did you get involved with Transitions?
I got involved throughout 2020/21
What was the most useful thing you learned about your artform and yourself?
Before starting Transitions I hadn’t had much guidance from anyone. A lot of what I had achieved up until then was through my own commitment and efforts but with Transitions they offered tons of different online opportunities to join in on and learn from. Some of the lessons I attended taught me a valuable lesson about my artform that collaboration is a key thing all musicians should try and seek. It allows for all parties involved to learn from one another and grow as people. A great thing I took away from the opportunity is the Vocal Leadership. This chance gave a huge boost to my confidence whilst educating me on key skills that I will need when starting at the Conservatoire! Getting to put all I learned into practice at the end while collaborating with others was a great experience as well and was very enjoyable!
Why should someone think about joining Transitions?
Before Transitions, I was at a point where I felt I was not going to meet my dreams of going to the Conservatoire to study. I had no guidance and had no knowledge on what I needed to achieve my goals. Thankfully I discovered the Transitions and applied and from then on I can say without a doubt it changed my entire thought process pushing me to my best while giving me endless opportunities. My only regret is I didn’t discover it sooner but at the same time my experience so far has been unforgettable. I think everyone who thinks they can take full advantage of this opportunity should, without it, I would have only dreamed of getting this kind of help and guidance. It is honestly one of the best programs and I am glad to be a part of it!
What is one piece of advice would you give to any current student on Transitions?
Apply to everything they offer! With the past year being my last year of school and the state of COVID-19 then. I was bombarded with tons of work that was to be completed outwith school hours. This became a struggle as with a lot of the classes online I was struggling to meet school deadlines and attend the opportunities. But now having passed that struggle I can say with 100% positively it is worth it! The opportunities offered are so useful and each are so unique, you just have to try your best to attend them all. There was even once I couldn’t attend something as I had an ABRSM exam at the same time and I was given a new catch up date. Putting in 100% will get you 100% out of everything Transitions has to offer!
If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently within your time with Transitions?
I would definitely have asked more questions than I did and interacted more during the opportunities than have just listened in. There were many chances that I could have gotten more involved. With questions being asked or an activity that was happening, I usually answered when prompted rather than pushing myself out of my comfort zone. I would have also invested in a webcam sooner as for the most part I was one of the few that didn’t own a webcam and now going to the Conservatoire I don’t think I will be recognized so I think having the camera on during these lessons would have been a good ice breaker.
If you’d like to find out more about how to apply for Transitions, visit our pages on ‘How to Apply’ here.
