Performance+ is our advanced programme for young musicians.
Apply NowStudents must also have, or be willing to work towards, their Grade 5 theory (ABRSM, LCM or Rock School boards).
Students will be considering studying music for A Level/BTEC or degree level.
Students benefit from working with professional musicians, experiencing a broad range of musical styles, and meeting other like-minded young people.
Students are enrolled as a junior student of Leeds Conservatoire.
Our first round of auditions have now closed. We will be re-opening auditions on 20 May, with another closing date by 31 May.
We are currently full for drummers and guitarists, but still apply if you would like to be added to our waiting list.
The course is broken down into performance, career development and musicianship. Students take part in:
All of our tutors are experienced educators with a wide range of music industry experience. They all hold enhanced DBS certificates.
Options
This programme does not include 1-1 lessons, but Leeds Junior Conservatoire students can add 1-1 lessons to their 4-hour programme at a 10% discounted rate of £45 per hour (usually £50 per hour). For more information, please visit our 1-1 Lessons page.
A typical class size is between 5-12 students depending on the subject.
The Performance+ timetable will look like this:
09:00 – 11:15: Ensemble
11:15 – 13:30: Industry Insights Workshop
9:00 - 11:15: Ensemble
11:15 - 13:30: Musicianship Option (Theory, Composition, Film Music Composition or Advanced Vocal Skills)
*All lessons include a 15-minute break
Each ensemble is led by one of our talented professional tutors, who have a wealth of teaching experience as well as active performing careers. Students develop their listening, arranging, composition and improvisation skills, and learn how to rehearse and perform as a group.
A big part of the plus programme is preparing students for BTEC or Undergraduate study. Students have access to 1-1 mentor meetings and group work.
Music theory is the language of musicians and the foundation of all music. It helps students understand how all music styles work and why they sound a certain way.
At Leeds Junior Conservatoire we work alongside the ABRSM and London College of Music theory curricula meaning that students will gain an understanding of intervals, scales, and keys, helping students understand why particular notes are used together, or why some keys use sharps and flats.
If students have an understanding of how written music works they will find playing in ensembles or bands much easier and are likely to progress further in their musical education. This foundational understanding will make it easier for students to learn new instruments or even compose music themselves.
Our aim at Leeds Junior Conservatoire is to make theory lessons enjoyable and fun for all involved and for students to gain the knowledge needed to become well rounded musicians.
Learning to compose is both an important part of a young performer's 'musical diet', and a rewarding endeavour in itself.
The Leeds Junior Conservatoire Composition and Arranging classes provide a relaxed, fun environment where students can cultivate an understanding of melody, harmony, rhythm, pitch, structure and experiment with unusual time signatures, unconventional scales, and unique sounds, across a number of different genres.
From year-to-year, the composition syllabus changes (enabling students who attend LJC Composition and Arrangement in multiple years to continue their development), but each academic year is split in to three sections, focusing on a different 'environment'. In the first of these sections, students learn to use Sibelius, which is the industry-standard notation tool. Simultaneously, they develop their composition skills and their ability to create tidy, professional-looking scores. The second section focuses on Logic, which is an extremely powerful digital audio workstation which allows students to create and manipulate synths, drum loops, and audio effects. The third section is designed to improve students' ability to compose using pencil and paper.
A musicianship class for advanced singers developing solo and ensemble singing skills, vocal health, notation reading and a practical application of music theory.
A chance for students to take their composition skills and write music for film and moving image.
Music in Film and TV creates atmosphere, amplifies emotions, helps us recognise characters, and has the power to manipulate the audience.
Lessons will take students behind the scenes to understand the history of film music, the process of film scoring, and encourage them to think critically about their own reactions to film music.
They will develop their compositional skills in software such as Logic Pro to learn how to support what happens on screen through the use of detailed harmony, leitmotifs, rhythmic devices and interesting textures.
This programme does not include 1-1 lessons, but Leeds Junior Conservatoire students can add 1-1 lessons to their 4-hour programme at a 10% discounted rate of £45 per hour (usually £50 per hour). For more information, please visit our 1-1 Lessons page.
LJC tuition fees are just under £10.00 per hour, with a yearly total of:
Monthly instalments are available from £120 and bursaries are available.
We want to ensure that no one turns down a place at LJC due to cost.
We have a bursary fund that supports students and their families dependent on their situation. In 2023/24 bursaries of between 10% and 100% were awarded.
For 2024/25, we have 9 fully funded places for a student to enrol onto the LJC and also take 28x1-hour 1-1 lessons on their primary instrument, and 28x30-minute 1-1 lessons on their secondary instrument.
Find out more about applying for a bursary.
“Tom looks forward to SMS (now JLC) Plus all week and always comes home after it having learned something new. He's gotten to know likeminded people who he can get along with and has become a much better musician than he was before he joined SMS (now JLC) Plus.”
Please see Leeds Junior Conservatoire Term Dates and Information page.
