"The biggest perk about studying my course in the UK is the way the student culture revolves around helping each other whenever they can, from helping people play additional instruments to exams, to staff going above and beyond to answer any queries one might have at any point in time!"
Meet Krishna (he/him and they/them), a second-year BA Music (Popular with Production) student at Leeds Conservatoire.
Krishna initially focused on metal, but their time at the conservatoire has expanded their appreciation for diverse musical styles and collaboration.
We spoke with Krishna about living in the UK, the endless opportunities they see here, and how the conservatoire has influenced their musical journey.
Hi, Krishna - We’d love to know where your musical/performing arts journey began?
My Musical journey began when I was 4 years old, sitting in my family’s car listening to ‘Free Bird’ by American Rock and Roll legends Lynyrd Skynyrd. I instantly began trying to replicate the intro piano part on my keyboard and that essentially started my Musical Journey as a whole.
What motivated you to pursue your chosen course, especially at Leeds Conservatoire?
When applying to a multitude of universities across the world, Leeds Conservatoire stood out as its a university in the UK, an area previously uncharted by any of my family members which made it all the more exciting. The course being a mixture of pop with production as well as what details it consisted of, made it all the more appealing.
How has our course helped you? What are some of the main things you've learned so far?
As of the time of answering this particular question the course in my 2nd has been very helpful, from signing up to play for an RnB group in my first year as a volunteer on performance group studies which unlocked many different performance styles to me, to learning how to work with Synch briefs and producing different genres has really let me broaden my horizons.
How has working with diverse artists in a collaborative environment benefited you?
As I was originally only interested in metal as a teenager, I have been blessed to be able to meet many artists who work in many different genres. From my first year bandmates who leaned to a more RnB sound, to helping my friends with their own assignments where I got to play everything from more RnB to Prog Metal and Gospel which once again added more skills which I could use.
Are there lots of performance opportunities for Leeds Conservatoire students?
While I haven’t been that big on performance myself, resigning myself to sit behind a laptop to mix and master mine and other people’s tracks, I have been fortunate enough to see my friends get so many performance opportunities and kill it on the conservatoire stages.
What drew you to study in the UK? Were there any specific reasons?
One of the major reasons I chose to study in the UK is the ease of living. From Leeds being a Student hub with many different universities attracting people from all over the world would mean me meeting people from all over as well as enjoying different cuisines despite it being uncharted territory. Another major reason the lack of car-dependence which a university in the US would mean me needing a license was a major point as I favour walkability!
What's your take on Leeds? Is it easy to get accustomed to?
Leeds is an extremely easy city to be accustomed to, due to it being much smaller than my city (111.62km2 to 741km2) it is much easier to know where one is at all times. As well as having many grocery stores and regional speciality stores makes me feel like I’m right at home.
What do you think are some of the perks of studying your course in the UK?
The biggest perk about studying my course in the UK is the way the student culture revolves around helping each other whenever they can, from helping people play additional instruments to exams, to staff going above and beyond to answer any queries one might have at any point in time!
What do you think sets Leeds Conservatoire apart as a choice for international students looking to study in the UK?
What sets Leeds Conservatoire apart from other places of education is the amount of opportunities provided, from gigs at Crosswire to getting one’s music used for syncs with Quarry Music the opportunities are endless.
Finally, could you kindly share with us your experience at Leeds Conservatoire so far using just three words?
Revolutionary, Diverse, Inclusive.
