As part of a series on recession-era graduates, Tom Service writes about students at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in Tuesday’s (7/14) Guardian . “For all the concrete-clad modernity of its architecture, the Guildhall boasts 129 years of history; today’s students can hardly avoid being intimidated, as well as inspired, by their predecessors. Yet only a tiny handful of the 250 people graduating from the Guildhall’s music courses—which cover everything from electronic music composition to jazz, trumpet playing and opera singing—will make it on to the world’s biggest stages. … While it’s true that today’s marketplace is more diverse than ever—with new opportunities online, on record and on stage—this is also the most competitive environment any generation has ever faced. Factor in the economic crisis and you could say that no one’s ever had it tougher than the class of 2009.” Service profiles 27-year-old jazz guitarist Jamie McCredie, 22-year-old trumpeter Alex Maynard, 22-year-old composer and pop musician Mica Levi, and 28-year-old soprano Rhona McKail.
Posted July 14, 2009
