Any degree is a fine balance of the students studying, the staff teaching and the resources available.

The degree seems to be well resourced and has, in the Sage, one of the newest and swankiest venues in the country. Whether that's relevant to folk music is, of course arguable.

The staff seem to be made up of very expert practitioners and I am a tiny bit biased as my nearest and dearest, Chris Coe, has just returned from a three day stint teaching up there. That said, when her colleagues include Kathryn Tickell, Catriona McDonald, Stewart Hardie, Sandra Kerr, and many more, and her boss is Vic Gammon then I think the expertise isn't in doubt.

So that leaves the students. Well if they're anything like my tv and radio students there'll be good years, bad years and mixed years. Some people who drop out of my course do so because......
they've got a place at a prestigious institution like the Vancouver/Beijing/Cuba etc Film School
or
they've got a job making cookery programmes for Granada/Sky
or
they've been offered a job on a feature film
or
they've run out of money
or
they've taken too many drugs
or
they've fallen in/out of love
or
they're pregnant
or, or, or...


How do you judge the course in relation to these exits?

And as to the 4 years, it's taken most of us a lifetime and we're probably a way off getting it right yet. I am anyway!

J