Professional Graduate Diploma in Musical Directing

Overview

We want to work with aspiring Musical directors on this exciting new Professional Graduate Diploma in Musical Direction at Scotland’s national conservatoire. 

This one-year programme is designed to teach you the core skills and processes required to progress into the industry or on to full-time master’s study. Studying within a safe and collaborative environment, you will have the opportunity to work closely with key skill practitioners, performers, actors, musicians, and other artists from across RCS. 

The design of this programme is weighted towards skills, with a focus placed on grounding, developing, and gaining fresh insight.  By allowing space to prepare and learn from each session, students are given the opportunity to ground and develop the essential skills needed as a growing Musical Director.  

These skills are structured into the 5 areas highlighted below:

• Keyboard skills
• Conducting skills
• Scoring and arranging techniques
• Vocal technique and repertoire coaching,
• Programming and Sound

Once confidence and consistency are gained in each area, project preparation sessions are then introduced. These sessions are designed to break down and explore the process of Musical Directing out with a larger process, before giving the opportunity to integrate this learning into a small project. 

These sessions will include:

• Note learning sessions 
• Voice warm-ups 
• Keys depping processes
• Conducting small and large ensembles 
• Techniques for coaching the voice
• Working with a creative and production team

You will work with specialist project and Industry mentors to support your individual aims and goals, and to gain insight into how your artistic practice relates to musical theatre more broadly. Opportunities to observe, assist and lead on projects will be explored as you grow in skill and experience, with the aim of supporting the next generation of innovative and highly skilled musical directors.