The Royal Academy of music is one of the oldest music schools in the UK and was founded by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa in 1822.
It is a conservatoire but also offers a Saturday school for the younger generation that runs from 8am-6pm with many different classes to improve the aspiring musicians abilities.
They offer classes like General Musicianship, Aural, Composition and Theory as well as more practical classes like Orchestra, Chamber, Choir, Conducting, Alexander Technique and 1-1 lessons. They also offer Junior Jazz and Musical theatre as a seperate department.
After attending the Royal Academy of Music Junior department, also known as RAM, for nearly 8 years I strongly believe that it has greatly helped young musicians ,including myself, to evolve and gain confidence in their musical abilities.
There is a strong sense of community and it is very diverse. Through my experience, I have learnt how to communicate with my musical peers, different technical techniques, why composers wrote the way they did and have expanded my general musical knowledge.
The highlight of my day is orchestra because I love hearing how each individual part comes together to create the piece especially when listening to the woodwind and brass. They make a wonderful sound!
Additionally, I also receive 1-1 lessons for my first study but also second study instrument and as they aren’t similar to each other, they require different techniques so I am able to learn more about the instrument and different periods of music.
Alicia Li-Yan-Hui has been attending RAM for 9 years and is studying the violin and the clarinet. She is the principal clarinet in NYO (Great Britain) and competed in BBC young musician of the year 2024 where she reached the quarter finals.
She emphasized that “RAM in particular is really good at not only just producing technically good musicians but also at the promotion of the enjoyment of music and the stories that come along with it” and described it as a “very supportive environment”.
Alicia began attending RAM Junior department as she wanted to further explore music at a young age and thoroughly enjoyed it.
At the end of the day, she often found herself “playing through random quartets after a day at RAM” with friends.
RAM also has many successful alumni like Jacob Collier, Elton John and many more.
Jacob Collier has been awarded 6 Grammys and has now been nominated for the album of the year 2025 for his most recent album, Djesse Vol. 4.
Elton John has had a big impact on the music industry, being an inspiration to many. As well as countless awards, he even had a movie based on his journey to becoming a superstar.
The Royal Academy of Music Junior Department is a wonderful place to be and it makes Saturdays even better!
