Music interviews
Thank you for applying to Oxford to study Music.
Music applicants will receive two interviews with Hertford college tutors, each lasting 20 minutes. In addition, the University’s Music Faculty will assign at least one more interview with another college in order to ensure that you have the best chance of getting a place.
First Hertford interview
You will be sent a pdf of a piece of music (two sides of A4) to analyse 20 minutes before the interview starts. You are welcome to listen to the piece on YouTube (a link will be provided) and it is suggested that you ensure that you are able to annotate the score, either by printing it out before the interview or annotating directly on to the pdf. Analyse the music in any way that you have been taught, taking account of the materials (harmony, form, texture, motivic development etc.) and expression. In this interview we may also discuss your personal statement after the analysis so it would be useful for you to re-read it or have it close to hand.
Second Hertford interview
You will be sent a pdf of the first few pages of an article relating in some way to music. Read the article and annotate either directly on to the article (printed or on the pdf), or write some notes, as you prefer. Be prepared to provide a summary of what you have read and to draw attention to any points in the article which you want to discuss. In this interview we may also refer to your submitted work in the course of discussion so you may want to look at that before the interview.
Try to analyse as much of the music and read as much of the text as possible in the preparation time but it is not a problem if you do not fully complete your analyses. The interviewers will aim to put you at your ease and it is hoped that the discussion will be interesting and challenging but not stressful!
For your Hertford interviews, you will not need access to anything other than the basic technology requirements. However, other colleges may suggest a ‘Tier 2’ format with access to a Miro whiteboard (www.miro.com). Take a look at our Online Interviews Technology page to find out more and watch an introductory video. If you have any questions or concerns about the technology set-up, you should email undergraduate.admissions@hertford.ox.ac.uk and we’ll work with you to find alternatives.