About me
Hi I’m Rosanna and I come from St Albans. I’m a third-year musician here at Queen’s, and chose to study music because I’ve been singing since I was six and love how music is such an integral part of so many societies and cultures! I’ve been lucky enough to write about such a variety of topics, including the music of the Sámi people to the music of Doctor Who, Hip Hop, Opera, String Quartets, as well as doing analysis, performance, and pastiche composition! There’s a huge amount of breadth in music courses so you’re bound to find your niche!
I love how ‘Oxford-y’ Queen’s is in looks (especially the chapel and the library) yet how down-to-earth and friendly we are as a college!
College Experience
I’m currently living in college, in Back Quad. This means it’s very easy for me to pop down for a full English breakfast first thing (unless I’m doing a 6 am rowing outing which means breakfast will have to wait!). As well as rowing, I’ve dabbled in college netball as well as setting up a Queen’s women’s rugby team. Training and matches for these tend to be on the weekend and often allow for more of a lie-in.
For music, lectures are scheduled in the morning and then tutorials are organised to fit around those. If I’m not headed to one of these, I’ll usually go to the Queen’s library to get some work done. Lunch is usually found in hall or I’ll venture somewhere like the covered market. A mid afternoon coffee (or hot chocolate for me as I still don’t drink coffee!) is a must as well. My favourites are JCT and missing bean. I’m also a member of the choir here at Queen’s. We sing evensong on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Being in the choir is very manageable alongside my degree as choir rehearsals begins at around 5 pm which is after most tutorials! A highlight is always dinner in hall after evensong and then a trip to the Beer Cellar (our college bar) or a local pub (often Turf or the King’s Arms). There are so many plays, musicals, concerts & gigs happening in that my evenings are often filled attending (or singing in) some of these too!
Advice for applicants
My biggest advice for applicants preparing for their interviews is to talk, talk, talk about their subject. At the dinner table, to yourself (record a voice note?), in a mock interview. It makes articulating your thoughts in the actual interview so much easier!
