Rebecca Abbott is a class of 2022 Leeds School of Arts graduate. Here, she talks about the course she studied and what the future holds.

• Course: BA (Hons) Entertainment Management

Why did you choose to study a music and sound course at Leeds Beckett University?

I chose Leeds Beckett for the city. I love Leeds and hope to enter the music industry, so having a university in a creative music hub is great. Every week I look online to see what’s going on and there’s just so many different events. Studying in a city like Leeds, you can meet so many people and network with them, which is so important within the music industry.

There are also a lot of sports to get involved in, in the first year I was in the Lacrosse team, so while I was doing my music stuff, I also benefited from having access to lots of societies.  

Did you feel supported by the staff at Leeds Beckett?

I think the support is great. The tutors are very responsive, but I’d recommend also contacting the library team. They have some great resources which you should make use of, for example, this year I found some great courses you can do which are free, around topics like improving your academic writing.

What was your favourite part of your course?

My favourite part of the course was when we presented our dissertations. After investing a whole year into writing my dissertation and putting all that passion in, being able to share it with peers was a fantastic way to wrap up the degree. It’s also an important skill, we’re going to need to be presenting to people in our jobs in the future. Being able to present our findings was definitely a valuable experience.

But there are lots of other good things too, such as the networking and opportunities to work at events. In second year, we had the opportunity to put on an event with Leeds Art Gallery, putting on Avant Garde music and Live Art. It’s very transferrable to lots of jobs. That’s another reason I chose this course – whilst I like music, I like management as well, and combining the two gives you the option to do a Master’s in any area.

What’s next for you? 

I did my dissertation on the environmental impact of touring symphony orchestras. I’m hoping to do a sustainability Master’s course, and then apply that to the creative industries. Ideally, I’d like to be an environmental advisor for touring symphony orchestras, so that’s my goal!