What do Adele, Jessie J, Leona Lewis, Katy B and Katie Melua have in common? Yes, they are all successful pop stars, but they also studied music at the BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology.
BRIT is an abbreviation of ‘British’, but it is also an acronym: it stands for the ‘British Record Industry Trust’ who, along with the government, provide funding. The BRIT School is based in Croydon, south London, and is an independent state school for boys and girls between the ages of 14 and 19. It is therefore free, but students must live in Greater London (or at least inside the area marked by the M25 circular motorway). They must also be exceptionally talented because, not surprisingly, the competition for places is fierce.
The BRIT School was established in 1991. And it isn’t only for singers. A recent graduate, 18-year-old Jasmine Breinburg, had a starring role as a dancer in the opening ceremony at the London Olympics. In actual fact the BRIT School is divided into seven main areas: Music, Musical Theatre, Dance, Theatre, Media, Technical Theatre and Arts & Design.
relax!
The BRIT School is renowned for its relaxed atmosphere: there is no uniform and, if they want, students can have piercings or even pink hair. Musical director Elizabeth Penny (see interview) says that the lack of rules tends to make the students less rebellious than those in more traditional schools. And yet, when it comes to studying, the BRIT School is a very serious place. Typical subjects include music theory, harmony and ethnomusicology. Students also learn how to use the recording studio, Apple Macs and software. The School has four main fully-equipped rehearsal rooms, a theatre, radio suites for radio broadcast, a television studio, an IT room, a media suite and other rehearsal rooms for theatre and dance.
Un'intervista con la direttrice (con audio): Adele, Jesse, Leona...: The Brit School