“BU is a place that helped to define my life. Here, I challenge myself to develop in both academic study and musical practice. BU’s professional and creative atmosphere makes me enjoy my life here.”
Xiaoou Nie has been playing the violin for 14 years but she didn’t think it would take her half way around the world from Hebei Province, China to Bournemouth, England.
Since moving to Bournemouth she’s become an established performer as the leader of the University Orchestra: “I played the Mendelssohn violin concerto with the University Orchestra, as well as playing solo pieces at the scholar’s concert. I am the winner of the Youth Concerto Competition by the Westbourne Orchestra, and played Butterfly Lovers violin concerto with the Westbourne Orchestra in July.”
It wasn’t just Xiaoou’s musical passion that led her to Bournemouth University (BU), the BA (Hons) Computer Visualisation & Animation course also stood out to her: “I’m interested in computer animation, and I found BU to be the best university doing this course in the UK. I am passionate about combining traditional art with modern technology, which is exactly what I’m learning from this course.”
Being a music scholar can be quite a challenging experience, balancing academic work alongside musical performances and practice.
“One of my biggest achievements so far has been that I’ve managed to balance my course study as well as my musical performance, as both of them are challenging and require a lot of effort," said Xiaoou.
All that hard work has paid off though, and Xiaoou finds her musical pursuits and academic work can enhance each other: “It provides me opportunities to achieve a higher level in my performance like gaining techniques, and broadened my horizon by showing how western music societies make people enjoy their musical talent.”
And Xiaoou continues to learn and challenge herself with the support of BU: “BU provides me with a platform to learn, practice and challenge myself. I’ve gained experience, and plenty of useful information from industry. Also, University Music staff are friendly and experienced, and they have introduced me to many fantastic opportunities – including the chance to perform in different situations, which I’ve really enjoyed. That’s what I never had in the past before coming to BU.”
Talking to other students who want to follow in Xiaoou’s footsteps she said: “Never give up any potential possibilities. Divide and use your time effectively.”
Xiaoou plans to continue her studies in Computer Visualisation & Animation and pursue a job in the visual effects industry.
Find out more about studying BA (Hons) Computer Visualisation & Animation at BU, University Music and BU Music Scholarships online.