Student Stories: Fionagh Bennet
- OCA Student Association
- Mar 20
- 3 min read
"I am a musician based in North Yorkshire, with a career behind me of teaching, performing and composing. I am currently studying Music BA Hons Level 3.
My life has been nomadic, born in Shetland to a Methodist Minister father, meant that we moved frequently, and I continued to move a great deal in adult life! I am very interested and inspired by art and all things creative, love being in nature, walking, reading, and am finally settled here in beautiful countryside. Although now in official retirement years, I continue working as an organist, have a scaled down teaching practice, and am concentrating on composing."
What is your previous educational experiences and what drew you to OCA?
I studied piano and organ as a child, and managed some continuity of violin lessons at school, despite all the changes. The eccentric way my final school was run meant that music wasn't on the curriculum, so I continued music studies after leaving school. I gained several diplomas, and continued with CPD throughout my life. It wasn't economically possible to take time out to attend university, despite my ambition to achieve a music degree. Interest in composing grew over the years, and on an EPTA course I attended, which included composing, the tutor simply handed my compositions back to me with the words, "You are a composer". That's when I believed I could actually do it! I found OCA's advert about composition in a music magazine, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Can you describe your OCA journey?
I have been with OCA for so long, that I'm part of the furniture! The music degree didn't exist when I started, but when it was launched, we often had to wait for the newly prepared modules. I found it very isolating to be distance learning, and didn't fully understand what was expected of me, and no-one to ask. The OCA was a very different place then, with limited tutor time, and I found it difficult to keep going on several occasions. But I was determined! The tutor led study days were a big help and inspiration, plus a chance to meet other students. Then the dramatic changes fuelled by Covid all turned out for the best. It's now almost like being in a bricks-and-mortar university with all the helpful extra Zoom topics that our programme leader has initiated. But having to get to grips with so much new technology relatively quickly has been very challenging for me!
What was the Tutor and/or Peer Support like on your course?
My very first tutor, Patric Stanford, who was also the programme leader then, was a wonderful support. I was very upset when he died suddenly. Carla Rees stepped into the role of programme leader, and has often been my tutor on various modules. She has been a source of help and constant encouragement, and very good at putting things into perspective. Even when not my tutor, she has always been available for any support needed. Desmond Clarke has also offered support and help over and beyond what he needed to do. The Level meetings run by Carla have been excellent for peer support, and I have received help on the technological side from fellow students.
What does studying with OCA mean to you?
When I achieve this degree, it will be the fulfilment of a long held ambition. It also represents overcoming many difficulties to get this far, in terms of struggling with work and study commitments, and in the last few years, a serious back problem which has caused me to slow down a lot. In career terms, it won't make that much difference now, but in personal satisfaction and confidence terms, the difference is huge!
What's next?
My plans are to focus on composing. Through the SYP module, my network has increased, and I have plans for composing, tidying and completing unfinished scores. I sell through my website, so intend to populate it with lots of sheet music! Learning a new software programme (Dorico) is on the agenda, plus learning how to conduct (back permitting!) Basically, I am now unafraid of learning the things which I thought I could never do, and that's down to my degree study and the OCA Music Department. Joining the alumni to keep in touch is a must.
Any advice?
Just keep going. Put one metaphorical foot in front of the other and carry on. Ask for help, from your tutor and your fellow students. As adults, we are afraid of appearing stupid, but try to climb over that, and reach out. You will be able to help others as well, it's a continuous circle of learning and support. Allow yourself some breathing space if it gets really difficult, solutions often then appear.
You can find Fionagh at:
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